Ascend Assessments High Volume Recruiting

Ascend Combines Personality and Cognitive

Data Driven Recruitment with Ascend

Unlock the Power of Data-Driven Recruitment with Ascend Assessments by Assessio

In today’s competitive hiring landscape, organisations are seeking more innovative, more efficient ways to assess candidates. Traditional recruitment methods, such as resumes and interviews, are no longer sufficient to evaluate a candidate’s potential fully. That’s where Ascend assessments by Assessio come in.

Ascend is an innovative psychometric assessment platform designed to help companies make data-driven, objective hiring decisions. By combining advanced tools such as the MAP personality assessment and the Matrigma cognitive assessment, Ascend provides actionable insights into candidates’ behaviours, cognitive abilities, and problem-solving potential.

Now, let’s explore how MAP and Matrigma assessments can transform your recruitment process, enhance employee development, and improve organisational performance.

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Two Psychometric Assessment Tests to Improve Your Hiring

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What Are Ascend Assessments?

Ascend by Assessio is a powerful suite of psychometric tools designed to support recruitment, talent development, and strategic decision-making. The platform offers scientifically backed assessments that help companies make objective, fair decisions. With its user-friendly interface and integrated reporting capabilities, Ascend streamlines the hiring process, assisting organisations to hire the right talent faster.

Ascend features a range of assessments to measure different aspects of candidates’ skills and potential. Among them, MAP and Matrigma are two core tools that play a critical role in the recruitment and development process.

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Recruiter reviewing the various Ascend assessments available in South Africa to improve her hiring and development

Ascend by Assessio Psychometric Measurements

MAP

Big 5 Role-fit personality measurement test. 200 Questions that determine a candidate’s role fit suitability. There are no right or wrong answers, and it should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Matrigma

Online non-verbal cognitive assessment test. 35 Problems to solve with a 30-minute time limit available to the candidate.

MAP: A Deep Dive into Personality Assessment

MAP stands for Measuring and Assessing Individual Potential, a personality assessment grounded in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality. Also known as the Big Five, this model is one of the most scientifically validated frameworks for understanding personality. The five factors measured by MAP are:

  • Openness: Creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace new experiences.

  • Conscientiousness: Attention to detail, organisation, and dependability.

  • Extraversion: Sociability, assertiveness, and energy.

  • Agreeableness: Cooperation, empathy, and conflict avoidance.

  • Emotional Stability: Ability to remain calm under stress and manage emotions effectively.

Screenshot of the a Map personaly and role fit assessment question

200 Personality Questions in 20 Minutes

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Why Personality Matters in Recruitment

Personality assessments, like MAP, are essential for understanding how an individual will interact with others and perform in their role. While resumes and interviews provide insight into a candidate’s experience and qualifications, personality assessments reveal behavioural tendencies that are critical to long-term workplace success.

For example, a candidate for a sales role may require high extraversion to thrive in customer-facing situations. At the same time, a project manager may benefit from higher conscientiousness to stay organised and meet deadlines.

MAP helps hiring managers identify these traits, ensuring that candidates’ personalities align with the demands of the role and the company culture.

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Total Time Required: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

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Matrigma: Cognitive Ability for Problem-Solving and Growth Potential

What Is Matrigma?

The Matrigma assessment is designed to measure general mental ability (GMA), an individual’s capacity to learn, reason, and solve complex problems. Unlike personality assessments, Matrigma focuses on cognitive abilities and provides insight into a candidate’s problem-solving aptitude and learning agility.

Matrigma is a non-verbal cognitive test that uses matrix reasoning—a set of pattern-recognition and logical-thinking exercises. Candidates are presented with a grid of patterns and are asked to identify the missing piece that fits the sequence. This abstract reasoning method makes the assessment language-neutral, ensuring that candidates from different linguistic backgrounds are evaluated fairly.

Why Cognitive Ability Matters

Cognitive ability is one of the most powerful predictors of job performance. High GMA is associated with faster learning, greater adaptability, and superior decision-making in complex situations. Matrigma tests candidates’ ability to tackle novel challenges, a crucial trait in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

By assessing problem-solving skills, Matrigma helps employers identify candidates with the cognitive capacity to handle demanding tasks and thrive in dynamic roles.

Screenshot of a Matrigma Assessment question measuring cognitive ability

Solve 35 Non Verbal Problems in 40 Minutes

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Ascend Big 5 Personality Assessment

Example of an Ascend Map personality role fit assessment question

MAP is a personality test that provides a detailed picture of how an individual is likely to behave in a professional setting, making it an invaluable tool for employers seeking to match candidates to job profiles based on personality traits.

Ascend Matrigma Non Verbal Cognitive Assessment Test

Example Ascend Matrigma Assessment Question

By measuring and testing problem-solving skills, Matrigma helps employers identify candidates with the cognitive capacity to handle demanding tasks and thrive in dynamic roles.

Combining MAP and Matrigma for Comprehensive Talent Evaluation

While MAP and Matrigma measure different aspects of a candidate, together they provide a holistic view of an individual’s potential.

  • MAP assesses a candidate’s behavioural traits and interpersonal dynamics, helping you understand how they will approach their work and interact with colleagues.

  • Matrigma, on the other hand, measures cognitive ability, revealing how well a candidate can learn, reason, and adapt to new situations.

By combining both assessments, organisations can make better, more informed decisions about cultural fit, team compatibility, and long-term performance potential.

For example, a candidate may have strong cognitive abilities but lack the emotional stability or interpersonal skills needed to thrive in a leadership role. Similarly, someone with strong personality traits might struggle with problem-solving under high pressure. The combination of MAP and Matrigma allows organisations to evaluate both people skills and intellectual ability, ensuring a balanced approach to hiring.

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Watch Ascend in Action

How Ascend’s MAP and Matrigma Assessments Benefit Your Business

Improved Recruitment and Selection

Using MAP and Matrigma in the recruitment process enables employers to make data-driven decisions, eliminating bias and improving the accuracy of candidate evaluations. These assessments offer insights beyond what’s visible on a resume, helping you understand a candidate’s true potential and how they might perform in specific roles.

  • MAP helps you identify candidates with the right personality traits for the role and company culture.

  • Matrigma reveals candidates with the problem-solving skills and cognitive abilities to succeed in dynamic, fast-paced environments.

Together, they create a more objective, consistent, and fair recruitment process.

Enhanced Employee Development

MAP and Matrigma are not only valid for hiring—they are also powerful tools for employee development. By using these assessments during onboarding or periodic evaluations, you can identify strengths and areas for improvement, helping employees grow within their roles.

  • MAP can highlight potential development areas, such as improving emotional stability or boosting leadership traits.

  • Matrigma can be used to assess learning agility and identify which employees may excel in new roles or responsibilities.

Using Ascend for employee development ensures your organisation invests in the right training programs, fostering a culture of continuous growth.

Improved Team Dynamics

MAP’s personality insights are particularly valuable for team building. By understanding each team member’s personality traits, you can create balanced, complementary teams that are more effective at achieving goals.

For example, teams with a mix of extraversion and agreeableness are likely to collaborate well, while those with strong conscientiousness can drive results and stay organised. When paired with Matrigma, which helps you understand cognitive strengths, Ascend enables you to form teams that have both strong interpersonal dynamics and the mental agility required for problem-solving.

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Screenshot of the Ascend Map Big 5 personality test

Example Ascend Personality Assessment Reports

Download an example Competency report

Download the full descriptive report, including the Big 5 information.

Role Fit Personality and Cognitive Test

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Screenshot of the Ascend Matrigma non verbal cognitive test

Example Ascend Matrigma Cognitive Assessment Report

Download an example Matrigma Cognitive Report

Download an example Cognitive Candidate Report

Why Choose Ascend for Your Recruitment Needs?

Ascend’s MAP and Matrigma assessments stand out for their scientific, evidence-based approach to recruitment and employee development. With customisable reports, data-driven insights, and fair, objective evaluation, Ascend supports organisations in making the best possible talent decisions.

Whether you’re hiring for leadership positions, entry-level roles, or building high-performance teams, Ascend’s assessments give you the tools to identify candidates who have the right personality traits and cognitive potential for success.

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Key Benefits of Ascend Assessments:

  • Fair and unbiased recruitment: Assess candidates based on objective, scientifically grounded data.

  • Faster, more innovative hiring: Streamline your hiring process with data-backed assessments that identify the best talent.

  • Comprehensive candidate evaluation: Combine personality and cognitive ability insights for a holistic view of each candidate.

  • Employee development: Use MAP and Matrigma to guide coaching and training efforts, helping employees reach their full potential.

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Watch and See What is Measured with Matrigma

Ascend Development Tips

The Ascend Development Tips in the competency report provide targeted guidance to enhance individual strengths and foster growth in key areas.

For the “Team Player” competency, it recommends adapting interpersonal approaches based on the needs of others, actively listening, and addressing rigid positions calmly. Suggested development activities include managing diverse teams, resolving conflicts, and handling dissatisfied customers.

For “Continuous Learning,” the tips emphasise seeking both positive and negative feedback, particularly from varied sources, to uncover blind spots. Activities such as taking on unfamiliar responsibilities and attending self-awareness courses are encouraged.

The “Networker” competency development focuses on sharing ideas, initiating conversations, and setting goals for expanding professional relationships. Engaging in projects involving external stakeholders and managing diverse teams can provide significant learning opportunities.

Finally, the “Problem Solver” tips encourage breaking complex issues into manageable parts, brainstorming solutions, and seeking feedback to refine ideas. Developing this competency includes managing large-scale projects and solving problems created by others.

Example of the suggested development programe once the Ascend assessments has been completed

Conclusion

Ascend’s MAP and Matrigma assessments are invaluable tools for modern recruitment and talent management. By leveraging personality insights and cognitive testing, organisations can make more informed, objective, and fair decisions. Whether you’re recruiting for a new role, assessing leadership potential, or developing your employees, Ascend provides the data you need to ensure success.

With Ascend, you don’t just hire the right people — you help them thrive in their roles and contribute meaningfully to your organisation’s goals.

Ready to unlock the power of scientific recruitment and development? Get started with Ascend today!