I’m noted for my high standard of customer care and my willingness to answer any questions.
If you can't quickly find the answer to your questions please get in touch by email or phone. Email often works best as I'm often working with clients, and if my email doesn't answer your query we can then talk by phone.
If you have questions about career coaching you should find the answers here.
Questions about Assessments
Why should I pay for assessments when I can take them for free?
Free tests are often inaccurate and provide no concrete advice. Any reputable test is going to need to be professionally interpreted to help you get the most from it. A reputable test is also one that is both valid and reliable, and a company is going to have to make charges to pay for this. The feedback you get through our online assessments is to the same depth as any personal client that visits my office.
I know what I am interested in, why should I do a test?
You don’t have to take an assessment or inventory, but many people find them helpful, especially if they have no idea on what career path to follow or to enhance self understanding especially of abilities and personality.
How do I choose which assessment to take?
There's a lot of choice isn't there.
First decision is what is the purpose of your choice?
• Do you want to learn about your personality type for personal development, than choose the MBTI Interpretative report.
• Are you interested in learning more to help you in career decisions? Choose both the Strong and the MBTI with a combined report.
• Would you like to know what your natural abilities are to really get to the root of what comes easy for you? Then choose the Highlands Ability Battery.
• Are you a senior executive (or inspire to be) choose Savilles Wave
Read the descriptions on the different pages, these are designed to help you choose. Look at some sample reports, and remember that a combination could be the best choice for you. if you are still unsure, please get in touch, I’d be happy to help.
How does this online testing process work?
You pay for the assessment and then receive an email to take you to the online testing page. Once you complete the assessment I will prepare the report for you. You then book your feedback session where we have a detailed discussion on your chosen assessment, helping you to integrate this knowledge and decide what to do next.
What if I don't have a computer?
The assessments are available for online use. If you don't have a computer you could take most of them at an Internet Cafe or a friends home. I do not recommend this for the Highlands Ability Battery as sound is involved throughout which could be distracting to others. Also, as it is a timed test you need to avoid distractions.
Why do I need to have a consultation?
The assessments used are all reputable assessments that are provided on the understanding that they will be discussed with a trained professional. Whilst you can take free versions, these are not full versions of assessments, and, particularly with the MBTI. You need to be guided to both understand your results and develop your verified type.
Who will my consultation be with?
At the moment, all consultations are taken personally with Denise. She has a bachelors degree in psychology, a masters degree in occupational psychology and has a diploma in counselling. She is trained and licenced to use all assessments provided on this site and has undertaken advanced training where courses are available. In the future other well qualifed psychologists may be utilised as Denise gets very busy!
When will I get the report?
Reports are usually with you within 12 hours. However at weekends they could be a delay. This is a personal service and so reports are not sent automatically but checked before forwarding.
What format are the reports in? The reports are sent out as PDF documents which means they can be read on any computer. You do need to have the Adobe Reader software. Just in case you don't have it you can access it here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Questions about the Highlands Ability Battery
Why is measuring abilities/aptitudes so important?
Most sources of job unhappiness stem from natural abilities not being used, or people being forced to perform tasks for which they do not have the natural abilities. If you choose a new career without a knowledge of your innate abilities, you have a relatively high probability of winding up in a career that you find boring, frustrating, or unfulfilling.
How do you measure abilities?
Each ability is measured by you performing a particular task, which requires a certain innate ability. Given enough time you probably could do all the work samples. We obtain results by putting you under time pressure which eliminates the possibility of substituting another ability or extra time to accomplish the task. Whilst we measure abilities individually, we then look at them in combination. One combination of aptitudes makes the accomplished salesperson, another combination describes a person who enjoys network administration, and another combination explains why a person enjoys one part of management but not the rest.
How accurate is it?
The Highlands Ability Battery is based on over 80 years research, beginning with Johnson O’Connor. It is psychometrically valid and reliable. The information and suggestions that it makes are highly accurate. The minimum reliability standard for the 19 tests that make up the Highland Ability Battery is r = .80 and the reliability range is to .93, with 1.0 being perfect. It has been described as the equivalent of getting a CAT Scan for a painful injury instead of a traditional X-ray. As an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, I would not use any test that could not measure what it sets out to measure.
Do I really need a test to help me find out my natural abilities?
Some people think they know their abilities. However, we get mixed up with our skills and abilities. There are some things we are naturally good at, and other areas where we have developed a high level of skill. E. g. I’ve got quite a good reputation for proof reading, but my natural ability is very low. It’s something I’ve learnt to do. It certainly wouldn't be a good fit if this was the main focus of my work. Don’t forget, what we know of our talents is based only on what we have done before. You could have talents that you don’t even know about. At school we only cover a few of the abilities you will find out about if you take this assessment.
How does this differ from other psychometric tests like DISC, Myers Briggs etc?
Personality tests are self report where you need to make choices over e. g. pairs of words or phrases. Our personality can change over time and can be influenced by particular circumstances. The Highlands Ability Battery is an objective assessment of natural abilities, taken under timed conditions and the results will be relevant for years to come.
What's the difference between natural abilities and skills?
Our natural abilities are innate, they are part of who we are just like our eye colour. Skills are something that we learn and they can enhance our abilities. However, because they are learnt they can be lost when not used.
What if I don't have any natural abilities?
Everyone has natural abilities, but they differ. You could have abilities that make you a good manager, a scientist, a designer. Don’t worry about getting low scores, in many cases it can be more helpful to score low than high.
There is a scale called classification which is non logical problem solving – an ability to quickly spot the big picture. I score very low in this, but the benefit of this is that it means I have a lot of patience in working with people and in going at a pace to suit others rather than me. A real strength in the work that I do.
What if I’m hopeless at tests?
Don’t worry, The Highlands Ability Battery is not like an exam, you can’t pass or fail and there is no need for any revision. Your results will show if you have a high or low ability in something and it is just as important to know what you are low in as what you are high in.
These tests are different from anything you will have done before. There is a scale called classification which is non logical problem solving – an ability to quickly spot the big picture. I score very low in this, but the benefit of this is that it means I have a lot of patience in working with people and in going at a pace to suit others rather than me. A real strength in the work that I do.
Don't my abilities change over time?
Our abilities are formed by the age of 14/15. Research has shown that peoples abilities remain constant so the investment for taking the Highlands Ability Battery will be beneficial to you over the years to come.
Why is measuring abilities/aptitudes so important?
Most sources of job unhappiness stem from natural abilities not being used, or people being forced to perform tasks for which they do not have the natural abilities. If you choose a new career without knowledge of your innate abilities, you have a relatively high probability of winding up in a career that you find boring, frustrating, or unfulfilling.
How long does it take?
The assessment takes about 3 hours and you can take the assessment in the comfort of your own home, using a CD or online. You don't need to complete the assessment all in one go and can split the testing over a number of sessions.
How good is it?
In October, 2002, 32 graduate students at Colorado State University were asked to compare a number of assessments which they had completed as part of their course. The group was asked to rate 4 different well-known assessments in terms of effectiveness in measuring their abilities and talents, as well as in guiding them in future career decisions. The assessments were the Highlands Ability Battery, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Strong Interest and Skills Confidence Inventory, and True Colors.
Percentage of Students that ranked it #1 in measuring abilities and talents
Percentage of Students that ranked it #1 in effectiveness in guiding them in career decisions
What is the earliest age someone can take the Highlands assessment?
Since abilities do not stabilise until age 14, we recommend waiting until after the 15th birthday.
How does your service differ from other Highlands affiliates? Very few Highlands affiliates offer other assessments and integrate them into their feedback. I offer 3 separate assessments to give real depth and clarification to your career decisions. It means you have triangulation - 3 different approaches that together give very powerful support to your decision making. I also help you to consider the wider picture - your values, longer term goals, ideal working environment, everything you need to make a well rounded career decision that will enable you to have a life that is right for you.
Don’t forget in addition to the in-depth assessment, 39 page report and in depth feedback discussion you also get a complimentary additional 35 page booklet - Highlands Explored, the most effective reference book for you to get the most out of the assessment, the 17 page e-book - 10 steps to finding a job you love (worth £10) plus you get a full month of follow up to answer any questions you may have on how the results relate to your job or possible new careers.
I also provide you with a 1 page summary of the most relevant points, and compare your results to a database of other jobs to enable me to discuss where you have the closest match.
Will this help me make choices for study/ university?
Absolutely! You will be able to make decisions based on what you can actually do, and get job suggestions to explore, thus helping you to make good use of your time at university. You can also take a more extensive programme of assessments linked with careers coaching,
Will this help me at work?
The results from this assessment can help you to understand why your job may not be bringing you satisfaction and provide you evidence to enable you to make changes, either to get a job which is a better fit or to adapt your current job. Companies such as Glaxo Smith Kline, IBM and Marriott encourage their employees to understand their abilities to enable them to be more productive at work.
What will I get from taking the Highlands Ability Battery?
- Understanding of where I am naturally talented
- Know how I solve problems and make decisions most effectively
- Understand in black and white why I would be happy in some fields and not happy in others
- Be able to choose the best option from a group of study/ career/ job/ business choices
- Knowledge on how to study most effectively
- Know what other jobs within my organisation I would be better and more fulfilled with
- How to use my true strengths more effectively and more consistently
Questions about the Myers Briggs Type Indicator
Who came up with the idea?
The MBTI was developed by the mother/daughter team of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers over many years, starting in the 1940s. The theory is based on the work of Carl Jung, who wrote a book called "Psychological Types" in 1923.
What does it measure?
Nothing. It's a sorter, and sorts people into 16 types based on how they fall on four scales.
Will the MBTI reveal my inner secrets?
You don’t need to worry on this. The MBTI asks you about everyday situations. It's a sorter, and will provide you information on relating to others, how you take in information and make decisions and preferred lifestyle.
Can I lie and cheat on my answers?
Well, you can certainly lie, but there's no way to cheat, because there's no score to reach. The only thing you'd accomplish is to get invalid results for yourself. There is the risk that people will answer the questions the way they WANT to be or think they SHOULD be, versus how they really are. Again, that will only make your results sound like someone other than you.
What are the scales?
The four scales are Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. The sorter indicates which end of the four scales you prefer, leading to your four letter type.
What do the scales mean?
The Extraversion/Introversion scale describes how people get their energy, the Sensing/Intuition scale shows how people take in information about the world around them, the Thinking/Feeling scale indicates how people make decisions, and the Judging/Perceiving scale describes the lifestyle preferences people have.
Does the MBTI measure skills and abilities?
No. It indicates preferences and reveals nothing about skills or abilities. I use an example of signing your name. Each of us has a preferred hand for writing. We can use the other hand, but it feels odd, awkward, and uncomfortable. The same is true on the four scales. We prefer one end of each scale over the other. Like our hands, we use both sides every day. Yet one hand is our dominant hand. The MBTI helps us discover more about our dominant preferences.
Are some types better than others?
There are no good or bad types. Each has its strengths and potential weaknesses. Each type will react differently to different circumstances. In some situations, certain types will have an advantage. In others situations, those same types could be a liability. For example, the ability to concentrate can be quite useful. However, if you can concentrate too well, you might end up ignoring important people or information in your environment.
Will knowing about psychological type help me at work? It can be very helpful to understand people who are different from yourself and can help reduce the risk of conflict and improve relationships.
I've still got a question that isn't answered here
If you can't quickly find the answer to your questions please get in touch by email or phone. Email often works best as I'm often working with clients, and if my email doesn't answer your query we can then talk by phone.
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