Introduction
Aptitude tests measures a person’s ability or skill to succeed in any specific area of work.
Aptitude tests are not intelligence tests, they are specifically used to measure a particular skill. It
tells about a person’s strength and weaknesses and how much rate of success that person has.
Aptitude tests are given to students in high school to check what college is appropriate for them
according to their aptitude. They are also taken by people when they are deciding to pursue what
career according to their skills and interests. Some of the aptitude tests examples are:
They are used to determine the right person for a specific job. e.g., a person capable of
handling a sales manager job.
People who want to become fighter pilots they are also given aptitude tests.
Some aptitude tests are used to measure a person’s physical ability for a job of police
officer.
Students deciding for their careers, aptitude tests help them determine about which career
is most appropriate for them.
Types of aptitude tests
There are different types of aptitude tests:
Educational Aptitude Tests
It measures how the child is doing in his academics. There is a test called as Modern Language
Aptitude Test (MLAT) which is used to measure a student’s ability to learn different languages.
Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) is used on older students to assess aptitude from spatial
relations to usage of language.
Career Assessment Tests
Many companies use aptitude tests for hiring employees. It is done to see what are the
individual’s strengths and weaknesses and to see if the employee can work under specific
situations. Personality traits are also assessed to see if they are empathetic, patient and hard
working.
Verbal Reasoning Test
Rationale
Verbal reasoning tests are used to analyze an individual’s writing skills and good communication
skills. Written passage is given by a statement and a person should decide whether the statement
is true or false. The questions may also range from basic reading comprehensions. The focus of
the individual is very necessary. It helps us evaluate that how a person reads and form
conclusions. It helps us in problem solving and to understand what the written text is telling us.
Test development
A test named as Scholastic Assessment test (SAT-1) which was first used in 1926. It was and is
still used for college entrance tests. This test consists of 78 questions in total which are to be
completed in 75 minutes. The distribution is as follows:
19 questions for sentence completion
40 questions for critical reading
19 questions for analogies
Test equipment
It is a paper pencil test and can also be taken verbally. In a verbal test it only consists of the
statements and the individual has to answer them or read them out loud. They are given mcqs
questions to answer and some paragraphs to read so that they can be assessed for their verbal
abilities. The passages are given three options to answer from: true, false, cannot say.
Format and structure
Length of the test: 2 to 3 sentences, 1 to 2 or several paragraphs
Style of test: it is related to business, rules, conversational statements.
Type of question: basic reading of comprehension, finding purpose of text.
Administration
It can be administered on both adults and children. For adults when they are applying for their
jobs, they are asked questions about their interests, what they like, how will they handle different
situations and people. It has passage for a written statement and the individual has to determine
whether it is true or false or cannot say. The speed and accuracy for this test is also very crucial.
To improve a child’s verbal skills, they can be given word games or crosswords. For students,
they are given multiple choice questions as they have to read the passage and answer
accordingly.
Scoring/interpretation
There is no passing score in verbal reasoning because an individual’s score is compared to the
standard score that is set by the organization. This tells employers to see how good/bad they have
scored in comparison to other people in the organization with that same job.
Use
It is mostly used by employers to reveal their communication and logical skills. These tests are
very popular in many industries and is thought to be fairer than any other assessment method for
job recruitment. It is a part of the selection process and performance in this area will help during
the job.
It helps to analyze student’s skill, their knowledge about the specific topic. It’s asses their
thinking and reasoning skills.
References
7 Different types of aptitude tests candidates must know about. (2021). India Today
[Link]
aptitude-test-candidates-must-know-about-1876904-2021-11-15
Verbal reasoning tests. Practice Aptitude Tests
[Link] tests/#:~:text=What%20is%20a
%20verbal%20reasoning,or%20that%20you%20cannot%20say.
How your verbal test score is interpreted. Institute of Psychometric Coaching
[Link]
Test-Guide/How_your_verbal_score_is_interpreted.html
Verbal reasoning tips – Guide & Tips. (2020). Thomas
[Link]
