>Are they any good? I'm privileged not to have needed to seek employment for many decades, but were I to face one of these employment tests- I'd practice and practice. Knowing what to expect and (for example) the styles of arithmetic progression used in these tests, is part of the battle. Adequacy of preparation might even be part of the test if you're looking for employees.

The trouble with tests is that they are perfect in measuring one's ability to pass the tests. It's a kind of a fallacy of the "numbers don't lie" type, because sure enough the guy has scored exactly so many points, but what does that number mean outside the test? It's just like any other model, which may be more or less related to the reality it's modeling.

I once scored, I'd guess (didn't see the score) rather well, for a TV quiz, of old school, knowledge and speed of wits, not entertainment trivia. I felt I cheated on the quiz because a bunch of those questions were thinly disguised 2x2 systems or linear equations, or geometrical transformations etc - as a mathematician, still fresh off the college and teaching maths at the time, I was a kind of a pro in that area. But then I realized that these same skills may come handy in real life, i.e. when the cameras start rolling.

>Also have to say that with prepared candidates all of whom have degrees, one of my associates now makes his selection based on... table manners. His rationale is that if you're brought up to eat politely rather than like a combine harvester, which is as much as anything else a sign of respect for those who have to watch as you eat, you're likely to have been brought up with other desirable characteristics that don't show up in a test.

My test would be the literacy of whatever they write. Sloppy text is, IMO, not predicting neat and well thought code. Also, the width of vocabulary is some indicator of the width of professional knowledge. And, ah, yes, how the candidate uses keyboard and mouse - zigzagging the mouse while searching the place to click, not using obvious shortcuts, having no trick up the sleeve (surprise me with something!) are also some indicators.