Advice for Test Takers

The very idea of taking a test can result in some form of anxiety in most people. Even those who are used to taking formal exams likely suffer some degree of nervousness. This is perfectly natural, especially when your responses to a test can affect your employment prospects.
To some extent, some anxiety actually improves test performance. The trick is to manage it so it doesn’t reach an unacceptable level. The best way to control test anxiety is to know what to expect. The information you’re about to read will mentally prepare you for what we promise are actually very straightforward tests.

First, we’ll give you some general suggestions that can apply to any kind of assessment. Second, we’ll provide some tips that apply specifically to the Prevue Assessments you’ve been assigned.

General Tips

  • Improve performance by being properly nourished and rested before taking any type of assessment.
  • If you’re feeling overly anxious before you start, take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax. Consider taking a brisk fifteen minute walk to put yourself in a good frame of mind.
  • Try to stay relaxed during the test. Look around occasionally, and be aware of any tension in your limbs, neck or shoulders. Take some more deep breaths, and rest your eyes or stretch your legs. This will help break any tension that may have been building up between questions.
  • Read the instructions and each question carefully. You can’t get the correct answers to questions that you don’t understand, so take extra time to make sure everything makes sense to you before you move on.

Prevue Assessment Tips

Prevue Abilities Assessments

There are three Prevue abilities assessments: Working With Words, Working With Numbers, and Working With Shapes. These are timed assessments, and the instructions for each test will explain how many minutes you have to complete as many questions as you can.

Here’s how to get the best results on these assessments:

  • Read the instructions carefully before you start. Make sure you understand the task completely.
  • You don’t have to work through the questions in order, so answer the easiest ones first. Most of the abilities assessments have 3 different types of questions, and you’ll find that some types are easier for you than others.
  • Work quickly, but be careful. For example, it’s very easy to reverse numbers when you are trying to rush (like entering ‘145’ instead of ‘154’).
  • Don’t be put off by questions that seem difficult, or agonize over one you can’t answer. They may be just as difficult for everyone else. There are very few people who will actually complete all the questions in the allotted time. If you don’t know an answer, make an informed guess and move on to the next one. You’re not penalized for wrong answers.
  • Guess with intelligence. For example, if you don’t know which multiple choice option is correct, eliminate the ones that you believe are incorrect and make your guess from the remaining choices.
  • Keep an eye on the time by referring to the clock that appears at the top of your screen. If you have time left at the end of a timed assessment, go back and check the questions where you made an educated guess. Don’t waste time by double-checking questions that were easy for you to answer.
  • Use the full time allowance! Try and complete as many questions as you can.

Prevue Interests and Personality Assessments

Both of these assessments are untimed. While you can take as much time as you want, we’ll provide suggested time frames within the testing application. Experience has shown that you’ll get the best results by moving through these assessments in a certain period of time.

To increase your likelihood of success, follow these suggestions:

  • Read the instructions and questions carefully. You can’t give a proper response if you misunderstand the instructions or the questions.
  • While the Personality and Interests assessments don’t have time limits, it’s best to answer the questions quickly rather than agonize over each one. For the Prevue Personality Assessment, your first thoughts are usually the most accurate. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to complete the 110 questions. If you find that you’ve spent more than ten minutes on the first 35 questions, you’re probably thinking too hard and affecting the accuracy of your responses. Try to speed up.
  • Be honest when answering questions for the Interests Assessment and Personality Assessment. Don’t be tempted to respond in a way that you feel will be ‘correct’ or socially acceptable (no one will judge you), but which isn’t true. If you try to ‘bend the truth’, you might accidentally emphasize one aspect of your personality at the expense of another, and distort your results. Be aware that the Prevue Personality Assessment contains questions that are designed to check for those trying to influence the test’s outcome.
  • When responding to the questions in the Personality Assessment, think about a typical day. The questions you will be asked relate to how you usually behave in a given situation. Remember, your first reaction is your best response. Don’t overanalyze the questions.
  • Don’t waste time looking for ‘trick’ questions. You’ll only end up misrepresenting yourself. Keep in mind that the purpose of the Personality Assessment is to match you to a job for which you are suited (and one that you’ll enjoy), so it really is in your best interest to answer honestly.
  • Again, don’t get stuck on a question. Give the best and most immediate answer you can. Don’t overanalyze questions to such an extent that you don’t know what is being asked. Even if it seems like a question is ambiguous, the best thing to do is to answer with your first reaction.

It’s not as scary as it might sound. Good luck!