What is an Assessment Centre?
An assessment centre is an event organised by employers as part of their selection process. Usually assessment centres are for candidates who have successfully negotiated the first interview so reaching the assessment centre stage is a great achievement.
You will be joined by a number of other candidates and will be put through a number of assessed exercises designed to help the recruiters to assess your suitability for the job.
Assessment centres usually take place over 1 or 2 days. It is important to note that you are not competing against the other candidates but against the set standards and criteria of the company. You may all get offered a job or none of you may be successful.
Assessment centres may vary from company to company but many of them will have similar elements. Common to all centres is the fact that you will be assessed by people constantly throughout the day.
What Can I Expect?
It is safe to assume that you will be involved in one or two group exercises (you may be a contributing group member in one and you may be asked to chair/lead another). Sometimes the topic for discussion is related to the area of work you are interested in.
You may have to make a presentation usually to the other candidates. You may do this on your own or you may be asked to work with others. Remember, it is your contribution to the presentation is assessed. Presentations can be the most nerve wracking part of the assessment centre but you are given time to prepare and if you have done presentations as part of your course and have thought about it in advance it shouldn’t be as daunting.
You may have to complete what is sometimes called the ‘in tray exercise’. In basic terms you are presented with letters/memos/requests and other general information and it is your job as ‘manager’ to prioritise these items (what needs to be done urgently, what can wait etc). There aren’t necessarily any right or wrong answers to this exercise. Selectors are looking to see how you justify your actions and the priorities chosen. Companies see this as a ‘real life’ exercise to give an insight into what it is like to be a manager for example
Some organisations use the assessment centre to administer tests (called aptitude, psychometric or personality tests). These tests are designed to assess levels of ability and look at personality traits.
Sorry to say you haven’t seen the last of interviews, as most assessment centres will feature one or more interviews. These interviews will follow on from your first interview and one of them will almost certainly be a panel interview (i.e. you will be interviewed by more than one person).
Inside Information!
Read about students experiences of interviews and assessment centres on WikiJob to find out what you can expect!
Get hints and tips from graduate recruiters on how to perform to your best potential at an assessment centre at our Video Gallery.
Further Resources
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Attend one of our assessment centre insight workshops (see Career Events for details for forthcoming workshops)
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Download our Assessment Centres information leaflet
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The Assessment Centre Video: AGCAS video looking at assessment centres. (Careers Information Room)
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Going for Interviews: AGCAS booklet. (Careers Information Room)
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How to Succeed at Assessment Centres: Trotman book. (Careers Information Room)
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Job Hunting folder in the careers information room has lots of information about job hunting and how to prepare for assessment centres.
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Second Interview Questionnaires: Heriot Watt students completed questionnaires on what they experienced in a 2nd interview/assessment centre.