The Manaaki Psychometric Test Nobody Warns You About
After you pass the initial screening, you'll get an email with a test link. Most applicants don't see it coming. Here's exactly what to expect and how to prepare so you're not one of them.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
6 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
What Is This Test?
After passing the initial eligibility screening, applicants receive an email with a link to a psychometric assessment. This catches many applicants off guard because it’s rarely discussed on forums or third-party sites. If you didn’t know about it before reading this page, you’re not alone.
The test consists of two parts: an abstract reasoning test and a personality assessment. You have 10 days from receiving the email to complete it. Miss the deadline and you’re out — no exceptions, no extensions.
Timed visual pattern recognition. Tests how quickly you identify logical relationships in shapes and diagrams.
Personality questionnaire. Applicants describe it as a Big Five-style test of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism; the official site calls it a personality test.
You’ll receive the email after passing screening. The clock starts the moment it arrives in your inbox — not when you open it. Check your email (including spam folders) regularly during this period.
Part 1: Abstract Reasoning Test
This section tests your ability to identify patterns, sequences, and logical relationships in visual diagrams. It involves shapes that rotate, translate, transform, and mirror. Think of it as testing how quickly you can identify logical patterns in unfamiliar visual information. Here’s what you need to understand about this part:
- It is timed — you need to work efficiently through each question
- This is NOT a knowledge test — you can’t study facts for it
- It involves visual patterns: shapes rotating, translating, transforming, and mirroring
- Pattern recognition improves with practice — but only if you actually practise
Low abstract reasoning scores are listed on the official site among the reasons applications are declined. Two applicants with similar academic backgrounds and essay quality can be separated entirely by their psychometric scores. This isn’t a formality — it’s a real filter.
Part 2: Personality Assessment
The second part measures five personality traits. Unlike the reasoning test, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers here. The personality assessment is more about fit than filtering.
| Trait | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Openness | How receptive you are to new experiences, ideas, and creative thinking |
| Conscientiousness | Your tendency toward self-discipline, organisation, and goal-directed behaviour |
| Extraversion | How energised you are by social interaction and external stimulation |
| Agreeableness | Your tendency toward cooperation, trust, and consideration of others |
| Neuroticism | Your emotional stability and how you respond to stress and negative emotions |
Consistency matters. Don’t try to game it by giving answers you think they want to hear. Personality questionnaires like this often include consistency checks that flag contradictory responses. If you say you love meeting new people in one question and then say you prefer working alone in a similar question, that gets noticed.
The best approach is straightforward: be honest. Answer based on how you actually are, not how you think a scholarship winner should be. There’s no single personality profile they’re looking for.
How to Prepare
You can’t study for this test in the traditional sense, but you can absolutely prepare. The abstract reasoning section rewards practice. The more pattern types you’ve seen before, the faster you’ll recognise them during the real test.
Practise the reasoning section
- Practise abstract reasoning tests online — many free resources exist (search for “abstract reasoning practice test”)
- Time yourself during practice sessions to build speed under pressure
- Focus on the four core pattern types: rotation (shapes spinning), translation (shapes moving), transformation (shapes changing), and mirroring (shapes flipping)
- Do at least 5–10 full practice tests in the weeks before the application window opens on 1 March 2027
On test day
- Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection — not public Wi-Fi, not a connection that drops
- Give yourself uninterrupted time — don’t squeeze it between meetings or classes
- Don’t leave it until day 9 of your 10-day window — technical issues happen, and there’s no second chance
For the personality assessment, there’s nothing to practise. Just answer honestly and consistently. Trying to present a “perfect” personality profile can backfire, because questionnaires like this often check for consistency. The only thing to prepare is your mindset: relax, be yourself, and don’t overthink each question.
Why This Test Matters More Than You Think
With more than 15,000 applications a year, the selection committee needs efficient ways to screen candidates. The psychometric test exists for exactly this reason: it’s a significant differentiator at a stage where many applicants look similar on paper.
Two applicants with similar academic backgrounds and essay quality can be separated by their psychometric scores. That’s the reality. Taking it seriously and preparing for it gives you a real competitive advantage, because the truth is that many applicants don’t.
Your GPA is fixed. Your work experience is what it is. But your abstract reasoning score? That can genuinely improve with practice.
The psychometric test is one of the few parts of the application where preparation directly translates to better performance.
Common Mistakes
These are the mistakes that trip up applicants year after year. Every single one is avoidable.
- Not knowing about the test until the email arrives. By the time you get the link, you have 10 days. That’s not enough time to properly prepare from scratch. Start practising before you even submit your application.
- Waiting until the last day of the 10-day window. Technical problems — internet outages, browser crashes, server issues — happen at the worst possible times. Complete the test within the first few days.
- Not practising abstract reasoning beforehand. Abstract reasoning is a skill that improves with practice. Walking in cold means you’re competing against people who prepared. Don’t give them that advantage.
- Trying to “game” the personality test. Answering with what you think sounds impressive instead of what’s true. Questionnaires like this often check for consistency, and inconsistent profiles raise red flags.
- Having unstable internet during the timed test. The reasoning test is timed. If your connection drops mid-test, you lose valuable seconds or minutes. Use a wired connection or a reliable network.
- Rushing through without reading instructions carefully. Each section may have different instructions. Spending 30 seconds reading them properly can save you from misunderstanding what’s being asked in every subsequent question.
What Happens After the Test
Once you complete both parts of the psychometric assessment, here’s what the process looks like going forward.
- 1Results are combined with your application
Your psychometric scores are merged with the rest of your application assessment — your academic record, essays, references, and other materials. It’s one piece of a larger picture, but an important one.
- 2You receive a progress notification
You’ll be notified by email whether you’re moving forward to the next stage of the selection process.
- 3No individual feedback is shared
You won’t receive your test results or any specific feedback on your performance. This applies whether you progress or not. The results remain internal to the selection committee.
- 4If you progress: detailed assessment and possible interview
Applicants who make it past this stage move into a more detailed assessment phase, followed by an interview for those who progress again. That’s a separate process with its own preparation requirements — see the interview guide.
Don’t email asking for your results. The selection committee does not share individual test scores or breakdowns. Sending follow-up emails asking for feedback on the psychometric test won’t change the outcome and won’t get you any additional information.