Aptitude and ability tests are
designed to assess your logical reasoning or thinking capabilities. They
consist of a number of multiple choice questions and are strictly timed.
You may be asked to answer the questions either on paper
or online. The advantages of online testing include immediate availability
of results and the test can be taken at an employment agency
or even at home. This makes online testing particularly suitable
for initial screening as it is very cost-effective.
Aptitude and ability tests can be classified as speed
tests or power tests. In speed tests the questions are relatively straightforward
and the test is concerned with how many questions you can answer correctly
in the allotted time. These tests tend to be used in selection at the
administrative and clerical level. A power test on the other hand will
present a smaller number of more complex questions and tend
to be used more at the graduate, professional or managerial level.
There are at least 5000 aptitude and ability tests on
the market and every year new tests are devised and added to the already
huge number of tests available. Every company that produces tests needs
to differentiate their own test from those of other companies. This has
produced a bewildering range of test names and acronyms. However, all
of the tests you are likely to come across can be clasified into six
basic types:
Verbal Ability Tests
These include questions which test your ability to spell words correctly,
use correct grammar, understand analogies and follow detailed written
instructions. These tests are widely used since most jobs require you
either to understand and make decisions based on verbal or written
information or to pass this type of information to others. In practice,
the more straightforward types of question (spelling, grammar and instructions)
tend to be more applicable to administrative roles and the reasoning
and deduction type of questions to management roles.
Numeric Ability Tests
These include questions on basic arithmetic, number sequences and simple
mathematics. This type of test is used to determine your basic numeracy.
These tests are directly applicable to many administrative and clerical
jobs but can also appear as a component of graduate and managerial
tests. In more complex data interpretation and numerical critical reasoning
questions, blocks of information are provided that require manipulation
and interpretation. Sometimes these questions are designed
to approximate the type of reasoning required in the workplace.
Abstract Reasoning Tests
These tests are based on diagrams and measure your ability to identify
the underlying logic of a pattern and then determine the solution. Abstract
reasoning tests are thought to give the best indication of your general
intelligence and are very widely used. These tests are of particular
value when selecting people for technical jobs which involve working with
abstract ideas or concepts. However,
as they also provide the best measure of your general intellectual ability,
you will usually find some questions of
this type whichever particular tests you are given.
Spatial Reasoning Tests
These tests measure your ability to manipulate shapes in two dimensions
or to visualize three-dimensional objects presented as two-dimensional
pictures. Spatial ability is required in production, technical and
design jobs where plans and drawings are used, for example; engineering,
architecture, surveying and design. It is also important in
some branches of science where the ability to envisage the interactions
of 3 dimensional components is essential.
Spatial ability questions often involve the visual assembly and the
disassembly of objects that have been rotated or which are viewed from
different angles or objects that have different markings on their surfaces.
Mechanical Reasoning Tests
These tests are designed to assess your knowledge of physical and mechanical
principles. For example, pulleys, levers, simple electrical circuits
etc. Questions are in the form of a question and a diagram and you
will need to determine which mechanical principle is being illustrated.
No specialist knowledge is required to answer these questions, only
an understanding of the principles. Mechanical reasoning tests
are used to select for a wide range of apprentice and engineering occupations.
Data Checking Tests
These tests present you with number of tables of information which must
be checked against each other. This type of test is used to measure
how quickly and accurately errors can be detected in data. It is used
to select candidates for clerical and data input jobs, particularly
where accuracy is important, for example, accounting and banking. In
these tests you will usually be given two columns of data to check
for consistency and you will be asked to mark up any differences.
Aptitude & Ability
Tests - Speed versus Power > |
