Personality questionnaires

These are used to see how you react to different situations. They measure a variety of personal qualities, usually characteristics such as how determined you are and your social skills. The questionnaires are usually untimed, but you will be asked to put down your first reaction to the questions and not spend time pondering their meaning.

Some tips

You won't know exactly what personal qualities the selectors are looking for. Quite often they are looking for a variety of different personalities rather than just one 'profile'.

Many employers want candidates with a balance of different personal qualities: for example, being able to get on with people, take charge and organise, be persistent and determined.

The particular requirements of the job you are applying for might give a clue to the qualities the employer seeks. For example, a sales job may look for people who enjoy meeting new people, while a job where you have to analyse information may favour those who like paying attention to detail. These differing requirements might be reflected in slightly different profiles which the employer will look for.

However, don't be too clever. There may be checks within the questionnaire to detect whether you are giving a false picture of yourself. In addition, the employer is unlikely to be looking for just one personality type. The best advice is probably to 'be yourself'.

Further information