IKM Assessment Test: Guide and Tips 2024

What Is the IKM Assessment Test?

IKM assessments can be used during the hiring process as a pre-employment screening test, and to assess the performance of existing employees either generally or when they are being considered for promotion.

Evaluating the workforce using the IKM method helps companies to learn more about the people behind the job applications they receive and to make smarter decisions when recruiting.

These IKM online assessments combine performance and knowledge-based questions and can be customized.

The IKM assessments are designed to assess knowledge, skill and aptitude across a range of industries and disciplines.

How Is the IKM Assessment Test Used?

IKM online assessments are useful for:

• Hiring new candidates
• Testing existing employees
• Certification testing
• Pre or post-training testing

They can also be used to identify skill gaps within teams as part of a skills audit.

Employers find using the IKM skill tests valuable for both pre-employment screening and employee training as they can help to identify the best candidates for a particular role.

Other benefits include:

• Saves time during the hiring process
• Reduces costs associated with hiring new staff
• Can help improve staff retention/satisfaction
• Improves productivity in the workforce
• Helps to maintain or improve brand-standards

The results of IKM assessments can give employers an insight into who they are hiring and where additional training might be needed.

This can help managers to maximize the potential of their workforce, which can, in turn, improve output and ultimately increase revenue.

Many employers choose IKM assessments because they are cost-effective, efficient and have a comprehensive approach to the assessment process.

The company pride itself on its use of adaptive technology to produce fast and accurate assessment results.

Their reporting and analysis are detailed and clear, offering a mix of written information and graphs/infographics that break down candidates’ performance in different skill areas.

This makes it easier to see how individuals have performed and to cross-reference candidates against one another.

IKM’s exclusive testing features include:

• Adaptive testing
• Percentile rankings
• Skills Database
• Detailed, user-friendly reports and analysis
• Automated shortlist of the best candidates
• Flexible, detailed assessments

Businesses can opt for pre-defined tests that have already been tried and tested by clients, or they can customize the test to reflect their own brand standards.

Customization can be done by businesses themselves, or clients can opt to utilize the talents of IKM to create a tailored package.

The IKM assessments are easily accessible from a computer with a reliable internet connection and available in multiple languages.

Tests can be supervised (proctored) at a test site or proctored remotely using facial recognition and behavior tracking software.

They can also be taken unsupervised (remotely) from any location that offers internet access.

How Are IKM Assessments Scored?

After the assessment is complete, the IKM adaptive test platform automates a Proficiency Profile for the candidate.

This profile includes details of scores in particular areas as well as a percentile ranking that allows you to compare a candidate’s score against their peers.

The IKM Proficiency Profile contains the following:

• Overall score – This represents the overall knowledge demonstrated by the candidate based on their assessment performance as a numerical score. It also indicates via an infographic whether this score falls into the category of weak, proficient or strong

• Percentile – This shows how the candidate scored in comparison to other test takers. For example, if you score in the 80th percentile, you score better than 80% of your peers, putting you in the top 20%

• Subject analysis – This details performance in each individual skill area that was tested

• Word/ speed accuracy – This ranks the time taken to read, comprehend and answer questions in comparison to the average time taken by others on a five-point scale of very slow to very fast

• Application ability – This score relates to how a candidate can apply their knowledge to practical situations

• Subject coverage – Shown as a percentage, this indicates how well the candidate has been able to cover the overall subject matter. This is done by breaking down the scores on all of the sub-skills and adding together each area where proficient or strong were scored

The subject coverage breakdown is also shown as a pie chart, with the candidate’s weak skills colored in red, proficient in yellow and strong in green.

Candidates with a mostly yellow/ green pie chart are said to make for more well-rounded employees.

What Are the Different IKM Tests?

IKM assessments cover a wide range of topics and fields of expertise, including:

• IT Professional – These IKM technical assessments range from programming language skills (such as ActionScript3 and Ada 95) to more general customer service skills and coding. There are also tests aimed at measuring proficiency in Amazon Web language (AWS), as well as Android and Apple iOS application programming.

• Accounting/Finance – Tests cover using Adobe Acrobat, ADP Payroll, all aspects of the accounting and finance profession, such as understanding terminology, bookkeeping basics, math skills, money handling and taxes, and specific programs like Peachtree 8.0 and 9.0 and QuickBooks 2010/19.

• Attitude/Aptitude – These tests assess core competencies using ability and personality tests covering a range of different job roles and skill areas, including administration, Big Five Personality test, homeworking questionnaire, logical/numerical reasoning assessment as well as a wide range of ‘profile’ tests.

• Basic Computer Skills – These tests cover digital literacy, language proficiency as well as skills within specific programs such as Microsoft Access and Google Chrome. There are IKM Excel tests, as well.

• Call Center – These tests involve simulations of a call center environment, practical assessments within coding, sales and data analysis, as well as various customer service professional ‘profile’ tests. There are IKM data entry tests available as well.

• Foreign Language Proficiency – Tests measure language skills and are available in English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Swedish and Chinese. They contain 120 questions, 60 grammar-related questions and 60 oral questions.

• Healthcare – Assessments range from covering medical coding and secretarial/ administrative skills within the healthcare industry, to tests about specific medical areas (such as pediatric, respiratory and psychiatric) as well as different specialisms within nursing.

• Industrial – Tests encompass aspects of industrial safety, industrial skills such as construction, math, machines, metalwork, plumbing and electrical, plus knowledge of the law pertaining to the industrial sector.

• IT Coding – These tests are some of the most utilized among IKM assessments. They cover coding abilities in popular coding languages such as Java, JavaScript, Cobol and Pascal. Tasks range from intermediate up to advanced level

• MS Office – These tests assess proficiency and literacy across the scope of the MS Office applications.

• Microsoft Office – Package including basic, standard and advanced skills, such as the IKM Excel assessment.

• Sales – These assessments contain questions about various aspects of the retail sales industry, including customer service, inventory coding, math and promotion. There is also an assessment that measures core competencies and personality traits amongst budding Sales and Marketing Managers

• Secretarial/ Clerical – These tests cover general office management skills as well as more specialized roles such as legal assistant and paralegal, including spelling, transcription and typing skills related to the legal industry

• Staffing Industry – These tests cover core specialisms within the staffing industry, including HR management and Recruitment. They cover a range of certifications and quick assessments

• Talent Acquisition – these assessments include behavioral profiles and competency tests to assess a candidate’s soft skills, including core abilities, verbal reasoning, mathematical reasoning and workplace reasoning skills.

If you cannot find an assessment that suits your business needs, IKM also accepts suggestions for future assessments using their online submission form.

How to Prepare for the IKM Assessment Test in 2024

Look After Yourself

On test day, make sure that you are well rested, have had a light meal and are hydrated. Most importantly, try to remain calm and composed.

You will not perform at your best if you are stressed or anxious, and this will mean that your IKM score report will not be a true representation of your skills and abilities.

This could mean that you lose out on an important job opportunity.

Check Your Equipment

To take the test you require a computer or device and a reliable internet connection. Remember you may be taking the test:

• In a supervised setting on the client’s site
• Online, remotely and self-supervised
• Online, remotely using online-proctoring software

Find a Quiet Area

If you are taking the test remotely, you should find a calm, quiet area in which you will not be disturbed. This will help to minimize the chance of you getting distracted and help you to concentrate on the questions.

Know What's Being Asked of You

Read each question properly without skimming to ensure you know exactly what is being asked of you.

Make sure you also take note of all of the multiple-choice answers before selecting one.

Remember that the test is adaptive, so the difficulty level will start to increase as you perform well. If you are struggling, the questions will become easier.

Know the Material

The best way to prepare for your IKM assessment is by knowing the test material as thoroughly as possible.

Therefore, if you are taking a programming test, make sure you know which specific test it will be and study for that.

It will not be beneficial to have learned everything there is to know about C# programming if your test is about optimizing Google’s Android operating system and applications.

Take IKM Practice Tests

Doing IKM assessment practice tests will give you a good idea of what to expect on the day, and it'll give you an insight into the areas you need to work on.

There are many resources online. You can find IKM Practice Tests in accounting, for example, at JobTestPrep.

How the Results Are Used in IKM Assessment Test

IKM does not recommend that their clients use the Score Report Analysis generated by the assessments in isolation to select the best candidate for a job or promotion.

Instead, they suggest considering the outcomes of their knowledge, attitude and aptitude tests alongside:

• In-person interviews
• Work history
• Experience/ qualifications
• Reference checks

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The IKM assessments can be a valuable resource for companies.

If you are required to take one after applying for a job, whilst training, or prior to a potential promotion, keep in mind that they are designed to help the best people secure the correct roles.

The IKM assessments are screening tests that will check that you have the skills and expertise in your relevant field and that you are a suitable candidate for a job role.

Assuming that you are applying for positions that you have the relevant skills and training for, these kinds of tests are nothing for you to get overly anxious or worried about, but ones that you should be prepared for.