2023 AECOM Assessment Study Guide (With Practice Questions)
Have you applied for a job with AECOM? If so, you will need to prepare for a demanding recruitment process, pre-employment testing, and a day at an assessment centre, or part of a day doing technical assessments at an office.
AECOM is a trusted infrastructure consulting firm with global recognition delivering projects from the planning stage to overseeing their construction. It will have a great many other applicants like yourself coveting the job you have applied for.
To get that job, thorough preparation is required.
Table of Contents
How do I prepare for the AECOM Assessments?
The best approach to preparation for pre-employment testing is to use the services of a job test preparation company.
For this, we recommend using the services of Job Test Prep, leaders in preparing candidates for all aspects of the recruitment process.
Using their services, you are guaranteed accurate information about the process and the resources you need for preparation.
They can provide you with a test prep pack containing sample test papers modelled on the real tests, a means of checking your scores as you do the papers, and detailed explanations of questions and answers.
Working on the sample papers, you will become familiar with the tests before doing the actual exam and ensure that nothing on the real test will take you by surprise. You also learn to do the tests within the restricted time limit imposed.
To get a feel for the types of tests you will take, try your hand at a free sample test here.
What format does the testing take?
The process begins with an online application and submission of your CV. Bear in mind that you are allowed to apply for three teams in your application, so consider your options carefully.
Following this, you will be asked to do a phone interview and online reasoning tests.
If you get successfully through these stages, you will be invited to an assessment centre to engage in group exercises followed by an interview with an AECOM partner.
Your AECOM test prep pack will provide you with the resources to prepare for all of these stages.
Online Reasoning Tests
AECOM states they are looking for employees with a solid technical grounding in their field. It also looks for people with the ability to analyse information and make informed decisions based on that information.
Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs)
The SJT will present you with a number of scenarios you are likely to encounter if working with them. In these scenarios, you will be expected to decide on the least and the most likely action to take.
Your answers will give the recruiter an indication if you will be a suitable company employee.
Practicing SJTs will enable you to pinpoint the answers that are most likely to align with AECOM’s values. U
Numerical Reasoning
For some positions, you may be asked to do an online numerical reasoning test. Try the following free sample numerical reasoning test and see how you score.
You can expect to do an AECOM personality test at the assessment centre.
In personality testing, the company will be looking at your teamwork skills, your communication abilities, your ability to prioritise tasks, and your willingness to challenge and ask questions.
Given the part AECOM plays in putting forward modern approaches to infrastructure, it is not surprising that the company also likes its employees to be confident, creative, and innovative.
AECOM Assessment Centre
AECOM looks for disruptors and innovators to join them in their mission to deliver a better world. Take this statement as your guide on how you should behave on your visit to the assessment centre and remember that a day at the assessment centre is a two-way process.
What happens at the AECOM Assessment Centre?
You will be getting a feel for the company. Company assessors will also be studying you. They will check if you have the qualities necessary in an AECOM employee.
At the assessment centre, you will do technical assessments with the team you are being considered for.
These tests will depend on the roles you have applied for. You can get all-inclusive test prep packs covering a range of tests. You may also need to complete verbal reasoning tests, mechanical reasoning tests, and logical reasoning assessments.
Example question:
Try your skills at the following logical reasoning question.
If there are no dancers that aren’t slim and no singers that aren’t dancers, then which statements are always true?
- There is not one slim person that isn’t a dancer
- All singers are slim
- Anybody slim is also a singer
- None of the above
The tricky part here is that the question is phrased negatively. This means that we, first of all, need to identify the nature of each group. Then, we establish the relationship between the groups. You can draw a diagram to analyze the relationship among the groups. Then, you will find that the only true statement is that all singers are slim.
Preparing for Assessment Day testing
You can get all-inclusive test prep packs covering a range of assessments from Job Test Prep. This means that whatever you apply for, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it will be covered.
Personality testing may also apply to some roles. Bear in mind that the company will be looking at a candidate’s abilities to deal with information and make informed decisions, and their teamwork skills as much as their technical know-how.
Try your hand at a free sample general ability test here.
And discover the type of personality you present here in this free sample test.
After completing both exercises, look at your answers and assess if you could do better by tweaking some of your answers.
Working on sample tests will hone your skills in delivering the answers that will help you ace the assessments.
Aside from personality tests, you might need to take part in group exercises. These activities will check your ability to work with members of a team. Remember, group exercises can be challenging.
You need to:
- Show what you are capable of
- Avoid being too dominant or too passive
- Show you are a good listener as well as a good talker
- Show respect for others’ opinions while getting your point across clearly and logically
Final Interview
Prior to the assessment day, the company will tell you to prepare for your interview. Gather all the information you can about them. They like to see enthusiastic interviewees and advise applicants to ask questions at the interview.
You can expect competency-based questions from the interviewer, but the interview will also focus on how suited to the company’s culture and value system you are.
Showing a good understanding of how the company approaches its projects is essential if you are to ace the interview. Being self-confident is high on the company’s values, so be prepared to actively participate in the interview.
And remember, they want employees who are ready to make a difference.
If you have an AECOM assessment in the offing, you will find all the resources you need to ace it here.
Written by Elizabeth O Mahony
With 25+ years’ experience as a teacher and state examinations corrector, Elizabeth now writes for the education and careers industry. Her experience preparing students for examinations and running an academy for supplementary education give her invaluable insights into what it takes for job seekers and graduates to succeed in assessments.
