Hi,
I am about to apply for a new IT job. As part of the selection process I have to undergo several hours of problem solving tests.
I do not know specifically the nature of these tests but was hoping for suggestions on how I could "study" or practice for these types of tests.
Any insights as to the typical nature or make up of these types of tests would be very appreciated!
If they're going to be related to programming, doing some Project Euler problems wouldn't hurt. That said, Project Euler problems are often quite mathematical so they won't really help with the "should I use a set or a linked list for this situation" type questions. For those, maybe hang around here at SO and try and find questions to answer :-)
Try Michael Pryor's TechInterview site for a list of puzzles. A book of similar puzzles is How would you move mount Fuji? Also, you may find the classic How to Solve it useful.
Have a firm grasp of known algorithms, especially sorting algorithms and graph algorithms and also brush up on your data structures complexities, some of the problems given might want an optimal approach to the problem.
Going through algorithms as Cristina has suggested would give you an avantage. However, it depends on what sort of job you're aiming for. For a developer, these tests would be designed to test their programming logic whereas, in the case of a technician, it would be more of a question of testing their general problem-solving logic.