Enhancing Cognitive Ability Test Performance: Strategies for Success

Psychologists agree that cognitive capacity is the single best predictor of work success, and cognitive ability tests are commonly used in HR for selection and recruitment. Candidates that perform well on cognitive ability exams are more likely to effectively complete training, learn and adapt to new material on the job, and adjust more quickly in rapidly changing work contexts.

More than 85% of Fortune 500 businesses and more than half of significant Indian multinationals use pre-employment tests to identify cognitive capacity disparities between candidates before making a hiring choice or beginning interviews.

Passing a cognitive ability test can be difficult. Use these simple preparation methods, from clever guessing to time management, to get through it.

Are you nervous about your upcoming test? It is simple to just take it and squander the opportunity, which you will undoubtedly regret later. However, it's not too late! Take a few moments to evaluate these suggestions and get ahead of the competition.

1. Aim for Excellence, not Perfection

Your ultimate goal should be to correctly answer enough questions rather than all of the test's questions. Only a small fraction of test takers complete the test, and even fewer answer all of the questions correctly. It's that difficult!

On average, respondents correctly answer 48% of Cognitive Ability Test questions. For the vast majority of positions, if you get 56% of the answers, you will most likely advance to the next round of the recruitment process.

2. Identify Your Strengths

With experience, you'll be able to identify question kinds that you can answer more naturally and quickly. Try to answer them all.

Equally important, you will likely identify question kinds that you find more difficult. Some of us are slow readers, puzzled by statistics, and have a poor understanding of grammar. If you face a question for which you know you will require additional time, simply move on. It is not worth wasting valuable time on a question only to decide to move on.

3. Keep an Eye on Time

Do not spend too much time on any single question. Remember that you have limited time to complete your Cognitive Ability Test. Typically, you can only spend about half a minute per question. Try to answer shorter, easier questions quickly so that you may devote more time to longer, more challenging issues.

If you've found the correct answer or are certain that you've found it, mark it as correct and proceed. Do not spend time reviewing the remaining answers or confirming that they are incorrect.

Finally, if you find yourself stuck on a question for too long, just move on to the next one.

4. Skip or Guess?

Before the exam, you must obtain two absolutely crucial pieces of information:

Is there a penalty for incorrect answers?

Can you go back to the previous questions?

Your exam strategy will change depending on how you answer these two questions. If there is no consequence, then guessing is harmless. However, if there is a negative score on the exam, try to avoid reckless guessing.

Furthermore, if you are unable to return to prior questions due to time constraints, make an effort to answer all of them as you progress through the test.

5. Be prepared!

Finally, practice makes perfect. Invest your time on preparing for the test and simulating it as much as feasible. It can take as little as half an hour, and there are numerous internet resources for practicing Aptitude Tests.

Many people assume that preparing for these tests won't help them better. However, this is not true! Cognitive Ability Tests typically utilize a similar format for the types of questions they use. Preparing for all types of questions can give you an advantage over your competitors!

6. Limits of standard cognitive ability tests

Many general ability exams concentrate largely on quantitative and verbal abilities, which are influenced by education and familiarity with specialized topics such as language and mathematics. These assessments may exclude persons with fewer educational possibilities, even if they possess the cognitive abilities required for success.

7. A more equitable method of cognitive capacity assessment.

However, items measuring spatial ability frequently do not require any prior information or experience on the part of the test taker. Spatial abilities are critical to how we learn to absorb information and build problem-solving techniques for everyday activities. They explain our ability to organize and understand information and give it meaning, enabling us to form thoughts, make decisions, and take action.

Notably, image rotation ability, or the ability to mentally spin an item in three dimensions and visualize structures from multiple perspectives, is extremely significant. The ability to build mental representations is required for practically all types of thinking. Researchers have found a correlation between spatial talents and mathematical performance, such as geometry, algebra, data visualization, and computational thinking. Unsurprisingly, excellent spatial skills predict success in STEM occupations, as well as design, graphics, architecture, medicine, and mechanics.

8. Solution to Address Cognitive Ability Subgroup Differences

This hypothesis is supported by preliminary results from a pilot research that used a New online conducted cognitive test series. Employees at such firms employ spatial and mental rotational modules, with a primarily nonverbal interface that is simple to learn and does not require prior knowledge. The group differences found in our pilot samples are very impressive; we are observing a significant decrease in mean disparities between protected groups for minorities and females.

Group discrepancies on high-stakes assessments are just one illustration of how our society's systemic and historical injustices manifest. Nonetheless, as psychological scientists, we have a responsibility to use our knowledge to help create a path to more equitable testing wherever possible. The good news is that this has been a focus in the field of I/O psychology for decades, and advances like those we're witnessing with Mercer | Mettl show that progress is being made toward more predictive and equitable assessments.

Cognitive ability examinations are an essential tool for any recruiter looking to improve hiring quality and efficiency. To get the most out of Mercer | Mettl, select an assessment type appropriate for the job function or commit to developing your own evaluation.