Freaking out about aptitude / cognitive ability test

I’m not dumb, I can guarantee you that. Graduated Cum Laude + Honours, also did two internship ls one of which was in Corporate Finance (I live in EU).

For some reason, I just can’t do aptitude tests or cognitive ability or whatever type of test. Like I’d need muuuch more time to solve them but I’m sure my IQ can handle them (enrolled at a top uni for my MSc in EU).

Currently applying for IB internships and have assessment tests to complete. I feel like free tests online are just a waste of time and none of them actually prepare you for actual tests. Freaking out right now, feeling extremely hopeless (I have done three tests last year when I was looking for an internship and screwed most of them - I didn’t prepare because it was all new to me)

Anyone has a life-saving tip? I would really much appreciate it. 

9 Comments
 

if it makes you feel any better i have the same fear man, you're not alone. The only advice i can give you is to maybe make a list of priorities and then work from the bottom up so that once you get to the ones you actually care about you'll be more ready, and if the ones you care about a little less go through that's gonna be a nice bonus

 
Most Helpful

I had the same thing before I realized the same thing you prove to realize in your post. You’re good enough to do them. When I was first applying to stuff I was getting rejected left and right and one late night after studying I did one and the results came out as the best I’ve ever had. I guarantee you it’s because I was relaxed and tbf I reached the point where I no longer gave a f.

I would try the different online tests thought. In my opinion a lot of these tests have a very rigid testing methodology which you can typically figure out in order to do rly well in. For example: When I first looked into the CCAT I thought 50 questions in 15 minutes is insane. After a week of casual practice I’d consistently get 45+ correct after starting with around 30. I’m also sure my IQ didn’t increase 10x in that time frame , as the test might suggest lol. It was a matter of identifying the basic skills required to answer what practically all of the questions were based on, and getting rly quick at it.

In essence, try to relax and practice to the point where the answer path to typical questions on an aptitude test are muscle memory. Also, don’t think about time. Most of these tests plaster time all over the place to throw you off, and make you freeze. Just try to make your life easier by making some questions be muscle memory in terms of approach and path to solution. Hope that helped. Good luck.

 

This game me 100x more motivation and actually made me go practice a few, while keeping the mindset you suggested. Thanks a lot! I’m just gonna try to make practicing a daily habit. I realized all the questions are actually quite easy, it’s just about the speed. I cannot wait to don’t have to be shit scared if theses tests again…

Cheers

 

I've heard these tests are a way for companies to test people's IQ without explicitly giving them an IQ test as that's illegal. I'd just recommend practicing them multiple times

 

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