How To Pass a Psychological Employment Profile Test
Have you ever taken a psychological profile test for a job? I have taken dozens and once upon a time could not pass one. In America (the reason I say America is because I have no idea what is needed for employment approval in other countries), certain jobs will attempt to analyze you to determine certain aspects of your personality.
Most of these tests provide somewhere between 50-600 multiple choice questions using different cross referencing techniques to determine aspects of your personality. Most try to determine your trustworthiness based on past studies and statistics. The question is, are they accurate? My determination is maybe.
Several years ago, after losing a job, I was trying to get any job to earn income between good jobs - many of us have probably done that. I applied for a waiter job at the popular restaurant Applebees. They gave me one of these psychological tests which was 60 questions. I failed it miserably. Actually, I failed it so badly that the manager let me take it again because he thought there must have been some type of freakish anomaly. The second time I took it, I didn’t read the questions; I simply guessed on every answer and passed with flying colors. Of course I only worked there for a few days because I hated it.
I applied at another job which had 250 questions on their psychological test. I was actually already hired, but had to to take the test as a formality. I failed it! The woman administering the test said and I quote, “Oh my, you scored worse than anyone I’ve ever seen in my entire life. You are not qualified to work here. Your results show an incredible amount of possible deception and strong propensity to be dishonest and steal. This shows you are level 5 red, the most deceptive type of person known. I’ve never seen anyone have this score before.”
I said, “What? I’m not dishonest. I don’t steal or anything like that.”
She said, “Well, it says here you do. I’m sorry.”
I was hired by someone I personally know, who happened to know what kind of employee I am. He pulled some strings to get me hired - without actually passing the test! That is dishonest in itself - using an inside friend to get over on a test, but I did it because I needed to work.
So, are these tests really accurate? The truth is, these tests which try to determine whether a person is likely to steal is more of an intelligence test than anything else. Here’s an example of some questions asked (yes/no questions):
- Have you ever known anyone who has stolen from an employer and got away with it?
- If someone stole something from an employer and you were aware of it, would you report them?
Think about this. If you answer yes to the first question and yes to the second, then you are a liar…right? No, this is actually the correct answer. What they’re looking for is whether or not you are analyzing the questions (as you go along) or not, not so much how you answer the questions. If you’ve known someone who stole and got away with it, then you would obviously not report them because otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten away with it! Right?
You see, they are looking for your ability to notice things like that in the whole of the test. If you remember question to question what your answers are, then you are more likely to let a previous answer to affect following answers - this demonstrates your propensity to lie, cheat or steal. The truth is, if you fail the test, you are either extremely honest or extremely dishonest; neither of which will get you the job. This shows extremism in your personality, which the employer is not willing to take a chance on.
Another view is that you are simply too smart for the job. These tests are based on your ability to steal and get away with it. If you’re smart enough to do that, you will not be hired. I don’t steal from employees, but because I’m smart enough to and never get caught, it is too much of a risk to take for the employer. Many jobs are looking for people too dumb to steal effectively. They want you to be dumb so you’ll get caught.
If you have problems passing these tests…just guess on every question and you’ll have a 50/50 chance of passing because most have factored in the fact that you may be guessing! It’s a catch-22 for intelligent people to pass these tests. My advice is to not make any mental notes while taking it. Answer the questions quickly with the first thing that comes to mind and you’ll have a 95% chance of passing, In today’s world of tests like these, you need all the knowledge you can get.
Just so you know, I do not steal from employers. I have been fired from seven jobs for ratting people out who did steal. Nobody likes a rat, not even employers (especially not fellow employees who do steal). You see, most people do not have the guts to stand up for what is right and tell on someone for doing something illegal or wrong. These tests basically lump dishonest and extremely honest into the same category, which is in itself a travesty of justice and should be illegal.
Bottom line, don’t think…just answer, and do it quickly
The FBI, CIA and homeland security actually want people who cannot pass these tests as their top operatives because of their ability to deceive. It’s funny isn’t it? Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work. It sucks that any employer would depend on these psychological profiles. Whatever happened to actually meeting a prospective employer in person? 
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In the UK such tests would breach discrimination laws and can only be given to employees after their employment contracts have been signed. You can however test a candidates aptitude and knowledge of a subject and the line between these two tests are pretty grey. Where you do find them being more and more is temp agencies who by offering a rolling empty contract can then use these tests to pair employees up with companies.
Thankfully we still just about live in a world where common sense and communicating with people in interviews determines a candidates suitability and not based on a score.
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It’s quite common in America to have to pass a psychological profile before you get an actual interview as a way of pre-screening potential employees. The last three jobs I landed, I didn’t talk to a real person until after I was almost hired - the real person interview seemed to be a mere formality. I don’t know that much about the U.K. laws, but here…the employer is protected, not the employee.
I had to take one of these types of tests which was like 500 questions. I remember getting extremely angry about some of the questions and almost walking out on it. Then the security guard calmed me down and told me I wouldn’ t get the job if I didn’t finish the test, blah, blah, blah and he was really nice. So I really needed a job and had already come this far so I went in and just A,B,C,D ‘d the rest of the test. I guess I passed but they made me meet with their hired psychologist afterwards to explain why I got so mad. I got mad because they kept asking questions like “Do you love your mother or your father more?” “Was your mother your role model or your father?” It was like the same questions but asked different ways and trying to make you choose between parents. Most of the asked and then reasked in this way. Then there was one that asked “Can you contain a bowel movement?” and that is when I walked out. I told the psychologist that although I’m perfectly capable of containing a bowel movement, that it is none of their freaking business and it shouldn’t have any bearing on whether I could perform the duties of the job to which I was applying (a word processor) and I would think that if someone couldn’t contain a bowel movement and didn’t get the job based on that, that there would be some grounds for lawsuits. Then the psychologist explained to me that some mental disorders are characterized by certain physical symptoms such as those. So I told him that most 20-year-old non-medical students such as myself would probably not know that and would probably get just as mad as I did for the prying type of questions they were asking. So he finally considered me sane and I got the job, stayed there for over ten years. But right then and there, decided that I would never again put myself through that kind of “processing” for a job ever again. I would think these types of tests would be illegal except for certain types of jobs. I later worked for a bank and didn’t have to go through all that.
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Fascinating. My ex used to be a district manager for a chain store that administered those tests. He said that if you seemed too honest on the test, you would NOT be hired, because they assumed you were lying. So, if you admitted to doing at least one dihonest thing, you would be hired. I wonder if that’s kind of what happened with your test.
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Hi Teeni! It’s amazing how some jobs require these tests and some don’t. It’s much like drug tests, where the jobs you would think have them, don’t. I have an even bigger problem with an employer wanting to do a credit check on a prospective employee. Some of the casinos where I live only hire people with good credit scores which is blatant discrimination…period. That test you took had some really private and probing questions!
I think you hit the nail on the head Robin, that’s exactly right. That’s why it’s best to take the test really fast and not think - your chances are much better to pass. I haven’t failed one since my new method. I guess if they read my post. I would be fired…haha
American employers must be insane. What’s worse is that a lot of people in the US think it’s normal to have to take a test like that. It is not! It is only ok for certain professions and that does not include bartending jobs or word processors.
Over here, a company who would demand such a test would be laughed at and rightfully so. Now, someone who has had several jobs in a short time, that’s something that’s being frowned upon over here.
Hi Daisy! I just looked to see where you are from…the Netherlands! You definitely have different laws, much more liberal laws. I’ve been there but was just a kid! Yesterday, I was pulled over by a cop while driving. Before he asked me for my drivers license, he searched me and my vehicle for 30 minutes - never telling me why he needed to do that!
I have had a couple of these type of tests in the UK but maybe not as hardcore as the US ones, both for sales jobs and the best advice I would give someone in the UK if they are faced with something similar is to not think too much about the answer to the question, just answer with what feels comfortable and don’t try and beat the system.
if you fail for answering what you feel is right then probably the job wasn’t for you… if the job was for you but they took the test results over your experience and personality then maybe it’s not the right employer for you.
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OMG thank u for this post. I once failed one of those tests too. They were acting all interested in me until I took the test and then shortly after I got a curt letter saying the job had been filled. In my case I answered honestly and statistically the question about parties. Do you like parties? The answer more than half of the time is no because most parties are poorly planned. I love GOOD parties (like the ones I throw) but most parties are not. So from this they infer that I am an antisocial person and not a team player. The next time I ever get asked to take one of those tests I will answer randomly (unless the answer choice is KILL him with a knife or something) hehehe…
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Hello Bobby, doesn’t sound like the tests are very dependable. I can picture you looking at her with your big blue eyes and saying What? Im not dishonest. I dont steal or anything like that. He he so cute, and she still didn’t believe you huh?
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The test I’m talking about may be much different than the ones here. The questions are sometimes about sex, body functions and other things similar. I took one where all the questions were almost the same questions but reworded. Like: Do you have sex while wearing shoes? Do your sex partners wear shoes during sex? Do you prefer sex with a sleeping person? Do you vomit after sex? Have you ever vomited? Do you eat candy during sex? and so on…500 questions like that to work as a security guard on a grave shift where you would be the only person there your entire shift! It’s really weird and sometimes incredibly insulting
Yeah, sometimes they ask questions you can’t really answer with any conviction - like the question, “Have you ever known a black person you didn’t like?” followed by “Do you love all black people?” Haha…no matter how you answer, you know they’ll brand you as a racist. You throw good parties? That sounds good! I wanna come to one of them
Thanks Colleen!
Hi Marzie!
Unfortunately, many employers completely depend on these tests and it doesn’t matter what qualifications you may have. The lesser qualified person who passes the test is often the one to get hired!
Excellent post ! I finally understand what these ridiculous tests are all about. I have never taken such a test but my son has and he showed me one, I couldn’t believe the stupid stuff they were asking, it’s obviously a great growth industry for people with nothing better to do than create tests that people are forced to answer at random without reading ! Lol - how nutty is that ? If you read the questions you fail ! Haha. Even Kafka didn’t think of that one.
I would have failed as I am unemployable anyway. Great post.
Trusting blindly and taking such test results as absolute truth is rather ridiculous in my opinion. First of all not all tests are actually good or valid for all occasions. Other thing is test interpretation should be done by someone qualified to do it and results should be always taken to moderation and compared with interview to get better overview. Judging someone by test only without properly conducted interview is somewhat silly to say the least and actually leads to ridiculous situations like the one you mentioned with having worse result ever.
“1. Have you ever known anyone who has stolen from an employer and got away with it?”
“2. If someone stole something from an employer and you were aware of it, would you report them?”
You could truthfully answer “yes” to both those questions. Even if you report someone stealing, they might get away with it if it’s just your word against theirs and they don’t get caught red-handed or anything.
In any event, yes/no questions are not the best questions for a test like that. Much better to have it be an essay test or something to ask in an interview so that it can be explained better.
Tests of all kinds are often flawed. That goes for qualifications too. On paper, someone may be more qualified than another person, but that might not be factually the case. A long time ago, I worked with someone who went to college for the job I was doing, whereas I learned hands-on. And, I knew how to do more things…
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Are you unemployable Vic? Me too, but I somehow got a job anyway
That’s why I wrote this post, because you can pass any of these testa as long as you do not think too much while answering. I actually know someone who designs these tests, and she told me the same thing….don’t think, just answer.
You are absolutely right Dan. Really, the best way to get a great job is to know someone on the inside, which is the method I use most often.
The two questions on the test mentioned in this article were designed to catch an applicant thinking through the answers, which would determine whether or not you had the ability to steal and get away with it. I am a very careful person that probably unconsciously thinks far too much. It caused me to fail…haha!
Amazingly enough I have never actually had to take a personality test yet. Although my favorite question is when they ask what is your biggest weakness. I love to answer with a weakness that really isn’t a weakness. Like I micro-manage a little too much because I want everything to be perfect. Great post though.
I wish they asked questions like that, but the tests I took were all yes/no and the way they are worded, it’s very difficult to answer with a simple yes/no. I remember one strange question that asked, “If you murdered someone in revenge, would you hate their mother?” Yes or No…hahaha