Aptitude and ability tests are classified as maximum performance
tests as they test what you can achieve when you are making
maximum effort. The types of question you can expect will depend
on which aptitudes and abilities are needed in the job you are
applying for. There are two different styles of maximum
performance test.
In a speed test the scope of the questions is limited and the
methods you need to use to answer them is clear from the form of
the question. Taken individually, the questions appear relatively
straightforward. These tests are concerned with how many questions
you can answer correctly in the allotted time. A power test on the
other hand will present a smaller number of more complex
questions. The methods you need to use to answer these questions
are not obvious, and working out how to answer the question is the
difficult part. Once you have determined this, arriving at the
correct answer is usually relatively straightforward.
These speed and power definitions apply only to maximum
performance tests like aptitude and ability tests and not to
personality questionnaires. In general, if you do well in speed
tests then you will do well in power tests as well.
How Your Aptitude Test Results are Interpreted
There are two distinct methods that employers use to interpret
your scores.
In criterion-referenced tests, your test score is not compared to
that of other candidates but relates solely to your degree of
competence in the specific area assessed. This type of assessment
is generally associated with achievement testing and
certification.
In norm-referenced test interpretation, your scores are compared
with an appropriate norm group. This is done by comparing the
educational level, occupation, language cultural background and
other demographic characteristics of the individuals making up the
test group and the norm group to ensure their similarity.
Whenever you take a psychometric test either as part of the
selection process or as a practice exercise you will usually see
your results presented in terms of numerical scores.
These may be; raw scores, standard scores, percentile scores,
Z-scores, T-scores or stens and in order to interpret your scores
properly, you need to understand what these mean and how they are
derived.
The most important concept to grasp is that of the percentile
score. This is the score most often used by organizations when
comparing your score with that of other candidates. It has the
advantage of being easily understood and percentiles are very
widely used when reporting results to managers.
To calculate your percentile score, your raw score is converted to
a number indicating the percentage of the test group who scored
below you. For example, a score at the 60th percentile means that
your score is the same as or higher than the scores of 60% of
those who took the test.
Aptitude tests have relatively few questions and the people
sitting a particular test tend to be from a similar group in terms
of their education and background. As a result, the scores tend to
cluster quite tightly around the average. This combination of few
questions, clustering and the use of percentiles has important
implications for you as a job candidate. A small improvement in
your actual score will result in a big improvement to your
percentile score.
To illustrate this point, consider a typical aptitude test
consisting of 50 questions. Most of the candidates, who are a
fairly similar group in terms of their educational background and
achievements, will score around 40. Some will score a few less and
some a few more. It is very unlikely that any of them will score
less than 35 or more than 45.
Looking at these results in terms of percentiles is a very poor
way of analyzing them and no experienced statistician would ever
use percentiles on this type of data. However, nine times out of
ten this is exactly what happens to these test results and a
difference of three or four extra marks can take you from the 30th
to the 70th percentile. This is why preparing for these tests is
so worthwhile as even small improvements in your results can make
you appear a far superior candidate.
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