Aptitude Test for Employment | HR Profiling Solutions (2024)

An Aptitude Test, alternatively known as a Reasoning Analysis Test or a Cognitive Ability Test, measures skills related to specific job roles. Aptitude tests for employment focus on a person’s ability to collect, analyse, combine, evaluate and process information. Aptitude tests determine problem-solving abilities and the capacity to assess connections between different sets of data. This information is useful for predicting job performance and is often used for selection purposes.

At HR Profiling Solutions, we offer a range of Reasoning Analysis (Aptitude) Tests which employers can handpick according to the skills required for the role in question. The different aptitude tests we offer are outlined below. It is recommended that employers select 3-5 of the most relevant tests. Our aptitude tests are timed and so, in addition to revealing a candidate’s cognitive ability, they also provide data on speed and accuracy.

Next steps

Aptitude tests streamline the recruitment and selection process. The test results help you to avoid costly miss-hires and removeunconscious bias duringthe interview process. Get in touch with us to learn how to hire top talent and predict job performance.

What does an Aptitude Test Measure?

An Aptitude (or Cognitive) Test for employment or recruitment measures how an individual thinks, reasons and solves problems. It tests the individual’s cognitive ability in areas that are fundamental to achieving high levels of production and performance in the workplace.

The Aptitude (or Cognitive) tests offered by HR Profiling Solutions measure a wide range of cognitive capacities, including the ability to - apply logic to identify the root causes of problems, apply mathematic concepts to aid decision making, understand numerical relationships, identify the correct information in written texts and accurately interpret it, find solutions to problems, recognise trends, complete sequences, think logically, identify cause and effect, recognise connections and parallels, think abstractly, accurately perceive context and ‘read’ social situations, view and recall details of visual entities, manipulate shapes and map out multiple process flows simultaneously, recognise and create links between words, generate creative and useful ideas, learn and use new information.

Our aptitude (or cognitive) tests also provide employers with information on the speed and accuracy levels (relative to time taken) of an individual. Tests range in duration from 7:00 to 20:00 minutes.

HR Profiling Solutions offer nine separate aptitude (or cognitive) tests; different abilities and capacities are tested in different tests. The majority of employers or recruiters select only the tests that are most relevant to the role in question. The aptitude (or cognitive) tests offered by HR Profiling Solutions are collectively known as “Reasoning Analysis Tests”.

Can you fail an Aptitude Test?

There are right and wrong answers to every question in an Aptitude (or Cognitive) Test, but you cannot pass or fail one. You will simply get a higher or a lower score. Aptitude tests must be completed within a certain time, so it is important not to spend too long on individual questions, but it is advisable not to rush through them either.

What to expect during an Aptitude Test

Aptitude (or Cognitive) Tests assess a candidate’s skills, abilities, reasoning capacity and cognitive function in a range of areas including mathematics and numeracy, language and literacy, logic, spatial awareness, visual memory and comprehension of social context. Usually candidates are only expected to complete tests that are relevant to a specific job role. Each test has a time limit.

Aptitude Test Questions

Candidates may be required to evaluate data or interpret complex verbal information, connect concepts, identify cause and effect, manipulate visual entities, interpret a person's intention, identify numerical trends and relationships, apply mathematical concepts, or recall and process visual information.

Aptitude Test Answers

Candidates have a limited time to answer, with questions often becoming increasingly complex. The answering format may involve multiple choice, filling in gaps, writing an answer or interacting with on-screen graphics.

What is the difference between Cognitive and Aptitude Tests?

The terms ‘Cognitive Ability Test’ and ‘Aptitude Test’ are used interchangeably on this page to describe a test which assesses a candidate’s abilities, cognitive function and reasoning capacity in certain workplace-relevant competencies.

Cognitive Ability Tests for employment

Cognitive Ability Tests, or Aptitude Tests, are frequently used in employment situations, and particularly in recruitment, to evaluate an individual’s current capability level - their ability to learn, solve problems and process information on the job. Completing a Cognitive Ability or Aptitude Test for recruitment removes unconscious bias from the selection process and assists organisations to make reliable hiring decisions.

Research has shown that Cognitive Ability Tests have a high correlation to job performance. Candidates achieving higher scores in relevant areas are more likely to be strongly productive, be happy in their role, and not require lengthy training periods, which can, in turn, boost retention, lift the bottom-line and minimise the risk of mis-hires.

HR Profiling Solutions specialise in supporting companies during the recruitment process and in getting the right people in the right roles, be they new recruits or existing staff members. An aptitude test allows employers to make more reliable hiring decisions, predict performance and an individual’s working style and decrease employee turnover. Aptitude tests can also be used to identify strengths and development areas.

High Aptitude Test Scores

Candidates who score highly in an aptitude test have strong reasoning skills and can find creative solutions to old problems, think on their feet and process information quickly and accurately. An individual who achieves a high aptitude test score is likely to demonstrate rapid understanding of new concepts and ideas outside their previous experience.

Low Aptitude Test Scores

A low score in an aptitude (or cognitive) test may indicate a low natural capacity for this area, limited previous exposure, or a need for extra support and development. A low score may also result from a person spending too much time trying to answer questions correctly, rather than quickly. Hence, employers evaluating an aptitude test, should be sure to analyse the speed vs quality factor, and consider which is more important for the role in question. The report provides details on the number of correct answers in total as well as the number correct out of those questions actually answered. The time taken by the individual is given alongside the time allowed.

Aptitude (or cognitive) tests provide a foundation for development. A lower score is useful for predicting which work areas a person may experience difficulty in. It also provides insight into the type of support a person may require to perform more efficiently and effectively.

What is the difference between Aptitude and Achievement Tests

The term ‘Achievement Test’ is not used on this page. In broad terms, an ‘Achievement Test’ determines a candidate’s knowledge or skill level in a specific area of education, at the conclusion of a course of study in that area.

The ‘Aptitude’ or ‘Cognitive’ Test, on the other hand, assesses reasoning capacity, cognitive function and the ability to use logic and innate and learned skills to solve problems, ascertain relationships, make connections, isolate relevant details, recall visual entities, manipulate shapes and perceptively interpret social phenomena. An aptitude (or cognitive) test does not require study or preparation.