Pre-employment personality testing dates as far back as China's Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), but what we consider modern cognitive testing began in France during the 1800s.

Pre-employment assessments gained popularity in the late 1800s for U.S. government positions and to this day remains a requirement for federal, state and local Civil Service jobs. The tests utilize algorithms to gauge how well a candidate’s strengths match a job requirements and has been known to increase ROI by almost 65 percent. The results are used to predict candidate success in a particular job by evaluating both cognitive ability and personality factors such as Talent Assessment, Integrity, Emotional Intelligence and Physical Exams.

Over 50% of large U.S. organizations currently utilize high quality assessment tests to narrow down the recruiting pool, determine culture fit and improve employee retention. Their use for development purposes and employee training is also a growing trend.