Presentation at Careers and Employability Centre, University of Sussex, February 2013

1. Assessment centres
Welcome to the
Careers and
Employability Centre

2. Information about……
• Assessment centres - what to expect
• How to prepare beforehand
• How to deal with tasks on the day
• Resources and further information

3. Assessment centres- what to expect

4. Assessment centres- what to expect

5. Assessment centres vary widely
but typically include:
• Selection Tests and exercises including ‘in’ or ‘e tray’ - individually or
in groups you will answer questions, solve problems, make decisions
• Giving a presentation – address the audience, clearly and confidently
• Group tasks, role play and case studies - get everyone involved.
• An Interview - which may be in depth so prepare well.
• Social/informal events – also part of the selection process

6. e tray/in tray exercise
It's a typical Monday morning the work has piled up and you have to
prioritise your tasks before a big meeting at 9.30 am………
• In your ‘tray’ there will be a selection of requests, memos, phone messages and
information for you to deal with.
• The principles for tackling e-trays are the same as those for in-trays
1. Read through all the information swiftly and start to prioritise
2. Decide on the most appropriate action for each piece of correspondence
3. Record and justify your decisions

7. Types of selection tests
Ability Tests
– taken under standardized conditions and with strict time limits
– paper and pencil or online, multiple choice questions, marked by trained
person or machine scanned, scored against norms
Personality Questionnaires
– provide information on a person’s preferences
– no right or wrong answer, usually get feedback

8. Ability tests
• Used as a predictor of future performance in a job
• Aim to measure intellectual capabilities – also referred to as cognitive tests and
psychometric tests
• Types of psychometric tests include:
Logical reasoning tests – assess critical thinking
Numerical reasoning tests – assess accuracy
and problem solving
Verbal reasoning tests – assess accuracy
and comprehension
Diagrammatic reasoning

9. Personality questionnaires
• Used as an assessment for a particular type of job or sometimes further
training or course and focuses on individual differences
• Aim to measure typical performance – unlike psychometric tests no right
or wrong answers
• Personality questionnaires can also be
called personality inventories
• Emotional intelligence tests

10. Giving a presentation
You need to know – subject, length, facilities and visual
aids available and who the audience is.
Basics for preparing good presentations:
• Structure
• Content
• Engage with the audience
• Master the visual aids
• Practise is essential

11. Group exercises:
Design a t shirt, build a bridge, write a jingle….
Used to assess communication and problem-solving skills in action, and to
ensure that you can work effectively in a team.
Aim to show yourself as a good team player – flexible, full of ideas but willing
to listen to and help expand the ideas of others.
Tips on skills to demonstrate in the group exercise
• You need to contribute, but not to dominate.
• Speak clearly and confidently. Listen and don't interrupt.
• Be diplomatic, ensure everybody gets a chance to share their thoughts.
• Keep an eye on the time and stay focused on the overall objective.
• Try to summarise the group's progress as you go along.

12. Dealing with case studies –
for example
• The scenario:
A publisher of scientific journals and books is looking to make a significant
acquisition. It has identified a target company and approached a number of
investment banks for their views on the merits of a potential deal and a target
price. Based on these presentations, the publisher will decide whether to
proceed with a bid and, if so, select one bank to act as their adviser.
• The task:
Your team is one of the investment banks bidding to win the mandate. You
need to analyse the figures provided; to review the marketplace, your potential
client (the publisher) and the target company; and to prepare a five-minute
presentation giving your recommendations, eg whether to go ahead, go ahead
under specific conditions, etc.

13. Resources
• TARGETjobs - assessment centres
• Wikijob - assessment centre
• Graduate Prospects - assessment centres
• University of Kent - in-tray exercises
• In Tray Exercise - Free example with solutions
• www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs/applyingforjobs/assessmentcentr
es

14. How can you get more help?
• Briefings – Selection tests, Interviews, CVs and Applications
• Careers Advisers are available daily.
• Call in or phone 01273 678429 for CVs, personal statements, cover
letters and application form feedback, interview preparation
• Come along to the events – listed on news & events page
• Vacancies – jobs, internships, pt work, work experience
• Follow us on twitter & face book