If you’re not an alien to the universe of recruitment, you would’ve known by now that Aptitude tests are a regular feature.  These tests, have a sinister reputation.  They have humbled many, making the knowledgeable look like fools and the astute appear completely dumb.  If you’ve been burned by one of these inhumane collections of multiple-choice questions, and suffered the humiliation that followed, wondering where you got it wrong, take solace in the fact that you’re not alone. Many have walked the same path before you and many would after you. A lot of folks see the aptitude test as what stands between them and the opportunity to be face to face with the recruiter.  They feel they are poised to take the privilege of an interview, or a technical assessment, to showcase the stuff they’re made of and these damned aptitude tests just seem to stand in the way.  An unnecessary hurdle that’s got nothing to do with the job you want (or so you think) and you cannot for the life of you see why it is even used at all.

As you can imagine, in my experience as a recruiter, I have conducted many aptitude tests.  I’m also professionally certified to administer one of the most popular aptitude test products available in the market and I have been involved in the design of a few.  As a result, I’ve seen both sides of the coin and can relate with what people do right and what they do wrong.  Therefore, I think I’m in a good position to share with you insider knowledge on this thorn in your flesh…hopefully you will learn a few things that can help you unravel it and do a better job at defeating it.

I will focus on a number of questions that many people have asked me and perhaps which trouble you as well.

Are aptitude tests really important?

Simply put, yes they are.  In my recruiter role, we would typically not progress someone who failed an aptitude test and passed a technical one, while we might consider someone with very good aptitude test scores and average technical test scores.  I’m aware that this is the same case with many organizations that use these tools.  That doesn’t seem fair to you I presume, but what does this tell you?  It means that the aptitude test (for reasons which I will explain later) is taken just as seriously, perhaps even more so than the technical assessments.  If the recruiters take it seriously, then you should too. I find that there are lots of people who spend quality time preparing for their technical assessments and interviews and take the aptitude test for granted.  It’s a mistake. Both are equally important and you should prepare for both.

What does an aptitude test really test?

Well-designed aptitude tests are created to assess your “cognitive” work related capabilities.  In layman’s terms, “cognitive” means “what comes to you naturally”. The tests aim to assess those basic capabilities that are expected in the workplace or of the kind of job for which the person is being considered (for example, basic number crunching or estimation skills, and comprehension of verbal or pictorial instructions).

Let’s do a little Psychology 101, if you don’t mind. Cognitive capabilities implies the candidate’s “fluid intelligence” (the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems; more like street smartness or ability to think on one’s feet) as well as “crystalized intelligence” (the kind that comes from past experiences and applying such learning to given situations).  Technical tests are not accurate predictors of cognitive behavior because they test mainly information that is committed to memory.  To drive home this point, you will observe that a good aptitude test will not require you to recall anything from memory and will provide all the information you need to correctly answer the questions.  An aptitude test will not ask you to identify an adjective in a sentence or solve for the circumference of a circle.  To test cognitive capability, an aptitude test will present you all the information you need and test how well you use them to find the correct answer.  For example, you could be asked to tell if a sentence is true or false based on the information provided or what percentage of funds remain when x% is expended.  See the difference?

What types of aptitude tests exist?

Mainly, the aptitude tests that assess fluid intelligence are called abstract reasoning tests, and those that test crystalized intelligence include Verbal, Numerical, Spatial and Mechanical Reasoning tests.  There are a variety of these tests out there, designed by different providers.  Organizations have the latitude to use a combination of these tests depending on the kind of job you are being considered for. For most graduate level positions however, verbal and numerical reasoning tests are often standard.

Why are aptitude tests so short?

Of all the questions, this is probably the one I get the most.  Let me say this: aptitude tests are designed to be simple enough that they are 100% solvable for the target test population. Yes, you read right…100% solvable. I know you just said, “yeah right” under your breath…but it’s true.  It means that if every candidate had no time restrictions, they would be able to complete the questions and probably get them all right or at least pass them comfortably.  However, recall that I mentioned above that the tests assess your cognitive abilities, meaning your natural state. It stand to reason therefore that what comes naturally to you will also come fairly quickly.  That explains the need for the timing.  The timing fixed for each aptitude test is such that only 1-5% of the target test population can correctly answer ALL the test questions in the time allowed.  So the timing is needed to indeed make it a “test”.  If test designers find that more than 5% of people taking the test are passing at a 100% pass rate, the timing will be tightened or the test redesigned.

Are GMAT and GRE good aptitude test prep tools?

This is also an important question that I get a lot as well. Because proprietary aptitude test prep materials are notoriously difficult, virtually impossible to find, many candidates resort to using easily accessible GMAT or GRE prep material as a substitute for aptitude test prep.  Well, the answer to the question is not quite as obvious, so I’ll say Yes and No.

But why are aptitude test prep materials difficult to find in the first place? There are two reasons for this.  First, is that the materials themselves are proprietary, so you’re not supposed to find them. And second, since test designers consider that the tests assess cognitive skills, there’s the school of thought that preparation will not necessarily improve performance on the tests.  I have to add that in the murky waters of academic research, one can find support and opposition to this view.  In my experience however, I have found more statistical evidence that the test scores slightly improve, but not significantly enough to make a major difference even if the candidate does the same test several times.  Based on this principle, in my recruiter role, we will not retest those who have failed the test within a 24-month period. So why bother one may ask? I find that in reality, the problem is not that people do not have the cognitive abilities, but that they cannot demonstrate it fast enough within the time frame of the test.

Now back to my yes and no. Let’s start with No…

NO because GMAT and GRE are generally knowledge tests.  Practicing with them will improve your knowledge (what you commit to memory) but not necessarily your aptitude.

And YES because in addition to the fact that the abstract reasoning aspect of GMAT and GRE can be very useful practice tools, these tests themselves are incredibly powerful speed practice tools! And this is the part that most people fail to utilize when they are using these tools to practice.  They simply do not follow the strict timing provisions of the GMAT/GRE.  My advice, if you must use GMAT/GRE, time yourself and stop when you are supposed to, or use the computer based test (CBT) preparatory tools. Use them strictly to improve your level of accuracy in a given time frame. That is an ability you can greatly improve at.

Will I pass my next test?

Well that’s up to you now. Take time to prepare and hope for some good news.  With the information I’ve shared with you, I’m certain you can improve your performance on the next aptitude test you attempt.

Next time, I will share some more practical tips you can use to improve your accuracy and speed on the aptitude tests.

All the best!

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Deji (@deji_ogunnubi)