All about Aptitude Tests

Aptitude tests are designed to give an objective assessment of a candidate's abilities in, say, verbal understanding, numeracy or diagrammatic reasoning skills. These tests are marked, and in some cases have a cut-off point, above which you pass, below which you either fail or need to be re-assessed. Normally these tests are timed, with time pressure often being a crucial factor in the effectiveness of performance in the tests. You can prepare for these tests in several different ways depending on the type of test (as discussed below). In general it has been shown that, up to a point, the more you practice for the tests, the higher the scores you will obtain.
Why do employers use aptitude tests and how can they help them, and you?
Employers use aptitude tests to decide if someone has the abilities needed to do the job. As well as identifying suitable people for jobs, the tests (along with personality questionnaires) can also be used to identify suitable jobs for people. Aptitude tests can be helpful to you by demonstrating to the employer (and yourself) where your strengths and limitations lie, and hence can be useful in helping to find a job which suits you. The tests used have been carefully checked so as to be completely fair, and, in being more objective than for example an interview, can sometimes allow abilities to be demonstrated which had not come out in other areas of the assessment procedures.

What sort of aptitude tests will you have to do?
This varies widely from employer to employer, but in most cases involves a mixture of verbal and numerical tests. Further details of these types of tests are given below. Diagrammatic tests are favourites in aptitude test books, but are not so popular in employers' tests. For specialist posts, such as those in information technology, tests may concentrate on specific skills such as using a simple programming language or checking computer data and syntax. Spatial reasoning tests may be used for jobs which require 3-dimensional perception. Some examples of these specialist types of tests are given in the example sheets and books listed below.
Verbal tests - The most basic types of verbal test may involve spelling, or giving synonyms (words with the same meaning) or antonyms (opposites), or finding the odd one out in a set of words. More complicated are analogy tests, where you need to recognise the relationship that exists between the words in a word pair and then identify a word pair which displays a parallel relationship. Other tests involve filling in words to complete sentences, or interchanging two words in order to make a sentence read sensibly. Many verbal tests are used to assess logical reasoning, for example, determining the correct sequence of a set of sentences, or identifying from a number of pieces of information those that are needed to solve a problem. In order to test verbal analysis and comprehension, you may be asked to answer questions which relate to a given passage.

Examples of verbal test questions

1. The relationship between WORD and SENTENCE is best expressed similarly by which of the following pairs of words?
A. ENGINE and CARB. BIBLE and BOOKC. CELL and ORGANISMD. SONNET and TEXT – sonnet = verse from poem

E. STEM and FLOWER

2. Which two words if swapped would make the following sentence sensible:
Although food production linked to career is partly a question of lifestyle, an active interest in this could form the basis of an alternative diet.

Numerical tests - These tests appear in a wide range of different forms, but are all designed to measure numeracy and logical thought. A popular form of test involves completing a series of numbers, or a series of letters of the alphabet, or a row of dominoes. Simple arithmetic calculations, without the use of a calculator, are becoming more common. Related tests involve estimating the answers to arithmetic problems when there is insufficient time to calculate exact answers. Many employers' tests now include interpretation and utilisation of data from tables, charts or graphs.

Examples of numerical test questions

You should not use a calculator for either of these examples.
1. A diagram on a sheet of paper is increased in size to 120% of its original size, and this copy is then reduced by 40%. What percentage of the size of the original diagram is the final copy?
A. 28 B. 36 C. 48 D. 72 E. 80
2. What is the following approximately equal to? 5/9 + 3/4 + 5/7 =
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4 E. 5

What can you do to give your best performance?

For verbal tests, prepare by doing crosswords and verbal puzzles, and by playing word games. For numerical tests, practise doing arithmetical calculations without using a calculator. Try number puzzles and study data presented in tables, charts and graphs. If you are very rusty with arithmetic, try re-learning the times tables up to 12 and practice multiplication, division and percentage calculations. Don't be afraid of enrolling on a basic innumeracy course if you think that would help. To prepare for diagrammatic tests, all you can do is practice with as many examples as possible.

Practice can improve your test scores for all types of aptitude tests, so try as many examples as you can. Practice under standard test conditions.

Before a test session make certain that you get a good night's sleep, and arrive in plenty of time. At the session listen carefully to any instructions, including information on time limits, and do exactly as you are told. Don't waste time on difficult questions; move on to ones you can do more easily. Find out whether or not marks are deducted for incorrect answers. If not, then make certain you answer every question, even if only by guessing. If you have time, check your answers and change any that are incorrect. Don't panic if the test appears to be very difficult; some tests have relatively low 'pass' marks - you may be doing well.