Need help before starting your assessment or experiencing issues during it? Find quick answers here!
Assessments 101
What does the Prevue assessment measure?
Why was I asked to take an assessment?
Can I see a sample of the test before I take the assessment?
Are there any tips before taking the Prevue assessment?
I'm feeling anxious - How can I set myself up for success?
How can I receive an accommodation if I need one?
Can I take the assessment on a mobile device?
What are the basic system requirements to take a Prevue assessment?
Applications and Results
Can I see a copy of my results?
How do I find out about the next steps of my application?
Data & Privacy
Can I request that my data be removed?
What are cookies and are they required?
Troubleshooting
I meet all the basic requirements but ran into an issue - How do I get support?
❓ What does the Prevue assessment measure?
The Prevue Assessments examine abilities, motivations/interests, and personality with five assessments:
Abilities
We use three assessments to measure specific abilities. When taken together, they provide a measure of general ability. Here’s how we examine someone’s potential for learning and reasoning:
- Working with Words: This assessment measures verbal reasoning, which is an individual’s ability to understand and use words. Whether it’s understanding simple written instructions, reading workplace manuals or writing management reports, almost every role requires some level of verbal ability–and this is why verbal reasoning assessments are so popular.
- Working with Numbers: This assessment measures numerical reasoning, which is an individual’s ability to understand and use numbers. Numerical reasoning assessments are used in hiring decisions where there’s a need to assess numeracy or an aptitude for data manipulation. This covers many clerical and administrative jobs, as well as those in the banking and financial services sectors.
- Working with Shapes: This assessment measures spatial reasoning, which is a person’s ability to manipulate shapes or visualize objects in their mind. Many jobs involve tasks where you have to imagine how items or images can be organized or arranged within a particular space or area, and this test will give you a better picture of someone’s ability to paint a mental picture.
Occupational Interests
The Prevue Occupational Interests Assessment is designed to evaluate an individual’s likes and dislikes for different types of work. It’s not a measure of performance, but a measure of preference. Interests assessments are especially useful where an applicant doesn’t have prior work experience because they provide some understanding of an applicants interests and potential.
These tests are also used extensively in staff development and coaching situations. Interests assessments provide a means of exploring new options for people, suggesting areas of work that they might not have otherwise considered.
Personality Assessments
The Prevue Personality Assessments examine personality traits that identify someone’s preferred way of acting and thinking. An individual’s personality profile, like their ability profile, is a key influence on how they’ll perform at work. Knowing what to expect from an employee’s behavior is especially important in situations that involve interaction and cooperation with other people, like in managerial, supervisory, customer-oriented, or team-based roles and activities.
The Prevue Personality Assessments are designed to measure how a person fits the behavioral requirements of a particular job –or, if they’re already doing the job, to identify what they need for training and development.
From the candidate’s point of view, personality assessments help them to consider work that best suits their temperament, and what they’ll find more interesting and satisfying. The Prevue Personality Assessment is based on the ‘Big Five’ or ‘Five Factor Model’ of personality, which identifies the primary personality dimensions that underpin all observable behavior.
❓ Why was I asked to take an assessment?
Organizations use assessments to help them with a number of human resource management functions including the following:
- Selection – identifying and hiring the best people for the job and the organization in a fair and efficient manner.
- Placement – assigning people to the appropriate job type and level.
- Training & Development – identifying those applicants or employees who might benefit from particular training programs and coaching individuals to success in a particular job.
- Promotion – identifying employees who possess the potential for higher level activities and responsibilities.
- Career Exploration – helping people to make career decisions within an organization, particularly for larger companies who have a wide range of jobs
Assessments are generally used in the hiring process to gather information on a job applicant’s knowledge (particularly where a special level of knowledge is required), skills (where particular skills are required), abilities (measuring underlying abilities such as aptitude for verbal or numerical problem solving), and experience.
❓ Can I see a sample test before I take the assessment?
You can review samples of the each of the Prevue Assessments below to familiarize yourself with the types of question you will be asked to answer. When you do start your assigned package of Prevue Assessment, you will be provided with instructions and sample questions that are similar to those you will review in the following practice assessments.
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| Words | Numbers | Shapes | Interests | Personality |
❓Are there any tips before taking the Prevue assessment?
There are three Prevue abilities assessments: Working With Words, Working With Numbers, and Working With Shapes (you can find their descriptions under "What Prevue Assessments Measure"). 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 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. There are very few people who will actually complete all the questions in the alloted 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.
You shouldn’t be worried about what the employer or recruiter will think about your answer to any particular question because they don’t actually see the answers to the specific questions. Your responses to the questions simply provide data for developing a general description of your occupational interests and personality traits.
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!
❓ I'm feeling anxious - How can I set myself up for success?
The very idea of taking a test can result in some form of anxiety in many 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.
Here are some general tips to follow in completing your Prevue Assessments:
- 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 you don't understand, so take extra time to make sure everything makes sense to you before you move on.
❓ How can I receive an accommodation if I need one?
At Prevue, we're committed to ensuring fair and equitable assessment practices and have an option for extra time during our timed sections. Research in the field of I/O Psychology shows that properly applied time accommodations help remove barriers for candidates that need them.
❓ Can I take the assessment on a mobile device?
While certain sections of the Prevue Assessment are 'mobile friendly', we do not recommend the use of a mobile device when completing our Working with Words, Numbers, or Shapes sections.
❓ What are the basic system requirements to take a Prevue Assessment?
1. Up to Date and Compatible Browser:
- Microsoft Edge 92 or above
- Firefox 30 or above
- Opera 21 or above
- Google Chrome 40 or above
- Safari 5 or above
2. Javascript Enabled
- Checking for Javascript will differ from browser to browser but Javascript is what we use in order to deliver key elements of the assessment experience. Browser add-ons that alter or disrupt Javascript will cause the assessment to not work properly.
3. Pop-up Blockers Disabled
4. Reliable Internet Speed
The Assessment requires an active and stable connection to the internet. Please look at your download speed and ping to ensure that it is within acceptable ranges.
5. Access to a Computer with Mouse and/or Trackpad
The Prevue Assessment is optimized for use on a computer with access to a mouse or a track pad. If you do not have an access to a computer, please reach out to the employer before attempting to start the assessment.
❓ Can I see a copy of my results?
A copy of your results can be made available by requesting it directly to the employer that sent you the assessment invitation.
Please note that Prevue Support is not at liberty to provide assessment results and employers are not required to share results with candidates.
❓ How do I find out about the next steps of my application?
Prevue is the author of the Prevue Assessment but is not a collaborator within our partner's hiring processes.
For information regarding the status of your application, or any next steps, please reach out to the employer directly.
❓ How is my data stored?
All Prevue data is hosted on secure AWS servers located in Canada, with stringent data segregation protocols in place to ensure that your information is isolated within dedicated databases. We employ advancedd encryption methodologies for data at rest and in transit.
Importantly, Prevue does not collect or retain any sensitive personally identifiable information ( PII ) on our servers.
❓ Is Prevue GDPR compliant?
Yes, Prevue is GDPR compliant.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) provides that personal data must be processed fairly for specified purposes and on the basis of the consent of the person concerned. Personal data is defined to mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) ensures protection of personal data.
The GDPR requires that data controllers like the Prevue Customer who has invited you to take the Prevue Assessments (“Customer”) must inform data subjects like you about a number of matters relating to the controller and the use of your personal data. Prevue HR Systems Inc. provides its Customers with psychometric assessment and reporting services (the “Services”) and is defined as a data processor under the GDPR. In the course of providing the Services Prevue receives personal data of data subjects from the Customer and in some cases collects Personal Information directly from data subjects.
To support and assist our Customers in fulfilling their obligations under the GDPR and to assure you are informed of your rights under the GDPR, we have outlined the information that is required to be provided to data subjects prior to requesting their consent to the use and processing of their personal data. Any requests you wish to submit regarding the exercise of your data subject rights under the GDPR should be submitted to the Customer. However, if you do not know the name of the Customer who requested that you complete the Prevue Assessments, you may submit the request to us and we will arrange to deliver it to the Customer.
Your Rights Under GDPR:
- Right To Be Informed: Data subjects have the right to be informed of the purposes for the processing of their personal data. For information on the reasons our Customers use Prevue Assessments see the Privacy Policy at this link and the more detailed information in this Candidate Resource Center under “The Prevue Assessments”.
- Access to Data: Data subjects have a right to request a copy of their personal data as noted in the Privacy Policy under “How Do You Know What Information We Have”. Access to your personal data at our websites by third parties is limited as described in the Privacy Policy under “Use of Information” and “Disclosure of Information”.
- International Transfers: Prevue does appoint third party cloud computing services to process and store data in servers located in the country of Canada. For more information see the Privacy Policy under International Transfers.
- Rectification: If you discover the personal data that either Prevue or the Customer is holding is inaccurate or incomplete you can submit a request for rectification of the errors or omissions.
- Erasure of Personal Data: Customers will generally only keep personal data collected through Prevue websites during the period that data subjects are being considered for employment and during the period of their employment with the Customer. You can submit a request for erasure of your personal data if you feel the Customer no longer needs the data for the purpose for which is was collected or where you have sent notice to Customer that you have withdrawn your consent to their use of your Personal Data.
- Notice of Data Breach: Should there be a data breach incident at the Prevue websites that affects your personal data and that data breach is likely to result in a high risk to your rights, the Customer will inform you about the breach.
- Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances as outlined in Article 21 of the GDPR such as where your data is being processed for direct marketing. Information on the use of your personal information is outlined in the Prevue Privacy Policy and does not include the use or your personal data for marketing.
- Automated Decision Making: Automated decision making algorithms are not applied to your personal data and are not utilized by Prevue.
- Withdraw Consent: You have a right to withdraw the consent to the use of your personal data that you will be asked to provide prior to commencing the Assessments that a Customer has asked you to complete.
If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy or if you need to update or change any Personal Data, please contact us by email to privacy@prevuehr.com.
❓ Can I request that my data be removed?
Yes.
❓ What are cookies and are they required?
Cookies are small text files that websites send to your browser to store information about your browsing activity. They are an essential part of the modern internet but may come with concerns.
❓ I meet all the basic requirements but ran into an issue - How do I get support?
First, reach out to the employer who sent you the assessment to inform them of the issue. They have several tools at their disposable that can resolve the issue quickly - There are some examples where they need to authorize certain solutions so this saves you time by speaking to them directly.