How to Administer Psychological Tests

Psychological tests are designed to assess the abilities, attitudes or personalities of a specific group of people; for example, some are based on age, gender, background or occupation. The tests follow a questionnaire format whereby candidates are asked a series of multiple choice questions that can later be analyzed to see if and what patterns emerge in the group. The most common types of psychological tests are the intelligence quotient tests, personality tests, aptitude tests, attitude tests and occupation tests, all of which follow the same format.

Instructions

• 1

  Choose the type of psychological test you would like to administer and then compile your list of questions with four possible answers to each question from which the examinees can select. The content of your test will depend on which type you have chosen. For example, if you decide on an IQ test, your questions should contain a mix of general knowledge, mathematical and scientific questions, whereas a personality test will be based on asking the person about their emotions and the way they view the world. Write up your test and photocopy it according to the sample size or, alternatively, type it up on a document and then print it out. Remember to include a prompt on the test to ensure that the participant writes down the details of the group characteristic; for example, the person should include his age, gender or occupation so you can log this when you analyze the results later.

• 2

  Select the sample group you would like to test. You might want to test more than one group so you can compare your results. For example, a personality test given to 20- and 30 year-olds or an IQ test given to a varying age range of men and women. The larger the group, the more accurate the results will be, so aim to get as many participants as you can. You must explain to each person taking part what the test is about and how the results will be used.

• 3

  Decide whether you want to administer the test electronically via email or if you would prefer to oversee the test in person, in which case you will need to arrange a time and place to do the test with the participants. Set a deadline for the test also, regardless of the method you use; this way you can manage your time effectively and ensure that all the results will be returned to you by a certain time.

• 4

  Instruct your candidates to answer the questions in the test as honestly as possible and without referring to other materials that could affect the accuracy of their result. At the end of the test, ask all of the participants to sign a disclaimer that states you have their permission to analyze the results and use them as you wish.

• 5

  Analyze the results to see if patterns emerge in the answers. It might be useful to put the information into a bar chart or a table so you can see all the results in one place.