Psychometric tests are used to measure an individual’s personality, strengths, weaknesses, and psychological behaviour. Typically timed and presented in a multiple-choice format, psychometric testing is on the rise, and so is the confidence in them; one recent study found that 75% of The Times’ ‘Top 100 Companies’ were using psychometric testing in some form or another.

The benefits for businesses using psychometric tests are transformational – developing understanding into how to get the absolute best out of people, which in turn, produces a more functional and lucrative company. To illustrate this, another study found that, on average, psychometric testing used during recruitment reduces staff turnover by 20%.

But psychometric testing wasn’t designed to only target businesses, and it shouldn’t be used solely for this audience either. There are numerous innovative ways and opportunities to apply its testing, framework and learnings across society for the benefit of everyone. The next most important example after businesses is school students.

Psychometric testing is not for Reception pupils through to those doing their GCSEs however – at that age their brains are still developing, and they just wouldn’t yet have the ability to digest or implement any of the test’s insightful results. Where psychometric tests, like Insights Discovery, could be useful, is for Sixth Form students who are soon to enter the world of work.

Imagine a bright brain heading to the University of Cambridge, for example. A young person going for a job interview. Or even a recent graduate thrust into their first position of employment and coming face to face with the melting pot of personalities and pressure within an organisation. I guarantee that with any of these individuals, by using diagnostic tools like Insights Discovery, they would stand head and shoulders above the rest and have a competitive edge. For example, if a student became more self-aware as a result of undertaking psychometric tests and understood that they struggled with time management skills, they could take proactive steps to improve, and therefore become more employable as a result.

Students also go through times of significant stress, such as during exams and approaching coursework deadlines. By taking a psychometric test and understanding what truly makes them tick, students can learn how best to control stress and improve their overall mental fitness.

Looking through the lens of a teacher, if they too were armed with a deeper understanding of a student’s personality and inner psychology, they could tailor approaches to learning and teaching to best suit individual needs where possible, massively improving educational outcomes.

There will be people who say that schools don’t have the budget or that students simply have enough tests to take already, why add another? If we were to take two groups and give one a psychometric test, the long-lasting positive impact would become apparent. Psychometric tests also do not take a long time to complete and are not complex – they are quick and simple unlike some of the other tests that students are ‘required’ to sit through.

Surely the benefits of psychometric tests for students outweigh the barriers. The results for businesses speak for themselves, so why not apply the testing across schools too?