Before we talk about an aptitude test, let’s explore what an aptitude is….
What is an aptitude?
An aptitude is a natural ability that someone is born with. You can think of it as the potential to develop a skill. Usually, these aptitudes cannot be learned or taught; there is simply something about your genetic wiring that makes these tasks simple for you.
An aptitude can determine even the smallest thing like if you can pack a car tightly
Most aptitude tests stick to a vocabulary of aptitudes that have specific definitions. Although publishers may differ in their vocabulary, oftentimes the aptitude behind the term is the same. For example, the aptitude that allows a person to be able to organize objects in a three dimensional space (we all know someone who can pack up a car like Tetris) might be called “spatial reasoning” or “spatial relations visualization,” depending on the test. The important thing to remember is that even though these are different terms, they’re getting at the same thing. Both tests are looking for the ability to visualize objects in three-dimensional space. In terms of this being an aptitude and not just a skill, those who have the natural ability of packing a car perfectly can do so not because they have practiced it, but because there is something about their genetic wiring that allows them to understand how things fit together in space. They have had this aptitude for their entire life and once they started packing cars or arranging blocks or toys in a box, they quickly and easily excelled at it. The ability to do something like this is a realized aptitude. While the aptitude itself may be somewhat dormant or unassessed, it is still testable.
The most important thing about aptitudes in terms of career is that using your aptitudes makes you happier. That’s one reason why it’s so important to take a test!
What is an aptitude test?
It’s a way for people to find out what aptitudes they have. The test can be administered in-person or online. The former consists of a string of timed tasks, administered by a proctor, such as the Johnson O’Connor. An in-person test tends to be quite pricey, and are done in two sessions: the testing session, where you complete the various tasks, and an interpretation session, where the analysis of your aptitudes is summarized for you and you can discuss with your proctor what kinds of careers would utilize your aptitudes.
Online tests include the Highlands Ability Battery or the CAPS. An online aptitude test is a fraction of the cost of an in-person, proctored test. Know that different tests have different scopes than one another. Some tests are built specifically for a certain profession, so they will only test for applicable aptitudes. Johnson O’connor tests for 22 different aptitudes, Highlands for 19, and CAPS tests for eight (two of which are not tested in the former two). The discrepancy may seem large, but if you know you will not be a surgeon or a watchmaker, you probably do not need to take the fine motor aptitude test offered in-person through Johnson O’Connor. Be aware of what aptitudes you want tested and find a test that correlates with what you would like to know. The Highlands covers a significant number of aptitudes and has the most career-related information. Find out why The Highlands Ability Battery is the aptitude test that The Career Profiler most strongly recommends.
This question tests for the classification aptitude
Since the 1910’s, thousands of people across many fields have been tested for aptitudes when they apply to certain jobs, especially factory jobs and the military. More recently, industries and coaches use this information to find correlations between careers and aptitudes. A career aptitude test is a test used primarily for finding what careers align with one’s aptitudes. When a statistically high number of successful people in a career all demonstrate similar aptitudes, we can conclude that that aptitude plays a role in their success. Thus, if you have the same aptitudes as these successful professionals, chances are that you would be successful in that field as well (some aptitudes even indicate happiness). However, it’s important to remember that aptitudes are not the only variable to look at when choosing a career. It’s a good idea to take a good career aptitude test along with a few other kinds of career tests to get the most complete picture of your career situation.
The Next Step: Why do I need my results interpreted?
It is important to get your results interpreted because it may be difficult to understand all the terms and their implications on your own. A career coach or test proctor can do this for you – in fact, analysis is often included in an in-person test like the Johnson O’Connor. We highly recommend The Career Profiler, who can advise you on your aptitude test results. With 20 years of experience in the profiling and coaching world, she can help you understand and apply the results of your test. She brings a unique perspective on career coaching because she is also a profiler who understands what kinds of aptitudes, abilities, and personalities make someone fit for a job. Don’t understand your scores? She can break it down into simple language for you. Don’t know what career path to pursue? She can help you make a wise choice based on industry statistics, your personality and abilities, and your personal life. Don’t know how to take the next step? Get some help in working out a career plan for you! Contact The Career Profiler to find out how you can use aptitudes to make you happy in your career. You can also find out why The Highlands Ability Battery is The Career Profiler’s number one aptitude test choice.