How to Prepare for NCDMB (Local Content) Recruitment Testmi Virtual Test

As Nigeria’s leading careers resources website, we have been bombarded with questions on tips for passing the forthcoming recruitment test of an oil and gas industry regulator with headquarters in one of the Niger Delta states. Although the name has not been revealed by the recruitment handlers from public information, many of the invited candidates have concluded that Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB aka Local Content) is the agency.

On that basis, we offer some tips that may be helpful for the test.

1. There is no past question: There is no publicly available past question. This is the first time the regulator is recruiting at such mass scale. Furthermore, it is likely handled by external recruiter. So do not worry yourself much about past question.
2. Practice SHL and GMAT: We advise that you practice GMAT and SHL. These are the two most common testing techniques for recruiters in Nigeria.
3. Practice online: Since the test is virtual, we advise you practice online. There are a number of websites, mostly foreign, which allow you to practice for free. Google “free SHL practice test” or “free GMAT practice test” and you can explore websites that allow you to practice for free. While you can also read SHL and GMAT books and PDF books, online practice remains the best because the test will be virtual and online practice is closer to the condition on that day than paper practice.
4. Revise your general knowledge and current affairs: While we cannot predict what questions will come out, in addition to verbal and quantitative aptitudes which are constant features of almost all online tests, most oil and gas regulatory agencies ask a couple of questions on current affairs. DPR asked in their 2017 recruitment. NNPC also did in their 2019 recruitment as you can see here. So it may be helpful to refresh your current affairs. The unfortunate thing about current affairs is that it is not something you learn in a day, or even in a week. It is usually a residual knowledge from past interactions and sub-conscious readings. The good thing is, where it comes out, it is usually not the largest chunk of the questions, so you may not waste your time on starting from scratch as it is too wide. But at the minimum, know the name of minister of petroleum, minister of state for petroleum, headquarters of NCDMB, year of formation of NCDMB, name of Senate President, speaker of the House, common abbreviations like OPEC etc. Again, don’t spend too much time on this.
5. Refresh the basics of your field: Again, while we think SHL or GMAT with some sprinkle of current affairs/general knowledge may be it, don’t rule out technical questions as well. So if you are an applicant for an engineering position, you may spare hours to revise the basics of engineering, if you are from management side, basics of economics will be helpful, if you are from sciences, some basics of sciences etc.
6. Try to answer all questions, even if you have to guess: Except expressly instructed that there is negative marking, try to answer all questions even if you have to guess. You may use elimination method to reduce the options. Don’t waste your time on one question, if it is taking too much of your time, guess an answer and move to the next one. All questions are likely to carry equal marks, if you spend 5 minutes to answer a question that is proving difficult, you may be missing opportunity to answer two cheap questions at the later stage of the test.

We wish you all the best. We don’t have a test coaching service for now, but this is the best we can do for you, for free. When you cross this stage and get to interview, we are planning to organize interview coaching session for candidates as we did for previous major oil and gas recruitments like NLNG (2015), DPR (2017) and NNPC (2019).