What Is A Thomas International Assessment?
Thomas International is a test publisher that says its assessments are used by more than 10,000 organisations in 140 countries. The assessments cover aptitude, behaviour, personality and emotional intelligence.
Thomas says its assessments are registered with the British Psychological Society, which follows European (EFPA) guidelines. Employers use the assessments both when recruiting and when developing existing staff.
Thomas International Assessments
Thomas International provides a range of assessments, which are designed to give a fully rounded view of each candidate. The tests cover four categories: aptitude, behaviour, emotional intelligence, and personality.
Thomas International GIA Test
The General Intelligence Assessment (GIA), now called the Thomas Aptitude assessment, measures how quickly you learn, process and retain new information. This means that it looks at how well you process information, how quickly you work through problems, and your logical thinking skills.
The GIA is made up of five tasks:
- Reasoning - You read a short statement comparing two people, for example who is taller, then answer a question about it once the statement has disappeared.
- Perceptual Speed - You see four pairs of letters and count how many pairs are the same letter, ignoring upper and lower case.
- Number Speed and Accuracy - You see three numbers and decide whether the highest or the lowest is further from the remaining number, all in your head.
- Word Meaning - You see three words and pick the odd one out.
- Spatial Visualisation - You compare pairs of symbols that may be rotated or mirrored and count how many pairs match.
The test takes around 30-45 minutes to complete. Thomas says speed and accuracy are equally important, so work quickly but carefully.
Thomas International Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) Test
Thomas' Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) is a behaviour assessment that shows how you prefer to behave and communicate at work. The PPA is untimed and typically takes about 8 minutes. It is based on DISC theory, which describes four behavioural factors: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. You see sets of four words and pick the one that most describes how you work and the one that least describes you.
Thomas International TEIQue Questionnaire
The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) looks at emotional traits such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation and social effectiveness. Employers use it in recruitment and development, for example alongside an appraisal or in coaching conversations.
It is a self-report questionnaire rather than a test, so there are no right or wrong answers and you cannot fail. It profiles 15 facets of emotional intelligence and typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Thomas International HPTI Test
The High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI) is Thomas's personality assessment, designed to measure personality traits linked to long-term leadership potential. It measures six traits, which show in more detail how you respond to certain work situations.
- Adjustment - How well you adapt to change and cope with stressful situations.
- Curiosity - This shows your innovation and willingness to explore new ways of thinking.
- Risk Approach - Your willingness to take responsibility, act decisively and challenge the way things are done.
- Conscientiousness - Your organisation, self-discipline and sense of accountability.
- Ambiguity Acceptance - Shows how you cope with unknown factors and not needing to have the entire picture mapped out.
- Competitiveness - How driven you are to push for success and higher achievements.
It is untimed, typically takes 8 to 10 minutes, and has 78 statements. You will have to rate them on a 1-7 Likert scale from 'disagree completely' to 'agree completely'.
Tips To Pass Thomas International Tests
1. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice can help you get used to the format and the pace. Make sure you know which assessment you are taking so you can prepare for it. Thomas recommends reading its GIA example booklet before the aptitude assessment, and our practice tests give you extra timed practice.
2. Balance Speed With Accuracy
The GIA is tested on both speed and accuracy, meaning that how quickly you answer is also taken into consideration. Practising under timed conditions can help you get used to working under pressure. However, remember to always read the questions and take enough time to process the information so you can answer correctly as well.
3. Answer All Questions
On the aptitude tasks, work through as many questions as you can in the time. On the PPA, some word sets can be hard to choose from; Thomas advises picking the words that best reflect you and answering spontaneously and truthfully.
4. Understand The Format
Since the tests are uniquely developed by Thomas International, the format of the tests will be slightly different from other aptitude tests you may have already taken. Again, make sure that you know which tests you are taking and do some research on them. Thomas publishes candidate guides for each assessment.
