What are psychotechnical tests and what types exist?

Every day it is more frequent to hear about the application of psychotechnical tests, but what are these and how many types exist. Why are they so usual at the time of being interviewed to obtain a job, for example?

Content

• What are psychotechnical tests?
• Types of psychotechnical tests
• Why would a psychotechnical test need?
  • Bibliography

What are psychotechnical tests?

Psychotechnical tests also receive the name of intelligence test or skills test and, in reality, These are evidence whose design has been designed to evaluate a person's intellectual abilitiesa, in relation to the tasks you plan to perform.

Psychotechnical tests are questionnaires in which an option must be selected from several possibilities.

With these tests, Experts intend to examine a person's intellectual abilities, such as memory, intelligence, attention capacity, and even perception.

There are other aspects that are also evaluated in these types of tests, such as verbal aptitude, abstraction capacity, numerical aptitude, spatial aptitude, concentration, among others, depending on the purposes for which it is applied.

The evaluation that is done with these tests is objectively, that is, without the subjectivity of who evaluates.

Therefore, the tests have a fairly specific structure and the responses that are given must be voluntary.

These tests are also known for being of maximum execution, Well, the maximum potential that a subject shows with respect to a specific skill or a quality in a time limit is valued.

As mentioned, these tests are widely used at the time of obtaining a permission for a job, accessing a position or checking if there is any difficulty or alteration in the adaptive functioning of the individual.

With the application of these psychotechnical tests, it is also usual for personality tests to be carried out, because, not only would they be evaluating cognitive skills, but also the frequent behavior of a person.

After the application of both tests, and with the information collected, the final decision is usually made. It should be noted that with these tests there is no additional information to the score obtained, that is, they must be interpreted and analyzed with the information that the individual provides, using a scale or some criteria.

Types of psychotechnical tests

Among the different types of psychotechnical tests are the following:

1. Attention and concentration test: These tests seek.
2. Reasoning test: These tests are ideal for those who need to organize information, deduce conclusions and focus on solutions, quickly. That is, these types of tests are very applied to obtain some jobs, since, reasoning is a capacity that allows planning and looking for alternatives to deal with different situations that could be presented in an environment.
3. Spatial Aptitude Test: This test is focused on examining the person's ability to guide and be aware of what happens around them. It is a test that is valuable for the workplace, especially in those jobs in which it should be conducted, for example. In these tests, various viso -spatial tests are usually applied.
4. Verbal Aptitude Test: With these tests, the lexicon of a person, his vocabulary, his spelling, the speed when reading, in addition to the use of grammar, especially, if what is desired is a candidate who can communicate efficiently And that clearly expresses what you have understood.
5. Numerical aptitude test: In many jobs, the ability to make calculations is also essential and for this, these tests are the most indicated, because, they put mathematical problems, measuring successes and mistakes in a time limit.
6. Executive Functions Test: Examine executive functions can be done through different tests with which the ability to make decisions, planning, working memory, the ability to solve problems, among others, among others.

Thus, depending on the skills that are identified, there is a great diversity of psychotechnical tests that can be applied.

Why would a psychotechnical test need?

There are many scenarios in which the application of a psychotechnical test may be necessary, because, there are many contexts in which an assessment of the mental skills of a subject is required. For example:

• Labor Area: It is one of the sectors in which the most psychotechnical tests apply, therefore, companies usually demand for each position specific requirements and these tests are very useful to discover if a candidate is the most suitable.
• Educative area: either to enter an academy, or to check if a subject deserves permanence in it, these psychotechnical tests can be used. They are also useful to identify whether a student has obtained improvements during the educational program.
• Clinical practice: In the clinical area these tests are applied to patients in order to examine whether variations in their mental abilities, if they have suffered some type of dementia, or only to assess how their cognitive abilities are found at that time.
• License or driving license: To those who aspire to conduct a car are also usually applied psychotechnical tests, because, driving implies a responsibility that requires a few skills, such as the ability to concentrate, attention, visoespacial, among others.
• License to manipulate weapons: It is less common, but, even so, there are those who carry a firearm, either for their own security or by the nature of their work, as in the case of police officers. The incorrect use of a weapon can become deadly, so applying a psychotechnical test is very important.

These are some areas in which the application of psychotechnical tests is requested, however, there may also be others. Everything will depend on the purpose and aptitude that you want to evaluate.

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Bibliography

• Álava Urrburu, C., Huerta Rodríguez, I., & Noval Vallina, M. (2011). Exploratory bibliographic review of the criteria of aptitude in professional conductors with psychiatric disease. Job Safety and Safety, 57(222), 41-62.
• Bethencourt Diaz, P. (2020). Computer System for Student Orientation based on psychotechnical tests and education indicators.
• Chicapar, n. M. (2006). Psychotechnical tests: a professional identity card. Human capital: Magazine for the Integration and Development of Human Resources, 19 (198), 112-116.
• Oltra, j. TO. B. (1973). Repertoire of psychotechnical tests. Psychology Yearbook/The Ub Journal of Psychology, (8), 73-108.