Assessment centres

Advice on preparing for assessment centres and how to improve your performance on the day.

Many employers will invite applicants to assessment centres as a part of the application process where you may have to undergo presentations, group work exercises, and psychometric tests.

These are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skills and a chance for the employer to see your skills on display!
Tests are used by some employers to assess whether candidates have the necessary levels of ability required for a job and to gather information about their personal qualities, you may be asked to take these tests as part of the application process.

Read the Assessment centres booklet PDF (244KB) for advice on:

What employers look for
Common elements
First impressions
On the day
Psychometric tests
Group tasks
Individual interviews
Presentations

Find out what the assessment day will involve, you may be given an interview as a part of the assessment day, see the Interview preparation section for further advice.

DVD clips of graduate assessment centres

These DVD clips show real students and graduates being assessed by actual recruiters in activities which commonly feature at assessment centres. The extracts include the selectors' verdicts and candidates' reflections on their own performance.

The students are from a wide range of universities and disciplines and include international students.

Watching the clips off campus

If you wish to watch these clips off campus then you will be asked to log in and enter your university username and password before you can view them. You may also require head phones. Graduates cannot access these clips off campus, a PC is available to use in the Careers and Employability Service on campus if you are a graduate wishing to watch these clips.

The clips have been created by AGCAS, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services with support from Graduate Prospects, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and HSBC

1. Introduction

2. Ice breaker exercise

3. Prepared presentation

4. Role play

5. In-tray exercise

6. Group discussion

7. Meal with the selectors

8. Case study

9. Interview See also - DVD clips on the graduate job interview via the interview page.

10. 10 minute guide

Psychometric tests / online tests

Practice tests

There are two main types of psychometric tests, aptitude tests and personality tests/questionnaires. Aptitude tests measure verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and/or diagrammatic reasoning whilst personality questionnaires help individuals identify their strengths and weaknesses to build an overall profile of individual personality traits.

Kenexa online Practice Verbal and Numerical Tests with instant feedback, are available for students of the University of Huddersfield.

For further information on the Kenexa tests please see Practice tests page.

Read the Assessment centres booklet PDF (244KB) for advice on psychometric tests

Additional resources

Employers should always give you feedback about your performance at assessment centres, particularly psychometric tests. If they do not offer feedback on the day contact them afterwards and ask for feedback. Finding out about your performance, what you did well and what didn't go so well, can help you prepare for future assessment centres.

Please read our Assessment centres booklet for further information and advice on preparing for assessment centres and psychometric tests.
Graduate Prospects also has an extensive section on Assessment centres.
If you wish to speak to a member of staff for further information, advice or guidance then please do not hesitate to contact us. Details of appointments, quick query sessions.
Psychometric test sessions are also held as a part of the Careers workshop programme on the Huddersfield campus.

You could also look at some of the free short sample online practice tests available. Please note that these are not as comprehensive as the Kenexa tests.

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