Searching for a job in the financial sector?

The Bloomberg Assessment Test (BAT) is a multiple choice test that evaluates your abilities as relative to a career in finance and then helps you to anonymously market yourself to employers via the Bloomberg Talent Search. Through the Talent Search employers can identify and contact best fit candidates for their roles by searching on the sections of the test that are relevant to their specific job opportunity. As different employers are interested in varied skill sets, students do not need to be experts on all sections of the BAT in order to be contacted!

The session offers students and recent graduates from all levels and disciplines the chance to take the BAT free of charge. Whether you are looking for a job or an internship in the finance industry or if you just want to evaluate your skills and enhance your CV:

Visit www.takethebat.com and register for an upcoming test session. Attendance at sessions is by invitation only.

No preparation is needed for the test and you may re-take the BAT at no charge in order to improve your scores. If you would like to re-take the BAT you must email BAT@BloombergInstitute.com at least one week in advance of the session.

Verbal psychometric tests

Taking verbal psychometric tests?  Struggling a little and feel you would like some help?  Try these:

• How to prepare and How to improve
• ASK
• Internet Grammar of English An online guide written for university students

Practice psychometric tests

This is an opportunity to try some online verbal and numerical tests from Norton Assessment which should give you a preview of the full psychometric tests you are likely to encounter as part of a selection process.

These trial tests are free, and all participant data is anonymous. The links to the test trials are:

• Numerical reasoning
• Verbal reasoning

Practice psychometric tests

Free to Brunel students and graduates you’ll need to register to take these tests from Graduates First. You’ll get feedback after you’ve completed each test and – a big bonus – you can also download Q&A giving worked solutions to each question.:

• Numerical reasoning (NRT)
• Verbal reasoning (VRT)
• Logical reasoning (LRT)
• Work personality questionnaire (WPQ)
• Question identifier tool (QIT) This identifies (based on your personality) the kind of questions that you might be asked at interview

While you’re on our website also take a look at the Kenexa and SHL tests.

The PCC are open…

between 9:30am-4:45pm Monday-Friday. There may be odd days during the vacation when we’re closed so, if you’re coming from a distance, give us a call first

Job vacancies:
Visit www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/vacancies/_nocache to find part- and full-time opportunities.  Just enter your student number in the prompt box and click the ‘Login’ button to view the vacancies.

Careers:

• Careers Quick Query gives you a 15 minute one-to-one session with a duty careers consultant.  It’s held daily between 2:00-4:00pm Monday-Friday. Just call 01895 266840 or visit the PCC earlier in the day to book a time
• Arrange a 30 minute appointment with the careers consultant for your course

Find out how to book a Quick Query slot or a longer appointment with a careers consultant. Don’t worry if you’re no longer close to campus as you can always get help by email or ‘phone.

Placement:
Drop into the PCC and sign up or contact your Placement Officer directly

Job Shop:
Pop into see us, email jobshop@brunel.ac.uk, or call 01895 265759

Psychometric tests

www.jobtestprep.co.uk offers preparation for psychometric tests including aptitude tests, personality tests, job interviews and assessment centre preparation.

What do you need to do?

Applying for a job? Going for an interview?  Attending an assessment centre?

Well, one of the things you definitely should do is to research the employer or organisation!

Where can I look?  What do I need to do?  Well…

• Take a look at the Business and Management resources on the Brunel Library site where you’ll find…
  • company, industry, market and country reports and data
  • company and industry financial information
  • audio and visual material resources specifically related to business.
• Think about talking to a Careers Consultant or your Placement Officer as they can advise on job search, check your CV or ‘open enders’ on an application form, help you prepare for interviews and assessment centre activities
• Use the resources on the PCC site

IT Knowledge tests

IT knowledge tests developed by Brainbench (an SHL company) assess proficiency for a variety of software solutions, programming languages and general IT skills.

Psychometric tests

Taken the Kenexa test on the PCC website but feel you want to get some more practice?

Then take a look at these SHL tests:

• General Cognitive Ability Test

• Verbal Reasoning Test

• Verbal Comprehension Test

• Numerical Reasoning Test

• Inductive Reasoning Test

• Situational Judgement Test

Q.  Struggling with the maths?
A.   Contact ASK to see how they can help you

Q.  Like some more advice on how to prepare?
A.   Contact the PCC to see how we can help

E-tray and In-tray exercises

If you’ve never had to undertake this exercise you’re probably curious about what’s involved.  You should find these practice tests helpful:

• Assessment Day
• Civil Service Fast Stream
• Deloitte
• PwC Financial Advisory, Assurance and Tax interactive challenge you to work your way through a virtual week with us.

CareersGroup University of London leaflet on written and e-tray exercises

 

What’s an immersion test?

Read this article in the Guardian about the immersion test which has been designed by the accountancy firm KPMG as part of its graduate recruitment.

What’s an IPATO?

A.  Information Processing Aptitude Test On-line (IPATO)

Developed by IBM to test logical reasoning and the ability to process information quickly, find out about it at:

• www.practiceshltests.com/companies-using-shl/ibm
• www.wikijob.co.uk/forum/it-technology/ibm-ipato-test-results (2008)
• www.thestudentroom.co.uk

Just a word of caution!  The format of tests changes all the time so you could try asking employers for some practice example questions.

The PCC website has practice tests at www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/interviews-and-assessment-centres/psychometric-tests/sources-for-practice-tests.  Take the verbal and numerical Kenexa tests and get some feedback on how you’ve done.

A competitive time..

‘Graduate recruiters are facing increasingly challenging market conditions. A recent survey (summer 2011) from SHL (they provide workplace talent assessment solutions, including ability and personality tests and psychometric assessments) revealed that nearly a third (29%) of companies receive more than 250 applications for each graduate role advertised, with 5% receiving over 500. 70% of recruiters polled look for degrees of 2:1 and above, although 43% rate work experience as the most important attribute.’

If you’re just about to go into your final year you may like to find out how the PCC can help you?  Find out what’s on offer at www.brunel.ac.uk/pcc.

Many graduate recruiters use tests as part of the recruitment process.  Try out these resources so you can get in some practice before you take the ‘real thing’:

• PCC at www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/interviews-and-assessment-centres/psychometric-tests
• Kenexa at www.brunel.ac.uk/services/pcc/students/interviews-and-assessment-centres/psychometric-tests/sources-for-practice-tests
• SHL at www.shl.com/TryATest/default.aspx

Tests, tests, tests…

We’ve had quite a few enquiries recently from students who have been asked to take online numerical and verbal tests by employers.  So…  try these:

• Links where you can practice verbal and numerical tests and find out about assessment centres.  Take the Kenexa verbal and numerical tests as you’ll receive feedback on your performance, and also try the PreVisor sample practice tests!
• Books in our reference library with helpful preparation hints and example questions
• Information sheets and DVDs on selection tests and assessment centres

Tried the practice tests and struggling with the maths or english?  Try to identify which problems are difficult for you and make an appointment to talk to the ASK team.

Testing times?

Phased by the thought of employer assessments such as psychometric tests and in house assessment centre activities?  PCC can offer plenty of resources to help you:

• Books in our reference library
• Online information that includes links where you can practice verbal and numerical tests and find out about assessment centres
• Attend a workshop that will explore the different types of tests
• Information sheets on selection tests and assessment centres
• Get some help to prepare by talking to a Careers Consultant