Aptitude testing

What is aptitude?• “An aptitude is a

combination of characteristics indicative of an individual’s capacity to acquire(with training) some specific knowledge, skill, or set of organized responses such as the ability to speak a language, to become a musician, to do mechanical work.”

-: Freeman

Aptitude testing

“An aptitude test is one designed to measure a person’s potential ability in an activity of a special kind & within a restricted range.” :- Freeman

Purpose of aptitude testing• To obtain a measure of a

person’s essential teachability in a given area.

• To asses one’s degree of special bent.

• To estimate the extent to which an individual would profit or achieve success from specific course or training.

Types of aptitude testing

Aptitude tests

Specialized

Mechanical Clerical Musical Graphic

Generalized

DATBGATB

SPECIALIZED APTITUDE TESTS:

Mechanical • capacity to

acquire about mechanical matters

• Tests include tasks related to basic information of tools & their uses.

• Eg., Bennet tests of mechanical comprehension

Clerical • Perceptual, motor

& intellectual abilities.

• Knowledge of simple commercial terms, alphabetical filing, arithmetical problems, classification & sorting.

• Eg., Minnesota vocational test for clerical works.

Musical • Various aspects

essential for being a good musician.

• Pitch discrimination, loudness discrimination, rhythm judgment, chord analysis.

• Eg.,seashore measures, wing standardized test

Graphic arts*capacity for

learning & performing graphic

arts .*creative

imagination & ability to create abstract

design.*eg.,horne art

aptitude inventory.

These tests assess a person’s aptitude for a specific area only.

General aptitude tests

• Present trend is to use these tests.• Assess suitability of persons for different

professions on the basis of scores in relevant aptitude tests in batteries.

Some examples of aptitude tests

Bennett tests of mechanical reasoning

• Consists of mechanical problems in pictorial form.

• In each instance, accompanying the picture is a statement of problem depicted, with 2-3 answers from which to choose the correct one.

• Measures one’s understanding of physical & mechanical principles in relatively simple situations.

• There are 3 forms for different groups.

• Reliability coefficients range from .81 to .93

• There is no need of any special knowledge.

• Problems are universal.• However some items can be

better performed with prior knowledge of some principles of physics &/or actual experience.

The Horne art aptitude inventory

• Was devised to use with applicants for admissions to arts school.

• Creativeness test• In the first part, subject requires to draw 20

familiar objects within short time limits. Subject also has to create simple abstract designs starting with given set of triangle, rectangle, etc.

• In the second part, “imagery” there are 12 cards, each has several lines that must serve as a basis of picture to be drawn.

• Scoring is done on the basis of creative imagination & technical quality. Examples are provided for rating good, excellent, average or poor.

Differential aptitude test

• First published in 1947.• For students of 8th to

12th class.• 2 levels.

Level I. 7-9 grades students, those who completed this level.

Level II. 10-12 grades students, those who completed this level but not high school.

• 8 tests in this battery.

1 Verbal reasoning

2 Numerical reasoning

3 Abstract reasoning

4 Mechanical reasoning

5 Perceptual speed & accuracy

6 Space relations

7 Spelling

8 Language usage

• Practice test covering all 8 areas is available.

• A special form the “Differential Aptitude Test for Personnel & Career Assessment” in which each of the 8 tests is shortened.

• It has been adapted in India by S.M. Ojha.

• DAT has proved very successful in providing educational & vocational guidance.

Utility of aptitude tests• Backbone of guidance

services• Help to locate fields in

which a person would be most likely to be successful.

• Helps to guide youngsters in selecting course of study.

• Educational & vocational selection.

• Properly anticipate future potentials of a person.

Resources

• Anastasi,A.,Urbania.S.(2004). Psychological testing(7th ed.). India: PHI.

• Freeman F.S. Psychological testing, oxford & IBH publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd.