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.
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