An aptitude test is a standardized psychometric assessment of candidates’ natural strengths, skills, and abilities. Aptitude test questions do not require familiarity with specific subjects as they focus on an individual’s inherent skills and ability to apply them in different situations.
Aptitude tests can be categorized as ability and behavioral tests, with the former measuring skills like logical, numerical, and verbal reasoning and the latter exploring behavioral tendencies like the working style and situational judgment of individuals. Some of the most popular aptitude test questions for interviews used in the hiring process assess candidates for their numerical and verbal reasoning, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, logical and abstract reasoning, and critical thinking.
These questions evaluate candidates’ ability to work with numbers, analyze datasets, and interpret visually represented numerical information, like charts and graphs.
These types of questions help recruiters assess the proficiency of candidates in basic and advanced calculations and concepts of mathematics.
These questions measure the ability of candidates to visualize and manipulate three-dimensional objects.
These questions focus on assessing the understanding of candidates in mechanical and physical concepts and their ability to work with machinery.
These aptitude test questions are designed to evaluate candidates’ language, communication, analytical skills, and comprehension of written information.
These questions assess candidates’ ability to identify and solve complex problems. They evaluate how well candidates can think and function under pressure while creating creative solutions to real-world problems.
These aptitude test questions assess the ability of candidates to make effective, rational decisions in any situation. The questions can be used to evaluate their logical reasoning, sense of judgment and ability to compare different options to choose the optimal one.
1. If given the annual expenses and revenue of an organization, how can a candidate calculate the profit margin for the year in the form of a percentage?
The following formulas can be used to calculate:
Net profit formula: Net profit = Total revenue – total expense
Net profit margin formula: Net profit margin = (Net profit / Total revenue) × 100%
2. If the ratio of the ages of two people is 6:7 and after five years, it will be 7:8, how old are they now?
The answers are 30 years and 35 years.
3. If only a few tables are fish, no fish are desktops, and all desktops are pen, does it mean that some tables are not desktops or that all tables being fish is a possibility?
Some parts of the table are fish, and all fish are not desktop. Therefore, some tables are not desktop.
4. What is the formula for finding the average of the first ‘n’ number of natural numbers?
The prerequisite is the sum of the first n natural numbers. Accordingly, the sum of n natural number n(n+1)/2, we discover the average of n natural number, so divide by n is n(n+1)/2*n = (n+1)/2. Here, 1 is the first term, and n is the last term.
5. If joey is to kangaroo, a calf is to what?
The young kangaroo is called Joey. Similarly, a young one of cattle is called a calf. The answer is cattle.
6. If Goa is to Panaji, Gujarat is to what?
The answer is Gandhinagar.
7. Badminton is related to court the same way cricket is related to what?
The answer is pitch.
8. As semantics is to language, what is to skull?
The answer is craniology.
9. If a constable is recommended for a suitable reward in recognition of the sincere duty performed in busting several criminal gangs responsible for incidents of looting and pickpocketing, which of the following statements would be correct?
The superior office is sure that the recommendation will be denied.
The constable apprehended an exceptionally high number of criminals.
The constable has demanded monetary compensation.
The superior is setting an example for other juniors.
Rewards are given to recognize the accomplishments of policemen.
The answer is e. rewards are given to recognize the accomplishments of policemen.
10. In a scenario where private airlines increase their fares by almost 60%, should the people be advised to use only buses and trains for travel, or should the airfares be regulated by the controlling authority?
The government should regulate airfares to a specific limit.
11. What will be the right arrangement of the words Varanasi, Asia, Uttar Pradesh, Earth, and India?
The correct order is Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia and Earth.
12. If all politicians are public speakers and some public speakers are lawyers, are all lawyers politicians?
The answer is no.
13. If all flowers in a garden are red roses, is the statement ‘No flowers in the garden are not red roses’ correct?
Yes, the statement is correct.
14. What is the probability of drawing a red and a blue ball without looking when two balls from a bag that has twelve red balls and eight blue balls are pulled?
The correct answer is 48/95.
15. While managing a restaurant, the owner receives complaints about slow service. What will be the focus of the owner – on cutting food costs, increasing the menu choices, hiring additional waiters and cooks, or revamping the restaurant’s décor?
The correct answer is hiring additional servers and cooks.
16. To improve declining sales, what will be achieved first: launch of a marketing campaign, change of the layout of the store, decrease in working hours for employees, or evaluation of customer feedback?
The first response should be an evaluation of customer feedback.
17. Arrange the terms country, member, state, city, community, and family in a meaningful sequence.
The answer is member, family, community, city, state and country.
18. What is the odd one out in bank notes, debit cards, cheques, letters, coins, credit cards, and stocks?
The odd one out is letters.
19. Out of disgusting, aesthetic, delightful, decorative, and friendly, which word means ‘odious’?
The answer is disgusting.
20. What is wrong with the statement, “I couldn’t get there early because it had been rained since last night.”?
The correct sentence is, ‘I couldn’t get there early because it had been raining since last night.’
21. Spot the error in the statement, “It has been proved multiple times that Sarah is an honest girl.”
The answer is, ‘It has been proven multiple times that Sarah is an honest girl.’
22. “Heavy rain flooded city streets.”, “Residents have to evacuate their homes because of flooding.” Which statement is the cause, and which is the effect?
Here, the heavy rain is the cause, and the evacuation of residents is the effect.
23. What is a spirit level used to ensure? That a surface is flat, straight, horizontal, aligned, or parallel?
The answer is horizontal.
24. How does one deal with an enraged customer?
To effectively handle an enraged customer, the representative remains calm and actively listens to their concerns while acknowledging their emotions. They use positive language, restate the issues, and build trust by personalizing the interaction. The representative explores solutions collaboratively, sets clear next steps, and involves the team if needed, ensuring they do not take the situation personally.
25. Explain a situation where the candidate took an innovative approach to solve a problem.
When two associates struggled to understand each other’s roles, the candidate proposed an innovative solution: they suggested that the associates switch roles for two weeks. This approach helped them gain a deeper appreciation for each other’s work and resulted in cross-training, enhancing the team’s overall effectiveness.
26. How does one meet important deadlines?
To meet essential deadlines effectively, the team must create a clear timeline and define production deadlines while identifying task dependencies. They can break work into smaller, prioritized tasks, add buffers for flexibility, and establish focus time. The team should regularly track projects, communicate with colleagues to ensure alignment, avoid overcommitting, and learn from past experiences.
27. What is the opposite of imperious: arrogant, moody, quiet, subservient, quiet, or stormy?
The answer is subservient.
28. If a car covered 60 km in two hours, what was its average speed?
The answer is 30 km/hr.
29. What is 8% of 16?
The answer is 1.28.
30. If a plot has a 25-meter length and a 25-meter width, what is its area?
The answer is 625 square meters.
31. Out of May, June, July, and August, which one is the odd one out?
June has thirty days. Therefore, it is the odd one out.
32. A man buys a cow for Rs. 3000 and sells it the same day for Rs. 3600, giving the buyer a credit of 2 years. What is the man’s gain if the interest rate is 10% annually?
The answer is 0%.
33. How many times do the hands of a clock form a right angle in a day?
The answer is 44.
34. In a race of 100 m, X beats Y by 25 m, and Y beats Z by 4 m. In the same race, how much does X beat Z by?
The answer is 28 m.
35. If a – b equals 3 and a² + b² equals 29, what is the value of ab?
The answer is 10.
36. If a true discount of Rs. 10 is allowed on a bill of Rs. 110 due at a particular time, what is the discount on the same sum due at the end of double the time?
The answer is Rs. 18.33.
37. What day of the week does 28th May 2006 fall on?
The answer is Sunday.
38. A tap fills a tank in 6 hours. After filling half the tank, three more similar taps are opened. What is the total time to fill the tank completely?
The answer is 3 hrs. 45 mins.
39. What is the increase in percentage in the area of a rectangle if each side is increased by 20%?
The answer is 44%.
40. How much time does it take for Rs. 450 to yield Rs. 81 as interest at 4.5% per annum using simple interest?
The answer is 4 years.
41. An accurate clock shows 8 a.m. How many degrees will the hour hand rotate if the clock indicates 2 p.m.?
The answer is 180°.
42. The sum of the ages of five children, born at intervals of 3 years each, equals 50 years. What is the age of the youngest child?
The answer is 4 years.
43. A father tells his son that he was as old as the son is now at the time of the son’s birth. If the father is 38 years old, what was the son’s age five years ago?
The answer is 14 years.
44. In a game of 100 points, X can give Y 20 points and Z 28 points. How many points can Y give to Z?
The answer is 10 points.
45. A man possesses Rs.480 in one-rupee notes, five-rupee notes, and ten-rupee notes, with an equal number of notes in each denomination. What is the total number of notes he has?
The answer is 90.
46. Six identical machines run at the same constant rate, producing 270 bottles per minute. At this rate, how many bottles can 10 such machines produce in 4 minutes?
The answer is 1800.
47. A flagstaff that is 17.5 m high casts a shadow of 40.25 m in length. What will be the height of a building that casts a shadow of 28.75 m under similar conditions?
The answer is 12.5m.
48. An industrial weaving loom weaves 0.128 meters of cloth per second. How many seconds will it approximately take for the weaving loom to weave 25 meters of cloth?
The answer is approximately 195 seconds.
49. What decimal of an hour does one second represent?
The answer is 0.00027.
50. To obtain an income of Rs. 650 from a 10% stock priced at Rs. 96, what amount must one invest?
The answer is Rs. 6240.
Aptitude tests are an effective solution to learn a candidate’s skills and potential. The broad scope and dynamics of aptitude assessment ensure a streamlined process for academic pursuits, professional career choices and growth. Organizations can evaluate targeted work competencies with various types of aptitude tests, depending on the nature of the job.
Mercer | Mettl is a solutions provider offering various data-driven, scientifically validated assessments for varying needs. Some of the aptitude tests provided by Mercer | Mettl are the Test for Abstract Reasoning, Spatial Reasoning Test, Verbal Ability Test, Logical Reasoning Test, and Problem-solving Skills Assessment. Hiring managers can choose from a set of pre-built pre-employment assessments to evaluate the problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and numerical reasoning skills of candidates, among others.
Features of an aptitude test include various formats, such as multiple-choice questions, true/false statements, or open-ended questions. The questions in an online aptitude test may range from easy to challenging. They can also be tailored to the specific skills required for a particular job or field. Using aptitude tests can significantly enhance the screening process, helping recruiters objectively assess candidates’ core strengths and capabilities and their likelihood of succeeding in a specific job.
Originally published June 26 2024, Updated April 29 2025
Asmita Khandelwal has been a valued member of the Mercer | Mettl team since September 2022. In her role with the SEO team, she is responsible for curating content that aligns with the business requirements. Leveraging her expertise, research skills, and industry knowledge, she plays a crucial role in ensuring that our blog provides the most valuable and accurate information to our audience.
Aptitude tests, also known as cognitive tests, are assessments to measure the cognitive acumen of a person. Aptitude tests measure skills such as abstract reasoning, visual reasoning, logical reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, numerical ability, verbal ability, etc.
Scientific Aptitude Assessments That Help You Identify Top Talent
Know More
Customizable technical skills test for functional competencies
Know More
The Best Psychometric Tests To Enable You To Find Your Ideal Candidate
Know More
Thanks for submitting the comment. We’ll post the comment once its verified.
Behavioral Competencies
Cognitive Competencies
Coding Competencies
Domain Competencies
Would you like to comment?