Vocabulary tests are pretty common when seeking employment and furthering education. Having a strong vocabulary is beneficial in a variety of situations. It is imperative to be a strong communicator in today’s society, and a vocabulary test is a fair and simple way to make sure a candidate has the necessary skills to be effective. No matter how difficult or simple a job may be, an employee will always need to follow directions and provide explanations. By giving a psychometric vocabulary test, and employee can be certain that the candidate will be able to perform the tasks associated with the job. Vocab tests are a good indicator of the overall aptitude of potential employees and are used in the initial screening of candidates.
If you are given a vocabulary test and have a noticeable lack of understanding, it could negatively impact your job prospects. Because of this, it is important to test your vocab to prepare for situations in which you may be asked to show your understanding of words and phrases. Preparation for psychometrics such as vocabulary testing are an important aspect of recruitment and development.
What Is a Vocabulary Test?
In the English language, vocabulary is constantly evolving. A vocabulary test can potentially be used to determine whether or not a candidate possesses the skills and basic knowledge required to complete certain tasks and expectations of a job.
Turnover is an issue for employers, and they often test your vocabulary through psychometrics. By doing so, they are given a guarantee that potential employees are of the caliber needed to successfully train for and execute job responsibilities.
It is important that before taking a psychometric vocabulary test, a potential employee spends time practicing. A high score on a vocabulary test may not guarantee employment, but a low score can easily cause an employer to choose a different, more qualified candidate.
Psychometric vocabulary tests are different than many standardized tests that students take throughout their educations. These test your vocabulary by asking you to look at groups of words and find similar meaning, to determine which word most closely matches a definition, or to choose the best synonyms or antonyms for a word. You cannot assume that since you just graduated from college or because you did well on the SAT that you are already prepared for a vocabulary test. This type of test is much different and is based on general knowledge.
A vocabulary test may seem daunting, especially if it has been a while since you have been asked to complete such a task. There are many resources available to help you practice beforehand. Preparation is important to your overall success.
How to Prepare for a Vocabulary Test?
When you find out that you will be taking a vocab test, you may begin to wonder how to best prepare.
A significant amount of preparation for a vocabulary exam occurs naturally for adults through speaking, reading, and writing. By listening to how people around you use words, you can enhance your vocabulary. When you read a book, article, or magazine, make it a habit to look up words you are unfamiliar with. When writing emails, cards, or essays, try to use new words or synonyms to words you already know. This way, you are exposing yourself to new vocabulary all the time. A vocab test is going to typically focus on words that people see and hear in real-world situations.
However, it is still imperative that you spend time practicing before your vocabulary test. These tests are typically timed, and you will have to answer the questions quickly and accurately. You cannot spend a significant amount of time thinking about the answers; you are expected to answer within seconds and move on. Before your vocabulary test, you should practice increasing your speed and accuracy.
Before taking a vocabulary test, you should become familiar with the most common multiple choice question types. They are as follows:
- Word groups
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Definitions
- Homophones
In word group questions, you will be given a list of 4-5 words. You will be asked which words go together or which word does not fit with the others. These are simple questions that you should not spend more than 30 seconds on.
Synonym and antonym questions will give you the word in the question and ask you to point out what is most nearly means (synonym) or what it is the opposite of (antonym). Make sure to read these questions closely. They will often ask for the synonym and include an antonym as an answer choice, so you must make sure pay attention. For some, these are the more challenging questions on the vocab test.
Definition questions will offer a brief definition and ask which word it refers to. They could also give the word, and offer multiple definitions as answer choices. In that case, you would choose the definition that best fits the word. The words will be moderately difficult.
Homophones are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. Consider the words “effect” and “affect”. Homophone usage may be the main part of the question (i.e. which is the correct usage of the word “affect”) or homophones may be included as answer choices (i.e. “effect” and “affect” as two of the 4-5 answer choices. Often, if homophones are used as answer choices, one of them is the correct answer.
Some questions will ask for one answer, while others may ask for two or more answers to be selected.
There are resources available for use online. It is imperative that you practice before it is time to take the vocab assessment. Consider your test. Why are you taking the vocabulary test? Are you interviewing for a job in a particular field? Look for free online training, sample questions, or printable downloads to help familiarize yourself with the vernacular and to test your vocab. You can take a vocabulary test online to prepare yourself.
Top Tips for Vocabulary Tests
- Recognize root words- The root work “aqua” means water. If you know this, you can determine that the word “aquaculture” deals with cultivating aquatic organisms. Brush up on some of the most common root words so that you will be able to decipher words that are new to you.
- Recognize all common homophones. They are included in the vocabulary tests as tricky questions and answers.
- Consider your test. What vocabulary will you likely be assessed on given the context? Make sure that you are practicing words that will be relevant. Often, however, the test will cover general knowledge and not industry-specific knowledge. If you can find out what to expect beforehand, you can tailor your practice appropriately. Different job types give different types of vocabulary tests.
- Practice, practice, practice! Continue learning new vocabulary and figuring out the meaning to words you do not understand. Test your vocab frequently beforehand to increase your confidence and knowledge.
- As you practice, look up all words you do not know. Often, these words are used in practice tests because they have been seen on actual tests. Use this to your advantage. Do not walk away from a practice vocabulary test without looking up words you were not familiar with.
