An aptitude test is designed to evaluate what a student can do or to predict what a student can learn or do if they are given access to proper instruction. Aptitude tests are usually given to evaluate academic potential or career suitability. They are also used to assess either mental or physical talent in an assortment of domains.

Some examples of aptitude tests include:

• A test assessing a person’s aptitude to become a fighter pilot
• A career test evaluating an individual’s capability to work as an air traffic controller
• An aptitude test that is given to high school students to determine which career they can be successful in
• A computer programming test to learn how a job candidate might solve problems
• A test created to test an individual’s physical ability to handle the rigors of a job such as a police officer or firefighter

The 2 Main Types of Aptitude Tests

Special aptitude tests are those created to assess an individual’s ability in a particular area. For instance, imagine that a company wants to hire a computer programmer to work for their company. They will probably look at a  variety of things, including work history and job performance. Also, they might decide to administer an aptitude test to determine if the candidate possesses the programming skills necessary to perform the job. This aptitude test is designed to look at a narrow range of ability and capacity, for example, how knowledgeable and skilled the candidate is at coding computer programming.

Multiple aptitude tests are designed to assess two or more abilities. Sometimes, such assessments might end resemble IQ tests in terms of their focus and scope. The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) that high-school students take is a great example of a multiple-aptitude test. The SAT assesses student aptitude in subjects such as math, reasoning, and language and is often used by institutions of higher education to decide if an applicant is prepared for college-level academic work. Specialized tests, like those required to get into medical, law, and business graduate programs, are also examples of multiple aptitude tests.

What else should our readers know about aptitude tests? As this was a brief guide, I know that there are lots of things that I missed. Help me out by leaving that info in the comments section below.

Would you like to measure your learning aptitude? These 9 free practice aptitude tests provided by WikiJob are a great place to start.