Personality and Intelligence Correlates of Assessment Center Exercises

One hundred and eighty-eight prospective managers completed a Five Factor personality test (NEO-FFI) and an intelligence test (Ravens Progressive Matrices) and then a short quarter-day assessment exercise with five tasks, two more time-pressured and three less time-pressured The IQ test was correlated significantly with Openness and three of the five assessment tasks. Only Openness was correlated with the assessment center task scores. The five tasks were factored and two emerged, one related to greater time-pressured, short tasks (proof reading and problem solving) and three to less time-pressured tasks. A regression showed bright, open, and low conscientious people did best at the timed task. Overall, intelligence was the best predictor of the various assessment center tasks.