Which of the following is the best example of an aptitude test?

Aptitude tests are short tests employers use to assess whether a candidate has the level of competency necessary for a particular type of job.

In general these tests will measure critical thinking skills, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Aptitude tests are often used as part of an interview process, particularly for graduate jobs, entry level jobs and jobs in Finance.

Aptitude tests are designed to be challenging.

To ensure that you do as well as you possibly can, there really is no substitute for practice.

But don’t waste time practicing more than you need to.

Find out exactly what type of aptitude test you will be taking and practice just this type of test.

First use example questions with explained answers to familiarise yourself with the types of questions you will be asked and then take practice tests to improve your performance.

Aptitude tests are typically quite short, often less than 15 minutes long, and are usually completed online.

Tests generally have challenging time limits and often increase in difficulty throughout the test.

This is to put the candidate under pressure and try to understand what their maximum level of performance is.

Typically, tests present the candidate with some information and ask them to use this information to answer a question, usually providing a number of possible answers.

The more questions the candidate answers correctly within the time limit, the better their score will be.

While some aptitude tests will only focus on one type of thinking (either verbal or numerical reasoning, for example) some will have multiple sections that will test various different types of skills.

A multi-part assessment such as that will often take about an hour to complete.

Each section will be roughly 10 to 30 questions, depending on how complex each question is on a particular test.

Basically, if there are more complex questions, the assessment section will have fewer questions.

The position for which the test is being given may also determine the complexity and length of the assessment, i.e., the higher-level the job, the more questions and more complex questions are likely to be asked.

Aptitude tests are norm referenced.

This means that your performance on the test will be compared to a “norm group.”

A norm group is a group of people with similar characteristics to the candidate, a group of graduate trainees for example.

Your score will be compared to the scores of the people in the norm group, and this will allow the assessor to understand your performance relative to others who are similar to you.

Usually, a candidate’s score is expressed as a percentile.

This, then, tells the assessor what percentage of the norm group their performance surpassed.

If a candidate scored on the 75th percentile, for example, they have performed better than 75 percent of the norm group.

Each particular employer may have a different performance level required for specific positions.

To be successful, the candidate must achieve a level of performance that exceeds a stated minimum.

Candidates will usually not know what the minimum score requirement is before they take an aptitude test.

Aptitude tests are often used by employers as part of a selection process for a job.

While aptitude tests won’t necessarily test candidates on their ability to perform a specific job within a company, they will give the employer a general sense of how well a candidate can think on their toes and demonstrate critical-thinking skills that would be reflective of the type of thinking they’ll need to do on the job.

Administering aptitude tests allows companies to narrow down the number of candidates who have applied for a job to a more refined group that may be more qualified for the job.

Aptitude tests are most often used before a formal interview and are normally conducted online.

Employers often use the results of the tests in conjunction with how a candidate has performed in an interview to make a final hiring decision.

Combined, the two modes of assessment give employers a clearer picture of a candidate’s ability.

1. Familiarize yourself with common types of questions that you will be asked. For example, numerical tests often have questions about percentages. Make sure you know how to work these out before your test!

2. If you’re taking an aptitude test online make sure you are sitting somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of the test.

3. When you are taking tests, work quickly but accurately and ensure you take a few seconds to double check you’ve understood the question and that you’ve actually selected the answer you had in mind.

The tests each have a standardised method of administration and scoring, with the results quantified and compared with all other test takers.

No prior knowledge is assumed, as employers seek to determine innate ability at a particular competency.

Aptitude tests are usually taken online or at a testing centre, such as a firm’s offices, where they can be electronic or paper-based.

Your score relates your performance to an average group. Your aptitude, ability or intelligence has a relative value to this average result.

An ‘average’ performance is all that is required to pass an aptitude test.

Most employers take people’s backgrounds into consideration for marking.

For example, maths graduates will have an unfair advantage over arts graduates on a numerical test.

Before the actual aptitude test itself, you will almost certainly be given practice examples to try. Make sure you ask questions if anything is unclear at this stage.

You will normally be given some paper on which to make rough workings. Often you can be asked to hand these in with the test, but typically they do not form part of the assessment

You should work quickly and
accurately through the test.

Don’t get stuck on any particular question: should you have any problems, return to it at the end of the test. You should divide your time per question as accurately as you can – typically this will be between 50 and 90 seconds per question.

Remember that the tests are difficult and often you will not he expected to answer all the questions. Be particularly cautious if the aptitude test uses negative marking; if this is not the case, answer as many questions as possible in the time given.

Remember that multiple-choice options are often designed to mislead you, with incorrect choices including common mistakes that candidates make.

These five tips are well worth remembering before you take an aptitude test for real:

Treat the test like you would any other exam.

Work swiftly and accurately through any test.

Work out the maximum time you can spend on any question and stick to it religiously. You can return to questions at the end. Never get stuck on any particular question, even if you think you nearly have it.

If you are going to an assessment centre, take a calculator you understand with you. If you do not, you will be forced to use whatever they might provide you with.

Answer as many questions as possible in the time given. But be wary of negative marking.