Providing reporting tools and services to schools, universities, training organisations and employers, ACER (otherwise known as The Australian Council for Education Research) helps employers to recruit new talent. Legal firms looking to hire the brightest minds work with ACER to ensure they have a comprehensive overview of their applicants’ skills and values. ACER provides the following tests:
CER VST (ACER vocational selection test)
Five tests exist within the ACER VST, but generally candidates only have to take three of the following five tests (depending on the job role you’re applying for):
ACER Verbal Reasoning This consists of two types of verbal reasoning questions. The first is where you will be given passages of texts that you’ll have to answer questions on. The second will present you with a flow chart detailing a task and again, you will be asked to answer questions on it.
The Core Vocational Selection Test This includes three tests: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and abstract reasoning.
ACER Quantitative Reasoning / Numerical Reasoning This test examines your numerical and mathematical skills.
ACER abstract reasoning test - You’ll have to work through diagrams to identify the relationship between each diagram, before choosing the missing one.
Optional components This includes two tests. Mechanical reasoning, which tests your understanding of mechanical systems, and the relationship between the moving parts in a mechanism. And interpersonal understanding, which is essentially a personality questionnaire.
The ACER CSPA aptitude test (core skills profile for adults)
The ACER CSPA aptitude test is most commonly used in Australia, and again consists of five test types. Cleverly, the test adapts to your capability level based on how you have answered the previous questions. The five test types include:
Numeracy This test looks at how well you can solve simple mathematical challenges in measurement, geometry, statistics, probability and algebra.
Reading Similar to verbal reasoning, this test requires you to read and understand passages of texts in order to answer questions.
Writing This test will require you to write a letter, report or short passage based on a specific brief.
Abstract reasoning This test requires you to determine what the patterns, rules and relationships are between different images.
Mechanical reasoning Moving parts, mechanisms, circumference, diameter, radius, volume and area are just some of the subjects tested.
The ACER mechanical reasoning test
This test examines your ability to determine the relationship between mechanical components. The test consists of 42 questions, which you’ll need a very basic knowledge of physical and mechanical principles to answer.
The ACER TEEM (test of employment entry mathematics)
A numerical reasoning test that examines your ability to work with percentages, fractions, ratios and much more.
OWAA (online writing assessment for adults)
This test is used to determine your ability to write a report, as well as an argumentative piece. It evaluates:
Quality of ideas
Language choice
Sentence structure
Punctuation (of and within sentences)
Spelling
Purpose and audience
