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Medically Reviewed By: Aaron Horn, LMFT, MA

Psychological testing can give you insight into various diagnoses. In many ways, psychological testing and assessments are like standard medical tests. They test for the presence or absence of certain traits. While a medical doctor may test your blood, a therapist may test your social skills.  

A psychological test is administered to test your behaviors and interpersonal skills. The goal of a test is to assist in the development of a proper treatment plan. A mental health test can become a roadmap to better health.

Reasons For Mental Health Evaluations

Psychological tests are administered for many reasons. Psychological tests can include a personality test, an emotional intelligence test, and more that can measure various aspects of your person. It could be for a child who is suspected of having a learning disability. It could be for an adult who is experiencing symptoms of mental distress illness. Tests are administered to determine if an individual has a condition that a professional suspects that they might have. Psychological tests can tell us a lot about an individual’s diagnosis, personality type, relationships, and more. The testing can offer an individual a great deal of relief.

The American Psychology Association, along with Harvard University and Yale University, provide several resources to learn more about psychological tests. The universities also conduct research to gather data, measure the validity of these tests, and to determine how effective and useful psychological tests are.

Types of Mental Health Evaluations

One of the most common types of tests you might be familiar with is the IQ test. IQ and achievement tests were first introduced in the early 1900s, and have become quite prevalent around the world. According to the American Psychological Association, one sign of IQ test validity is how this type of test is constantly being refined. Now, IQ tests go beyond intelligence measures, but also include emotional intelligence and emotional IQ tests. 

Another common type of psychological test are personality tests. There is not only one specific test to take when it comes to testing personality type or personality traits. Personality tests are useful in therapy and have even been used in the work place. These types of tests are useful in psychology as they help patient’s express and learn more ab out their own emotions, traits and personal development. In the workplace, tests such as the Big 5 psychological evaluation test are used as scales, as a way to determine what interests you in work, what abilities are your strengths, and your traits in a team role. 

In workplaces, approximately 79% of reporting human resource professionals claimed to use some type of testing when interviewing and hiring externally. 72% used testing for internal relation hires as well. However, taking tests such as these isn’t exactly a hard scientific process, but more used as a general guideline or assessment. They are useful in creating a starting point or baseline in the workplace and in therapy, which is why taking these tests honestly does matter. 

What To Expect During A Health Evaluation

It’s not like taking the SAT, emotional IQ test, or a regular multiple-choice exam. Some psychological assessments do contain multiple-choice questions, like the MMPI, but there is no right or wrong answer. Most assessments simply show you different traits and values about yourself. You can’t “fail” a psychological evaluation. It’s a tool that’s there to provide you with information and insight into your characteristics and test for potential mental health issues to mend. Testing can help you learn and gain knowledge about what is and isn’t working for you in your life. Once you know what your diagnosis is, you can begin to find ways to cope with it. You can learn tools to manage your symptoms and make your life easier.

No Cheating

Some people might want to look at a psychological test ahead of time in an attempt to determine the “right” answers. There are no correct answers when it comes to a psychological assessment. You’re just getting more information about who you are and what your symptoms could indicate. In fact, not only is looking at an evaluation ahead of time unhelpful, but it also can be detrimental to the results, potentially altering your scores that showcase a ingenuine result. If you want to get an accurate reading of what your diagnosis is, don’t look at the test ahead of time. You might be fearful of getting a particular result, and because of that answer the questions in a skewed way. Psychological tests are meant to help you learn more about yourself so you can get the help you need. Trust that the questions are going to help you as an instrument of success and answer them honestly. That is the best way to get an accurate reading of your personality and head toward a stable treatment plan.

Don’t Be Afraid

When you hear that you have to have psychological testing done, it can be scary, whether it’s a personality test or an emotional intelligence test. That’s understandable, but these kinds of tests are here to help identify potential criteria in your diagnosis. You don’t have to worry. If anything, getting tests done can help you understand yourself better and help to measure your attitude, skills and aspects of your personality. If you’re suffering from symptoms that you can’t understand, psychological tests can help you learn more about what is happening and develop a life better suited for you. Remember, these assessments and tests are there to help you, not to hurt you. You might discover something about yourself that you did not know before. If you are surprised by the results, maybe you should consider speaking with a therapist. Therapy is a place where you can discuss the results of your test with a licensed mental health professional.

Online Counseling

You can search for a mental health provider or test in your area or consider counseling online. Online counseling is an excellent place to discuss symptoms of mental illness or learning disabilities. It’s also a great place to discuss anything you’re concerned about. Search the network of online therapists at BetterHelp and find the best fit for you.

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