Birkman Assessment Prep Course 2024: Key Traits Explained & In-Depth Exam Guide
Navigating the intricacies of personality and behavior to select the right candidates is a complex endeavor. To simplify the process of identifying and hiring people who will not only succeed in their job role but also would be the ideal fit- companies use assessment tools,one such tool is the Birkman Personality test.
So if you have been invited to take the Birkman Assessment but have no idea what it is or where you should begin from, you are on the right page. Our carefully prepared course on this pre-employment assessment not only introduces Birkman but also explores the assessment process, various reporting styles and offers profound insights into how to read the reports, the unique features illustrating the intricacies with examples for you to grasp it completely and face the exam confidently.
Let’s first begin by exploring the basics of this assessment.
What is the Birkman Personality Test?
The Birkman Test is a personality assessment tool that many companies use to evaluate job applicants. It was created by Dr. Roger Birkman in 1940 and is published by Birkman International Inc. It evaluates a candidate’s behavioral styles, stress behaviors, motivations, and expectations. This test does not have right or wrong answers, therefore there is no pass/ fail concept.
Key features of the test
| Question Count | 298 questions |
| Question Format | 248 statements- True or False 50 statements- Multiple Choice |
| Time | There is no time limit defined, but typically it takes 30 minutes to complete |
| Key Factors |
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| Dimensions of the test |
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| Administration | Is conducted online |
| Outputs | Birkman Basic Report Birkman Signature Report Birkman Mindset Report The outputs are modifiable according to the purpose used. |
Applicability of the Birkman Test
The Birkman assessment is applicable to a variety of industries, making it a resource for recruitment. It gives insights into candidates’ occupational preferences and behaviors that they will bring to the workplace.
The assessment looks into how a person would react to various common scenarios and lets business owners understand what choices an employee would make when met with work-related stress.
Other than what is mentioned, take a look at what the Birkman test helps with:
What it Reveals?
The assessment gives a holistic insight into the applicant’s personality, motivations, interests and how would they behave when under stress by revealing the 4 key perspectives of a person:
Motivation
The Motivation perspective reveals the individual’s general interests and how they correlate with their workplace preferences.
Self Perception
Self-perception explores how people approach tasks, contribute to their communities, and manage relationships. It uncovers individuals’ self-image and how they portray themselves to others. This aspect is heavily influenced by the strategies individuals use to achieve desired outcomes.
Social Perception
Social perception assesses how individuals interpret and evaluate their comfort levels in different social situations or environments. It reveals an individual’s perspective on the world, his expectations, and what provides him comfort, including his understanding of social situations and his self-awareness.
Mindset
Mindset revolves around an individual’s fundamental beliefs and attitudes about themselves and the world they inhabit. It encompasses their self-perception, views of others, and understanding of their environment. Furthermore, it includes the underlying motivations that guide their behaviors and choices.
To sum it up:
| Key Perspectives | What it identifies |
| Motivation | Which activities ignite your passion and which ones dampen it? |
| Self-Perception | How do you perceive yourself and present yourself to others? |
| Social Perception | What support or conditions do you require to thrive? |
| Mindset | What are your core principles? What guides your actions in various scenarios? |
How is it Revealed?
The key traits are evaluated by an integrated collection of scales.
Component Scales
The assessment employs a thorough framework and consists of three sets of scales designed to comprehend various behavioral components. These scales aid in understanding typical behaviors in comfortable situations, identifying their needs for optimal well-being, and predicting their reactions under stress. This framework enables a thorough examination of their usual behavior, expectations, and requirements in diverse scenarios, as well as their reactions to pressure.
Using the mentioned 3 scales it provides a multidimensional examination of an individual on 9 behavioral components:
Understanding these dimensions offers valuable insights into how individuals interact with their environment, manage challenges, and express themselves across various contexts.
Occupational Interest Scales
The Birkman Occupational Interest Scales help individuals and employers understand career preferences by examining what motivates and brings enjoyment. These scales, divided into ten categories, cover various types of work, such as helping others or roles involving numerical analysis.
By using these scales, individuals can find suitable job matches based on their interests, while employers can assess job fit.
Mindset: Meta Scales
Understanding mindset is important for personal and professional success. Examining meta-scales, or perspectives, offers insights into the “how” and “why” of behavior. These perspectives act as lenses, revealing tendencies such as self-value, perceptions of others, and image management. They also illuminate uniqueness, alignment with societal norms, and accuracy in understanding others’ behavior.
Exploring these meta-scales fosters personal growth and enriches relationships.
Birkman Outputs
After completing the Birkman test, the outcomes undergo thorough analysis tailored to the needs of the organization or individual who requested the assessment. Various reporting styles are available, requiring interpretation by a certified professional.
There are three major reports that can be given:
Birkman assessments are impartial, highlighting individual uniqueness rather than specific personality traits. Some unique features of the reports are:
Birkman Map or “Lifestyle Grid”
Reports present a lifestyle grid which condenses the candidates behavioral traits into one single chart for reference. This chart is divided into four color sections, each color representing a different personality type.
This is what the color reflects:
| Color | Traits |
Red “The Doers” | Action-oriented, decisive, enjoy tangible results |
| Prefer clear authority, specific tasks, and energetic environment | |
| Stress from unclear expectations or too many tasks | |
Green “The Communicators” | Thrive on communicating ideas, inspiring others |
| Seek variety, autonomy, and individual recognition | |
| Stress from distractions or criticism | |
Yellow “The Analyzers” | Excel in structured environments, prefer established systems |
| Require order, consistency, and concentration | |
| Stress from sudden changes or confrontation | |
Blue “The Thinkers” | Thrive on creativity, innovation, and abstract thinking |
| Prefer conceptual stages, long-term planning | |
| Stress from limited social interaction or indecision | |
Birkman Symbol Key
Realizing the complexity of human behavior the Birkman Map includes a set of “Symbols” to illustrate the scores. Take a look at the symbols below:
The birkman map and symbols work together to give the single image of the scores to give an overall picture of the candidates personality. It may look like this, for instance:
Birkman Interests & Career Exploration
Individuals who are uncertain about their career path can benefit from the Birkman assessment. Employers can also utilize it to determine if a candidate is well-suited for a particular job role or to explore other potential job matches. The report consolidates your interest level across occupational scales, assessing you across 23 job families and identifying areas where you might excel.
Take a Look at our Birkman Modules
Introduction to Birkman Assessment2 steps - 15 minutesBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Exploring the Background1 Step - 30 MinutesBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Birkman Scales4 Steps - 1 Hour & 10 MinutesBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Reporting in Birkman2 steps - 45 MinutesBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Example Questions and Strategies to Answer1 Step - 30 MinutesBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Birkman - Practice Questions2 stepsBuy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.
Why Choose PrepTerminal?
After the introduction, it is quite obvious that you might have questions and confusion about the assessment, it may seem overwhelming. But don’t you worry we at PrepTerminal have adopted a streamlined approach to answer every question that may occur. This is what you can expect further:
Comprehensive Prep Guide: We have developed thorough and detailed lessons for each Birkman topic.
Simplified Learning: We have structured the content into lessons that are clear and easy to understand, making the content more approachable and less intimidating.
Explanation through Examples: Our lessons not only guide you through the test but also ensures your understanding through explaining through examples for the complicated sections like Birkman Map.
Confidence Through Practice: We provide practice sets for the covered topics after the lessons. This means you won’t just learn the material; you will get to apply it, reinforcing your understanding and building confidence.
Dedicated tips and strategies: Within the lessons, we have dedicated a section to provide effective tips and strategies for approaching the assessment with confidence.
Tailored Question Sets: We have crafted specific question practice sets for each question type, ensuring you’re well-prepared.
Flexibility: Study at your own pace with 24/7 access to course materials.
So, let’s embark on this journey together!
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