Psychometric tests are often used by employers as one of their selection methods. There are two main types:

Employers may use these tests at various points in their selection process. Some use them early on, perhaps interviewing only those who achieve a certain score in an aptitude test. Others use them later, towards the final stages of their selection process.

Aptitude tests

These are multiple choice questions, given under exam conditions with strict time limits. They assess your powers of logical reasoning and the questions have definite right and wrong answers.

If an employer asks you to sit an aptitude test, this will typically have two or three separate sections. There are lots of different types, but typically one part will measure verbal reasoning, another numerical reasoning, and perhaps a third will measure spatial or diagrammatic reasoning.

To get a good score you have to do better than the 'norm group', which is likely to be people successfully doing the job you are applying for. You don't know what the standard is, but a rough rule of thumb might be that you should aim to complete 70% to 80% of the questions, and get most of them (say 70% to 80%) right.