Melissa Campbell, Senior Leader for Guidance, Sinéad Duffy, Professional Learning Leader & Joanne Parry, Professional Learning Leader at Oide, Department of Education, Ireland & Alison Burke, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
Have you ever completed a questionnaire about yourself and then been told you are a good match for a very specific job? If you have, you’ll know that some results seem uncannily accurate, some present new possibilities previously ignored or unknown, others will likely appear completely bizarre. If you have completed such an exercise, you were undertaking what’s known as a psychometric test. The examinations are popular in schools across the OECD, but do they work? And how can schools make the most of them as a career guidance tool?
The 2018 OECD PISA study showed that globally many students are uncertain, confused and unoriginal about their job plans. Students’ aspirations are heavily influenced by gender, social, and migrant backgrounds. A quarter of 15-year-olds, particularly those with lower academic performance, can not specify the type of job they would have in adulthood. Those who can often have limited aspirations, with many targeting the same 10 jobs, such as a doctor or teacher. Although 20% aim for careers that typically require a university education, they aren’t planning for such education. Socially advantaged, high-achieving students are over twice as likely to plan for tertiary education compared to their disadvantaged counterparts.
PISA reveals that many students, particularly the most disadvantaged, are at risk of drifting through education and into the labour market. Recent OECD analysis of longitudinal datasets in many countries shows that teenagers’ career outcomes are significantly impacted by their work expectations and aspirations. Uncertain or confused students struggle to optimise their time in school. Moreover, personal and social characteristics often constrain the types of jobs that students feel are within their reach. It is a priority for career guidance systems to help students reflect on their personal interests and abilities and explore a wide range of future employment options. Psychometric tests aid in this process. In these tests, students answer questions and statements that help them explore their preferences, interests, passions, and dislikes. Utilising psychological research, such as the RIASEC methodology that groups people into personality types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, or Conventional), these assessments aim to match individuals with jobs that value their personality types.
