Six types of aptitude tests essential during recruitment

The hiring process demands time and effort. However, the race to fill positions fast and eliminate work disruption encourages organizations to hire quickly, often leading to unsuitable hires.

One reason behind mis-hires is reliance on traditional hiring practices. The conventional methods use a candidate’s CV to measure their suitability for the open position. Hiring managers also rely on their intuition and information gleaned from an interview to validate the final selection.

One way to mitigate this challenge is by using different types of aptitude tests.

An aptitude test is a widely accepted medium for employers to evaluate candidates’ intelligence and abilities during hiring. It has different formats depending on the skill being assessed. These tests are designed to gauge how candidates react to a specific situation besides their ability to perform tasks or solve problems.

Additionally, using aptitude tests help:

1. Assess candidates objectively by focusing on core competencies. Organizations define competencies as a group of skills. Thus, aptitude tests can be used to evaluate candidates according to the different competency frameworks defined by organizations.
2. As a cost-effective screening tool, these tests expedite recruitment and enable talent acquisition managers to shortlist suitable candidates. Different types of aptitude tests help maintain objectivity, accuracy, and speed throughout the hiring process.

1. Abstract Reasoning Test

Abstract Reasoning Test assesses candidates’ ability to think laterally and from unique perspectives. It also considers the ability to make logical connections from the available sets of information.

A high level of abstract reasoning is related to creativity and helps solve novel problems. Therefore, learning new skills is easy for people with strong abstract reasoning abilities as they can process ambiguous information effectively.

On-the-job application of abstract reasoning:

• Employees with sound abstract reasoning solve problems quicker and with less effort.
• Sound abstract reasoning skills help use the available data and integrate its insights to help make decisions.
• It aids in extracting meaningful ideas and information from the bulk of available data.

2. Spatial Reasoning Test

Spatial Reasoning Test evaluates candidates’ ability to understand and visualize two-dimensional and three-dimensional patterns and shapes.

On-the-job application of spatial reasoning:

• It helps innovate and implement new ideas with a visual perspective.
• Spatial reasoning aids in finding creative solutions to problems

3. Verbal Ability Test

Verbal Ability Test evaluates an individual’s command of language and is one of the critical aspects of ensuring good communication. Recruiters can assess candidates’ job readiness and evaluate their working skills using language and comprehension.

On-the-job application of verbal ability:

• It helps maintain excellent communication with colleagues, clients, and management.
• Interacting with people and managing relationships with co-workers becomes easier.
• It helps in understanding the client’s specific need

4. Logical Reasoning Test

Logical Reasoning Test evaluates candidates on their logical inference. It is candidates’ ability to draw sensible conclusions based on given information and statements. Logical thinking is critical in daily life and various business scenarios. Likewise, critical thinking is a creative way to approach a problem involving validations using comprehensive judgment and assumptions.

On-the-job application of logical and critical reasoning:

• It helps gain meaningful information from unstructured data.
• It enables problem analysis based on facts and information to find a solution.

5. Visual Reasoning Test

Visual reasoning skills are candidates’ ability to create a mental image of an object to find a conclusion. It is also an effective tool for making technological designs. Hence, Visual Reasoning Test helps evaluate candidates’ non-verbal abilities.

On-the-job application of visual reasoning:

• People with strong visual reasoning skills take a strategic approach to solving problems.
• Learning new concepts and skills becomes easier.
• Visual perspectives substantially impact the product designing process and implementation of design-related solutions.

6. Decision-Making Test

Decision-making is assessing various aspects of a problem and deciding on a solution using skills and acquired knowledge. Decision-Making Test have situational questions that seek sound judgment from the candidate.

On-the-job application of decision-making skills:

• It helps make the most out of the available resources and information.
• Decision-making helps address organizational challenges to achieve goals.
• It is an essential leadership quality.
• It helps find innovative solutions to existing problems.
• Good decision-making is directly related to an organization’s overall productivity.

When using a CV for screening, any candidate may be projected as ideal for a job position based on the information present. However, aptitude tests help gauge candidates objectively, allowing accurate, data-backed evaluation.

Pre-employment aptitude tests help organizations find top talent by measuring the following:

Organizations can easily assess targeted work competencies using different types of aptitude tests, depending on the job’s requirements. However, three core competencies are essential, irrespective of the industry:

To help organizations measure the abovementioned competencies, Mercer | Mettl offers reliable and scientifically validated tests designed by leading industry experts. Some of the tests provided by Mercer | Mettl are:

• Mercer | Mettl Test For Abstract Reasoning
• Spatial Reasoning Test
• Verbal Ability Test
• Mercer | Mettl Test For Logical Reasoning
• Problem-solving Skills Assessment

Mercer | Mettl has an existing question bank of more than one million+ questions covering 3000 skills. Organizations also have the power to customize their question banks.

Furthermore, the Mercer | Mettl proctoring tool ensures that the integrity of the assessments is maintained. Organizations can opt for ID-based authentication along with AI-based and human proctoring for anti-cheating controls.

Once aptitude tests are administered, the reports generated are specific to each candidate. These reports are benchmarked to organizational standards and offer a clear picture of how well the candidate will perform if hired.

Using different types of aptitude tests is a proven way to measure candidates’ abilities and potential to improve those abilities with appropriate training. Since people differ in skills and abilities, an aptitude test is a method to understand and gauge their talent. It helps recruiters gain predictive insights into the candidates for various job roles.