The job selection process (Aptitude tests and interviews) will always involve an element of stressfulness. This is mostly due to confronting a situation over which you do not have total control. For example, you cannot predict or influence the personality or behaviour of the interviewer or know in advance which questions you will be asked.
However you can, and probably have already, prepared for the most likely questions. You can also make educated guesses as to which areas of your resume the interviewer will concentrate on. With regard to the aptitude test component of the selection process, your preparation should be far more straightforward.
If you haven’t taken this type of test for a long time this will increase the degree of stress and nervousness you experience. This is mostly due to a simply fear of the unknown, as well as, a feeling that you will ‘let yourself down’ and that the test will not be a fair reflection of your strengths and abilities. You may experience physical symptoms such as a lack of ability to get to sleep and psychological symptoms such as loss of concentration and mild depression.
You must act immediately to tackle this stress before its effects become more corrosive as the test date approaches.
You will hear a lot of advice for coping with the symptoms of stress and anxiety, including: relaxation, exercise and visualization. While all of these things can help, the most effective solution is to take direct action and spend your time practicing these tests in the most systematic and efficient way possible.
You can find tonnes of practice materials at the MJT library.
Good luck to you!
