When you go for interview, the employer might ask you to sit tests to see how well you meet the requirements of the job. 'Aptitude' tests show your skills and abilities. 'Personality' tests show your likes, attitudes and values.
FAQs about Aptitude Tests
1. What happens when I go for an aptitude test?
- The employer hands out question papers.
- The employer tells you how much time you have and gives the sign to start the test.
- There are often practice questions at the start, showing what the test is about.
- The time limit is often short, so don’t worry if you don’t finish.
- You might get paper for rough working, but check if you may use a calculator.
- If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask about it before you start.
2. What will the question paper look like?
Most tests are multiple-choice. There will be a series of questions with a choice of answers for each one. In each case, you choose an answer by ticking one of the boxes.
3. What mark must I get to 'pass' the test?
That varies. An employer might have ten vacancies, and simply take on those applicants who get the top ten scores. Another employer might use the test scores to decide which job to give each person. For example, an engineering company might give craft apprenticeships to those scoring between 50% and 70% and technician apprenticeships to those scoring over 70%.
4. What kind of questions will there be?
The questions might show how well you can:
- learn new things
- solve problems
- understand and use words
- understand and use numbers
- understand and use diagrams
- understand basic mechanical or electrical principles
- do practical tasks, such as using a soldering iron or a sewing machine.
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Sample Questions:
The following questions are not part of any particular test. However they show the types of questions you might get. The answers are at the end of this section.
Questions to assess ability in reasoning
(Understanding the connections within a series of words, numbers or symbols)
1. Dangerous is to safe as slow is to ……………………………
A) empty B) shut C) argue D) quick E) enter
2. Look at the following sequence of boxes:
Which of these comes next?
3. Which number comes next in the following sequence?
1 2 4 8
A) 5 B) 16 C) 64 D) 12 E) 32
Questions to assess knowledge of vocabulary
(The meanings of words)
4. Which one word has a meaning which includes the meaning of all the others?
A) truck B) car C) train D) bus E) vehicle
5. Request means the same as ………………………………………
A) reply B) talk C) write D) ask for E) suppress
6. The following sentence has a word missing. Which one word makes the best use of the sentence?
The defender’s foul was obvious, so the referee made a quick and clear ……………………
A) diversion B) diagnosis C) diagram D) recovery E) decision
Questions to assess ability in arithmetic and mathematics
(Accuracy and speed in counting)
7. 8571 minus 583 equals?
A) 7998 B) 8018 C) 7988 D) 7888 E) 8088
8. If one carton of screws weighs 100 Kilograms, what will be the weight of six and a half cartons?
A) 6.5 kg B) 6500 kg C) 65 kg D) 650 kg E) none of these
9. The premium for motor insurance for a particular car owner is £360. He is entitled to 40% discount off this figure for not having any accidents or claims for the last two years.
How much will the car owner pay to the insurance company?
A) £320 B) £144 C) £216 D) £270 E) none of these
10. How many minutes are there in 4 hours?
A) 140 B) 80 C) 160 D) 150 E) 240
11. 0.75 x 0.5 equals?
A) 0.5 B) 0.375 C) 1.5 D) 0.25 E) none of these
12. A rectangle has an area of 21 square cm. The length of one side is 3cm. What is the perimeter of the rectangle?
A) 20cm B) 21cm C) 18cm D) 14cm E) none of these
13. In producing electrical contacts from a copper tape, the average waste is 15%. If the cost of the copper was £31,000 what is the cost of the waste?
A) £4550 B) £4650 C) £4350 D) £4800 E) none of these
Questions to assess mechanical and electrical knowledge
(Measures knowledge of mechanical and electrical principles and the ability to apply that knowledge)
14. Which gear will make the least number of turns in a minute?
A) B) C) D)
15. After collision, in which direction will the black ball go?
A) B) C) D)
16. A ………………………… is part of the cooling system of a car
A) contact break B) shock absorber C) ballast resister D) radiator E) camshaft
17. Electricity can be conducted through ………………………………
A) wool B) plastic C) water D) concrete E) wood
18. What is the colour of the neutral lead in household electrical wiring?
A) brown B) black C) yellow/green D) blue E) none of these
19. Which strut would best support the mail box?
A) B) C)
20. Which truck will turn over more easily? (If the same mark C)
B A
A) B) C)
Answers:
|
1 |
D |
11 |
B |
|
2 |
D |
12 |
A |
|
3 |
B |
13 |
B |
|
4 |
E |
14 |
C |
|
5 |
D |
15 |
C |
|
6 |
E |
16 |
D |
|
7 |
C |
17 |
C |
|
8 |
D |
18 |
D |
|
9 |
C |
19 |
A |
|
10 |
E |
20 |
A |
FAQs about Personality Tests
1. What kind of questions will there be? These questions do not have 'right' or 'wrong' answers. Nobody 'passes or 'fails'. They show your opinions and general attitudes and indicate whether or not you are suited to the job on offer.
2. How will the questions be set out?
a) There might be a list of statements. You have to show if you agree with each one. For example:
- Travel broadens the mind Agree Strongly/Agree/Don’t Know/Disagree/Disagree Strongly
- Everybody should earn the same hourly wage AS / A / DK / D / DS
- Most people don’t think for themselves AS / A / DK / D / DS
b) There might be pairs of statements. You have to show which one of each pair describes yourself. For example:
- When the phone rings I hurry to get to it first
- When the phone rings I hope somebody else will answer it
- I like to get on with my own work with no interference
- I like to share responsibility with a close team
- I want respect, even if I’m unpopular
- I want to be popular, even if I get no respect
c) There might be groups of statements and you have to number them 1,2,3….according to which most describes yourself. For example:
1. When I start speaking people start listening
2. When I start speaking people stop listening
3. I dominate any conversation I’m in
4. I only speak when I have something to say
5. I hate silences and fill them with waffle
6. I’m no use at making small talk with strangers
1. I’d hate always working Monday-Friday, 9-5
2. If I’m interested in something I’ll stick at it round the clock
3. I’d resent a boss expecting me to do unpaid overtime
4. I’ll put in more effort than the others, in order to get ahead
5. I realise much of every job is boring
6. If a job isn’t exciting, I stop concentrating
Types of tests currently in use
Here are the tests some of the biggest employers in Scotland use when hiring workers.
Armed Forces:
Army: For Soldier recruitment, you must pass the Army Entrance Test, known as the British Army Recruitment Battery (BARB). (‘Battery’ means a group or series of tests).
These tests assess your ability for training. You do the test on a computer using touch screen techniques to answer the questions. Your local Army Careers Information Office will give you a booklet explaining the BARB test. There are some sample questions.
Royal Air Force: For Airmen and Airwomen the RAF uses the Airman Selection Test (AST). This consists of seven multiple choice tests to measure ability in:
- reasoning (verbal, numerical and spatial)
- work rate
- memory
- mechanical comprehension
- electrical comprehension.
The tests are timed and take about an hour. Some samples of questions are on the website: http://www.rafcareers.com/. (Look in ‘Test your skills- practice aptitude test’).
If you apply to NCO Aircrew you have to sit tests measuring a wide range of natural abilities, including:
- deductive reasoning
- spatial reasoning
- work rate and concentration
- verbal and numerical reasoning.
Royal Navy: For Ratings the selection process takes place at an Armed Forces Careers Office. Tests are used to assess ability in:
- reasoning
- English language
- numeracy
- mechanical comprehension.
Candidates get examples of the questions asked in the tests before sitting them. You can also see sample questions on the Royal Navy website at http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers
Artificer Apprentice candidates who pass the test must take a further test of mental arithmetic.
Construction Skills For entry as an apprentice Construction Skills uses an Initial Assessment lasting about one and a half hours and includes aptitude and skills questions. It assesses:
- spatial awareness (reading plans or drawings)
- numeracy (understanding measurements)
- reasoning ability.
Construction Skills send sample questions out to applicants.
The MERIT website http://merit.lboro.ac.uk/ offers competitions to find out how successful you would be in construction management.
Engineering Companies: For craft and technician recruitment manufacturing companies use mechanical/electrical aptitude tests and general intelligence tests.
Fire Service: Uses a variety of general ability tests. These can take up to 2 hours to complete. They normally send sample questions to applicants before they sit the test.
Garage Trades: Many garages use a mechanical ability test along with a general ability test.
Local Authorities: For craft recruitment, some Councils have a half-day practical test. They explain and show a task, related to the craft. You then must repeat the task. (This is a ‘work sample’ test). A written test may follow. Here, you might have to name the tools and materials you used in the practical exercise.
This measures your ability to listen and understand.
Police: Applicants sit the Standard Entrance Exam for the Police Forces. This includes three papers with questions based on:
- listening, reading and understanding
- handling information
- calculating with numbers.
Each paper lasts 30 minutes. You must not use a calculator. At present you are allowed only three attempts to pass the test – if you fail a third time you cannot sit it again. Police Forces advise applicants to revise work from Standard grade English and maths before taking the test.
Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT): For hiring apprentice electricians, SECTT uses the Pre-Employment Assessment, involving numerical and technical understanding tests. Look at the sample questions on their web site at http://www.sectt.org.uk/assessments.asp if you are thinking about electrical apprenticeships.
Recruitment Tests - Checklist
- Plan in advance your journey to the test site and work out how long it will take.
- Take two pens which can write clearly.
- Arrive in good time - at least 10 minutes before the start.
- Dress smartly. There may be an interview after the test.
- Carefully listen to and read the test instructions.
- If you don’t fully understand the test instructions, ask for help.
- Work through the test as quickly and accurately as you can.
- If you are working to a time limit, keep an eye on the clock.
- If you cannot answer a question move quickly on to the next one. You can go back and try it again if you have time at the end.
- If a panic attack comes on, slow your breathing down for a few minutes.
- If the test is multiple choice and you are not sure of the answer, guess.
- If you do finish with time to spare, check your answers. Remember also to check spelling.
Sample tests (for practice)
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Applications_CVs_and_interviews/Tests_and_exercises/Psychometric_tests/p!eLagFgF