The McQuaig word survey is a personality test given to potential employees before they are hired to determine if they are suitable for a position. By understanding the survey, not overthinking, answering honestly and spotting control questions, job seekers can do well on the McQuaig word survey.

Understand the McQuaig Survey

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As the test will tell you at the beginning, there are no right or wrong answers. For example, you may apply at a restaurant and at a job in retail. Both jobs may require you to take the McQuaig word survey, but you may only hear back from one job. This is because different managers may be looking for different traits. The restaurant job may be looking for someone who is more sociable while the job in retail may prefer someone who has strong leadership skills. Both personality traits are important, but because the restaurant job may require the worker to socialize more, you'd get the job there. Based on the survey results, the manager of an establishment decides which traits are more favorable and who to hire.

Don't Overthink

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Answer quickly and go with your gut instinct because the McQuaig word survey is usually timed and those who don't finish within the allowed time rarely get hired.

Answer Honestly

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It's crucial to answer questions honestly and avoid lying on the survey. The McQuaig test has methods of detecting cheaters and will give them a much lower score than those who were honest. The test will also ask trick questions later to catch potential employees in lies.

Spot Control Questions

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Avoid using the answers "Strongly Agree" or "Strongly Disagree." For example, the survey may ask you to rate a word based on how much it describes you. The word will then appear in a sentence such as "I am competent at accomplishing any task." You will then be asked to rate the word "competent." Many people would select "Strongly Agree," however this is not the correct answer. The correct answer would be "Agree" or even "Neutral." Employers know you're not perfect, they just want to see if you know that as well.