‘Psychometric test’ is turning people off joining Defence Forces

The test is an assessment used to measure an individual’s cognitive ability, personality, or behaviours.

A former officer and member of the Oireachtas Committee for Foreign Affairs says a test given to potential military recruits should be scrapped as it's turning off many young people joining the Defence Forces.

Fine Gael TD David Stanton maintains at a time of near full employment the ‘psychometric test’ is a barrier to recruitment, which is needed now more than ever as the Defence Forces are suffering a well-publicised personnel crisis. 

In addition, he says the length of time it takes for successful applicants to get inducted into the military is taking far too long.

Mr Stanton, who served as an officer in the Reserve Defence Forces for 20 years, said he’d tried to do the psychometric test himself and “thought it quite challenging". 

The test is an assessment used to measure an individual’s cognitive ability, personality, or behaviours.

Figures he obtained from the Department of Defence show an exceedingly high failure rate for the test when it is taken in controlled conditions — either under supervision in military barracks or with military personnel monitoring the applicant via an online camera to prevent any cheating.

In 2021, there were 4,408 applicant tests administered under these controls. Of those, 2,278 failed.

Mr Stanton obtained figures dating back to 2016.  In that year 6,945 tests were undertaken with 3,739 failures. The following year there were 2,288 failures from 6,484 tests. In 2018, 4,269 took the test of which 1,306 failed. 

In 2019 for some yet unexplained reason, the failure rate was much lower. Just 844 failed out of a total of 6,421 tested. 

In 2020 there were 5,281 tests with 1,701 deemed failed.

'Challenging'

However, Mr Stanton believes thousands more opt-out when they do a ‘trial run’ of the test on the Defence Forces website.

“They (questions) are tricky and often off-putting in my view and would act as a disincentive. They're quite challenging. I would ask if somebody in an era of almost full employment like we have would bother to go through that. 

"It's my understanding other countries do not use such tests as a starting point. 

"It might be better that when a person is inducted that such a test comes later which can be used to see where they might best serve a role within the Defence Forces,” Mr Stanton said.

He maintains that the vast majority of young people are well-educated now and well-able to fill military roles.

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In addition to psychometric tests hampering recruitment, Mr Stanton said another issue is the excessive length of time it's taking for successful recruits and officer cadets to be accepted into the Defence Forces.

“It takes an average of five months from when somebody applies to join up to when they are accepted. This timeframe needs to be shortened. This is another obstacle which needs to be removed to bolster Defence Forces numbers,” Mr Stanton said.

However, as reported recently in the Irish Examiner, the exodus from the military has left it critically short of experienced administrative personnel to do the paperwork.