Assessment centers: exercises, tasks, and tests

Each assessment center is different, although almost all share a certain type of exercise or situation. Something that they usually have in common, for example, is that they generate a situation of artificial stress for 11 Plus Papers among the candidates. The exercises have not been thought precisely so that the candidate feels comfortable. Rather, quite the opposite: the stress factor increases artificially. Once these conditions are created, the candidate is asked to perform a series of typical and other specific tasks of each assessment center.

Here are some activities given for 11 Plus Common Entrance:

Personal presentation

Normally, an assessment center begins with a job interview in the known format, although with a variant. Instead of following the typical question and answer script, the candidate is often asked to make a free presentation of himself. In addition to knowing the candidate better, this presentation also serves to obtain information about their performance in these types of situations, which may be uncomfortable. Showing an attitude of security and authenticity plays a key role at this point, and these are two very sought after qualities.

Roleplays

Role-plays are classic in current assessment centers. Except that it is individual evaluation, they usually take place in a group. For Eleven Plus Exam, different roles, sometimes opposed, are distributed among the members of a group. The evaluators then observe everything that happens. From the way, each participant has to manage the conflicts, to their ability to reach agreements.

In-Tray Exercises

In-Tray exercises or simulation exercises are very famous. Originally with physical mailboxes and currently supported by technical developments, it involves managing messages, notes, and appointments under pressure within a set period. What is sent to what folder? What has priority? What is delegated to colleagues? The point of added difficulty is given by tasks that, in part, contradict each other so that a new message could throw away the work you just did. For this, you need 11 Plus Preparation papers.

Practical cases

Case studies are another very common practice. It is about reproducing a real case of the company, distributing the case to the candidates, and, from there, subjecting them to different tests, groups, or individuals related to the case. It is a much less abstract exercise that requires specialized knowledge. This type of exercise is applied to assess problem-solving capacity and, as appropriate, the ability to work in a team. At the end of the exercise, the solution itself is not valued exclusively.

Questionnaires

Standardized questionnaires often appear in online assessments, although it is also possible to find them in classic Eleven Plus Papers. There are two types: intelligence tests and psychometric tests. With the first type, it is about assessing the intellectual quotient, and through psychometric tests, it is intended to know more data about the personality of the participants.

Pauses

An assessment center usually lasts from one to three days with stipulated breaks. Some of them are done in the presence of examiners, so the participants are also observed at that time. The test is not part of the officers, and that takes place during dinner.