Bosses rely on psychological tests over degrees to find the best staff

Academic degrees are no longer seen as a reliable indication of students' numerical and reasoning skills, the survey of more than 200 firms found.

Instead, employers are turning to socalled psychometric tests to assess candidates' ability to think logically and work under pressure, as well as measure how mature they are.

The survey by the Association of Graduate Recruiters found 92 per cent of leading graduate employers thought such tests were a "useful" or "very useful" tool in selecting candidates.

Its report said: "It is clear that for many employers the days of academic criteria as the be-all and end-all are long gone. Psychometric testing is becoming a significant part of the graduate recruitment process in many organisations.

"Numeracy, numerical reasoning and logic clearly top the table of skills looked for by psychometric testing among those organisations who conduct it."

The trend for employers to rely more heavily on their own selection processes suggests they have "less faith in the ability of degree classes to accurately mirror the graduate competences that matter," the report added.

A spokesman for one company that is planning to introduce psychometric tests for job applicants said: "Degree qualifications are not a reliable indicator of this aptitude - unfortunately."

Firms were also keen to assess candidates' "soft skills", such as communication, leadership, and time-management abilities, the survey found. Employers also said they hoped the tests would single-out applicants who could make well thought-out decisions and solve problems quickly.

However, students themselves seem to be less keen on taking the tests.

A fifth said they would be put off applying to a company that used them, around one in ten wasn't sure, while the remaining two-thirds said they didn't mind.

The survey also found that while graduate starting salaries are still going up, the rate at which they are rising is slowing. They are expected to rise by just 2.4 per cent this year, to an average of £23,500.

But Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said: "Although the salary increases predicted are fairly conservative, graduate salaries are already competitive in comparison to non-graduate entry level salaries.

"This reflects the added value that graduates are perceived to bring to an organisation."