{"id":3129,"date":"2015-11-08T14:49:33","date_gmt":"2015-11-08T09:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jworldtimes.com\/old-site\/jwt2015\/?p=3129"},"modified":"2016-02-25T12:15:10","modified_gmt":"2016-02-25T07:15:10","slug":"psychological-assessment-an-ultimate-guide-for-css-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jworldtimes.com\/old-site\/css-exclusive\/css-special\/psychological-assessment-an-ultimate-guide-for-css-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychological Assessment: An Ultimate Guide for CSS Candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"psychological<\/a><\/p>\n

There are numerous articles available on the internet providing guidelines to the CSS candidates appearing for the psychological assessment of their personality domains. However, the instant article contains requisite guidelines and best strategy to get through this crucial phase of your journey to success.<\/p>\n

\u00a0To begin with, the good news is that you have passed the difficult part of CSS exam and now you will be preparing for an equally important exam: psychological assessment which comprises written tests and group tasks. Such tests are designed to assess abilities, attitude and personality characteristics of the candidates with special regard to their aptitude for the Civil Services. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The first day of psychological test is all about writing. The second day consists of participating in group activities that involves group discussion and command task followed by an informal interview with the psychologists\u2019 panel.<\/p>\n

WRITTEN TEST<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A series of Ability and Personality tests would be administered. The results drawn from psychological tests will further be validated and supported from different resources such as background information, behavioural observation and one-to-one interview with the psychologists.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The following is a brief description of the tests that you are expected to undergo:<\/p>\n

1. INTELLIGENCE TESTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

These tests reflect the candidate\u2019s intellectual potential such as reasoning, comprehension, judgement, concentration of thinking, and cognitive-skills.<\/p>\n

Intelligence tests measure different abilities in a person and these are administered in multiple choice questions (MCQs) or True or False (Dichotomous) format. There are several types of ability tests, but the most commonly used in recruitment process are categorized as follows:<\/p>\n

a. Abstract Ability: Also known as Conceptual Reasoning Test, it aims to determine your ability to quickly identify the relationship between the patterns, logical rules and integrate this information to find the solution.<\/p>\n

You will be presented with sets of shapes having a logical relationship. Your task is to identify the most suitable shape that comes next in the sequence from the options provided.<\/p>\n

The test is designed to assess your capability in quickly analyzing new information and thinking strategically to solve problems.<\/p>\n

b. Verbal Ability: The verbal aptitude test tends to measure your ability to understand and communicate information by asking you to identify word analogies or synonyms\/antonyms, etc.<\/p>\n

c. Numerical Ability: The numerical ability \/ reasoning test measures your ability to use and understand information or scenario that is presented to you in basic numerical form for making best decisions.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"psychological<\/a>All the tasks are to be performed within the allotted time. Hence, you have to work as quickly as possible, since, most questions and tasks start out easy and gradually get more difficult.<\/p>\n

2. PERSONALITY TESTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Personality Tests are usually of different types and are meant to evaluate and predict your basic personality characteristics such as Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion\/Introversion, Agreeability, Neuroticism along with your confidence, maturity level, optimism, ability to cope with stress and solve different problems, your administrative and leadership qualities.<\/p>\n

Remember!\u00a0 Just be yourself, and don’t try to be a superhuman and completely infallible.<\/p>\n

a. Personality Trait Questionnaire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There would be two types of personality questionnaires:<\/p>\n

i. In which you have to give your answer in \u201cyes or no\u201d format (dichotomous\/ closed-ended questions).<\/p>\n

ii. The other will consist of open-ended questions whereby you will be required to mention your preferences, likes, dislikes, interests, etc.<\/p>\n

b. Story Writing<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In this part, you will be given a vague black-and-white picture of human life and will be instructed to invent and write a story extempore.<\/p>\n

It is important to understand that you are to tell a story and not merely describe the picture. Story should contain these four elements:<\/p>\n

i. Current situation (What\u2019s going on in the picture?)<\/p>\n

ii. Thoughts and feelings of the characters. (What are they thinking\/feeling?)<\/p>\n

iii. Preceding events (What happened before? What led to the current situation?)<\/p>\n

iv. Outcome (How does the story end?)<\/p>\n

Story writing is considered a method of revealing unconscious needs, motives, dominant drives, emotions, sentiments, complexes and conflicts of personality.<\/p>\n

c. Sentence Completion:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You will be asked to complete a sentence for which first word or words are provided. For example:<\/p>\n

I like\u2026\u2026
The happiest time\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026
I want to know\u2026\u2026\u2026
Back home\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026
I regret\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

It is assumed that the individuals would reflect their own desires, wishes, fears & attitudes in sentence completion<\/p>\n

3. AUTOBIOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Autobiography is a written account of the life of a person. In other words, it\u2019s a brief story about the history of a person written by himself.<\/p>\n

I call it as how you introduce yourself to me on a written piece of paper. Your writing should be so organized and systematic that I should be eager to meet you in one-to-one interview.<\/p>\n

In autobiography, you are expected to write details of your life history, which may include:<\/p>\n