Professor Nilli Lavie of University College London said a test for a person's ability to become distracted can weed out those who are applying for high risk jobs like air traffic controller and bus drivers.

Employers are now able to offer tests that are accurate and unable to be doctored. In fact, Lavie said many people think they've done very well on the test when if fact their attention was compromised.

Lavie said, "People come away from our test thinking they've done really well and haven't been distracted at all when in fact their response times increase and they tend to make more mistakes. There's no way of doctoring the results."

The test is a series of puzzles that range from easy to difficult. Most people do not lose concentration while trying to solve the difficult puzzles but -some applicants' attention usually begins to drift during the easier puzzles.

Lavie said, "Distraction at work can have serious implications - it is known to be associated with a higher risk of being involved in various types of accidents.

"There are many areas where productivity critically depends on the ability of staff to stay focused."

Such psychometric testing has become very popular in the United Kingdom.