How do you find the right career test for you? Finding the career test is fairly straightforward if you have the right information about career tests.  Almost all free career tests are inadequate to accurately assist you (more on that in another blob).  But most career tests on the market today have been thoroughly researched for validity and reliability.  You can trust most career tests on the market today.  But choosing among the variety of career tests available is challenge today.  Let me make a few suggestions to assist you.

Brand Name of Career Test: The most common way by which individuals select career tests is by brand name.
The most common career test brand names are: Myers Briggs Type Indicator also known as the MBTI with more than several hundred millions taken throughout the world. Other brand names include: Strong Interest Inventory or the SII career test which is the most popular and longest performing career finding test on the market today.  DISC, a behavioral career test, is heavily used in corporations to determine career fit and career adapting behaviors. FIRO-B, is used for interpersonal situations such as leadership effectiveness in relationships, colleague relations, interpersonal relations and co-worker relations.

Career Anchors (online) is the best career values test available. COPS or Career Orientation Preferences System provides an inexpensive career testing option for values, interests and abilities. Self-Directed Search is another inexpensive career testing option but only for interests and leisure activities.  Thomas-Kinkaid Conflict Mode Inventory aka TKI, is among a host of other lesser known career tests providing solutions for stress, conflict, influence, team playing and so on.

The Highlands Ability Battery career test, referred to as THAB, is a relatively new career test to the marketplace and probably one of the best available today for leadership, career discovery, career management, lawyer performance and career management. But, simply selecting one based on brand name without knowing  the type of information it provides you with makes this approach unreliable in getting your career testing needs met.

People hear about career tests from their co-workers, companies, friends and colleagues.  Co-workers and colleagues share the ways by which their work and work relationships were improved from the knowledge they gained about themselves through the career test. Friends disclose how tests provided information about the best fit or ideal careers for them.  Certain career test brands become household names in companies. This how people typically choose career tests based on career test brand names.

Purpose or Reason for Career Test: The second most common way by which individuals select career tests is by the purpose or reason for taking the career test.  This is the approach I recommend most.

Purposes for taking career tests include:

(1) finding a new best fit or ideal career,

(2) developing or managing ones career by employing personal strengths, talents and abilities,

(3) making ones job more satisfying by reducing stress and conflict and improving communication and decision-making,

(4) finding a best fit career along with the corresponding college and job training that leads to that best fit career,

(5) determining ones entrepreneurial or small business management potential,

(6) determining learning styles to better master new work tasks and succeed in schooling,

(7) finding recreational and retirement activities ,

(8) resolving inefficiencies of groups with team building and conflicts with team communications, and

(9) developing leadership skills and leadership abilities.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list but certainly contains the most prevalent reasons for choosing a career test.  Using your reason for taking a career test is the best way to determine which test is most suitable for your career needs.

Type of Career Test:  I suspect that the third way by which individuals decide on and select a career test is by the type of test.  Each test measures certain factors to determine a pattern of responses which are categorized into a few areas. The subsequent career test report offers a descriptive explanation of that category. In general, career tests can be divided into two types: subjective and objective. Within these types are sub-types most often used to select career tests.

Subjective career tests are the most prevalent.  These types of career tests ask individuals to self-determine the appropriate answer.  Subtypes include career interest tests, career personality tests, career values tests, and behavioral response career tests. Interest career tests measure likes and dislikes. Personality career tests measure preferences between two options.  Values career tests typically ask for ranking of items. Behavioral adaptive response career tests, such as DISC, measures the two least and most extremes when given 4 personal descriptors.

Objective career tests are typically the most time-consuming and can, therefore, be among the most expensive although there are inexpensive options.  With objective career tests, individuals must perform tasks within a given time frame.  The degree of correct completion of these individual tasks determines their scores.  Ability career tests as well as aptitude, educational and intelligences tests are examples of objective career tests. The online Highlands Ability Battery (an extensive career test) and CAPS (a paper-pencil product from the COPS system) are two examples of career ability tests. SAT and ACT measure educational performance abilities Highlands Ability Battery along with SAT and ACT measure intelligences.

Scope/Cost of Career Test:  Some people simply make their career test choice based on comprehensiveness of career test report which in turn corresponds with cost.  Individual simple career tests typically produce chart only reports and lists of occupations and are typically available under $50. Career test packages consisting of top quality industry leading ability, interest and personality career tests produce comprehensive reports enabling comparative analysis and are, therefore, among the most expensive.  They typically include multiple and extensive test consultations conducted by career testing experts.  For such a package you could expect to pay between $300 to $1000 depending on the number, type and variety of career tests and number of consultations.  These two scope options represent the extremes.  There are also career tests that provide moderate and advanced information in career test reports as well as career test packages that range from superior to comprehensive.  Check these out as well.

Position Requiring Career Test: Finally, the last method by which a person selects a career test for themselves if by their position.  This is typically the case for Students and Executives.  Students select career tests that typically include educational information.  Some student career test reports also include information about beneficial courses, volunteer work, part-time jobs and suitable college living and learning environments.  Executives (including Directors and Manager) typically select career tests that provide information about leadership styles and leadership skills for the purpose of receiving leadership development strategies.  Communication skill tests, decision-making style tests, interpersonal relations tests are also career tests that leaders select for themselves.

All of these ways for searching for the top ranked career tests are available at www.testets.com.  Check out the one that meets your needs best.  Get real answers so you can make real changes in your life to succeed, excel and be happy!