ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Dr. Anita Mathew

What is an assessment centre?

A series of exercises, carried out individually or in a small
group over one or two days, designed to measure the
competencies needed in graduate recruits
The final stage in the selection process
Good news! Normally only 5% of the original applicants will
get this far

Why do employers use

assessment centres?
They are one of the most reliable indicators of
successful future job performance
They are a fair and objective selection method
They assess candidates across a number of dimensions

What happens at an
assessment centre?
A number of different exercises, which are likely to include:
Group exercises:
Discussions

Individual exercises:
Written tasks

Practical tasks

In-tray exercises

Role play

Psychometric tests
Presentations

Interviews
Plus socialising with assessors, fellow-candidates and recent graduates

Selection methods of top employers in 2014

The most frequently-used exercises at

assessment centres
Interview

97%

Psychometric test

91%

Group discussion

Personality test

89%

79%

Case study

71%

Presentation

61%

In-tray exercise

48%

How will you be assessed?

By people with clipboards or iPads!
On a range of competencies that are important in the job you
are applying for:
For marketing it might be negotiating and persuading skills
For computing it might be more problem solving and
analytical skills
By more than one person
On your own merits

What are assessors

looking for?
Evidence of the competencies needed to perform well in the
job.
You have already been assessed on these on paper and at first
interview
The assessment centre will look particularly at your ability to
work with others, influence and persuade and how others
respond to you.

Group exercises
Discussions
Practical tasks
Role play

Group Discussions
Discussion of a general topic, e.g.

Should tolls be introduced on all motorways?

What can be done to improve the NHS?
How can the problems associated with excessive
alcohol consumption be tackled?

Discussion of a scenario:

Assessment of bids for lottery funding

Shipwreck/desert survival

Group Exercises
Practical tasks, e.g.
Constructing a Lego tower or paper
chain
Creating an advertising campaign for
a specific product
Crossing a shark-infested river

Career Ranking Exercise

Rank the following careers in terms of their value to society:

Nurse
Social Worker
Army Officer
Bank Manager
Politician
Lawyer
Architect
Engineer

Research Scientist
Actor
Farmer
Priest
Journalist
Policeman
School Teacher

Role Play
Discussion of a given topic or problem
Each member of the group allocated a role, e.g. Marketing
Manager/Finance Director
You will have information that other members of the group do
not
Need to reach an agreement or produce a recommendation

Tips for group exercises

Use your watch! There is usually a strict time limit.

Be yourself, relax and enjoy. You will feel challenged, and feel very tired, but that's expected!
You must speak and play a prominent part in the exercise, not just react to other people. However,
do not be overbearing and listen to others.
You really are marked on the key competencies they provide you with
The point isnt getting to the correct answer but seeing how you got there
One or two of the candidates tried too hard to impress and were very overbearing
Take initiatives e.g. in group discussions use the flip chart, watch the time. Show enthusiasm (EY)
There are always people watching so be careful about what you say/who you say it to/when you say
it. Be friendly to the other candidates. (Deloitte)

Encourage everyone in your group to contribute and listen to their ideas.

The biggest thing that gave me confidence was the realisation that not only was everyone else
nervous.
The other candidates were very friendly. I chatted to people in the breaks and I actually forgot I was
being assessed as I was enjoying myself! It helped to make small talk with the interviewers.

Selector assessment form for group exercises

Criteria on which your contributions to a group exercise
might be assessed.
Participation
Participates enthusiastically in discussion.
Actively influences events rather than passively accepting.
Acts on opportunities: originates action.
Spoken Expression
Expresses his/herself clearly and coherently.
Makes a clear persuasive presentation of ideas and facts
Originality of Ideas
Introduces new ideas.
Builds constructively an the ideas of others.
Brings a fresh approach to a problem.
Quality of Thought
Analyses the problem well.
Gets to the root of the problem: can recognise which
information is important and which is peripheral.
Can evaluate data and courses of action, draw sound
inferences and reach logical decisions.

Influence on Others

Makes a point which is accepted by the other

members.

Influences the direction and nature of the

discussion.
Open Mindedness

Listens to carefully to other members' views.

Incorporates the points made by others into their

own.

Shows tact and diplomacy

Facilitation of the Discussion

Makes a direct attempt to help another person.

Squashes a dominant interrupter to allow someone

else to make a point.
Judgment

Discriminates clearly between the important and the

trivial.

Does not allow his/her feelings to sway decisions:

unbiased and rational.

Case Studies
May be one of the group exercises and
discussions, often involving role-play ..
or an individual task
Will need to study the information you are
presented with, pick out the key points and
reach decisions
which you may need to write up in a report
or to present verbally

Presentations

In-Tray/E-tray Exercises
Simulates the work you will be doing if selected
You will be given a number of messages plus attached
documents that you might find in your inbox one morning
Need to sort, prioritise and take or recommend action
Time-limited: new emails
(and even phone calls) may keep coming in!

Interviews
Likely to be more challenging and probing than previous
interviews
but will be with a different interviewer so be prepared for
some of the same points to be covered
especially anything that has emerged as a weak point at
previous interviews

The Social Side

May include coffee breaks/lunch with the assessors and/or
meetings with recent graduates
Not part of the formal assessment
but anything you say
or do could be remembered