Human Resources

Assessment Centres Design and Running

Assessment centres use multiple exercises and assessors to make fairer, more accurate selection and development decisions. This course shows how to design and run assessment centres: competency mapping, exercise design, assessor training, scoring and integration, candidate experience and validation.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

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Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Poorly designed assessments lead to costly hiring mistakes. You will learn to run assessment centres that predict performance fairly.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Exercise design workshops, assessor practice with observation and scoring, wash-up simulations and case studies.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Explain the principles of assessment centres
Map competencies to exercises
Design realistic exercises
Train and calibrate assessors
Run integration and decision sessions
Evaluate validity and fairness

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

HR and recruitment professionals
Talent and assessment specialists
Line managers acting as assessors
Organisational psychologists
Learning and development staff

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Assessment design
Observation and scoring
Assessor calibration
Fair decisions
Validation

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Assessment Centre Principles

09:00–10:08Purpose and uses
10:08–11:00Multi-method assessment
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Multi-method assessment (continued)
11:45–12:53Fairness
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 2Design

09:00–10:08Competency matrix
10:08–11:00Exercise types
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Exercise types (continued)
11:45–12:53Timetables
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 3Assessors

09:00–10:08Observe, record, classify, evaluate
10:08–11:00Assessor training
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Assessor training (continued)
11:45–12:53Calibration
12:53–14:00Practice

Day 4Running the Centre

09:00–10:08Candidate experience
10:08–11:00Integration sessions
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Integration sessions (continued)
11:45–12:53Feedback
12:53–14:00Simulation

Day 5Evaluation

09:00–10:08Validity
10:08–11:00Adverse impact
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Adverse impact (continued)
11:45–12:53Continuous improvement
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

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