Glossary of Psychometric Testing Terms
Plain-English definitions of the terms used in psychometric testing, psychology and occupational assessment, organised alphabetically.
A plain-English guide to
psychometric testing terminology
Definitions cover the psychological and occupational assessment concepts behind pre-employment testing, including cognitive ability, personality, work values, skills testing and the fair, ethical use of results.
Why use a psychometric testing glossary?
A psychology glossary is a single reference for the specialised words used in psychology, psychometric testing and occupational assessment. Many of these terms have an everyday meaning that differs from their technical one, so a clear definition prevents misreading when you review an assessment report, a test description or a supplier claim.
Our psychometric testing glossary helps recruiters, HR professionals, hiring managers, and candidates in Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Asia Pacific to quickly reference pre-employment assessment terminology and understand what a result is describing.
Use it alongside the assessment information and guides that are provided by RightPeople.
How to use this glossary
Select a letter in the alphabet bar above to see every term beginning with it. If you are new to assessment, the two areas below are a good place to start.
- 1Test typesHow ability, aptitude, personality and skills assessments differ from one another.
- 2Scores and terminologyWhat raw scores, norm groups, percentiles and other scoring terms mean.
Explore related
assessments and resources
To see how these concepts fit together in a real assessment, start with one of the pages below. Sources for our research claims are on the cited sources page.
Frequently asked questions about psychometric terms
What does “psychometric” mean?
Psychometrics is the science of measuring psychological characteristics such as mental ability, personality and values. A psychometric test is a standardised assessment, developed and statistically validated so that it measures what it claims to measure consistently and fairly.
What is the difference between reliability and validity?
Reliability is consistency: a reliable test gives similar results when repeated under similar conditions. Validity is accuracy and usefulness: a valid test measures what it is meant to measure and predicts something relevant, such as job performance. A test needs both to be a sound basis for selection.
What is a norm group?
A norm group is the reference sample of people against whom a candidate's score is compared. The same raw score can mean different things depending on whether it is compared with the general working population or with, for example, senior managers, so choosing a relevant norm group matters.
Why do I need to understand these terms to use test results?
Test results are only as sound as their interpretation. Knowing the terminology helps you ask the right questions of any assessment provider, avoid over-reading a single score, and use results as one input alongside interviews, references and work samples.
