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Career aptitude tests | An overview
Are you just starting to look at different career choices and feel unsure about the line of work you should pursue? Or are you stuck studying or working in a field you don’t like? No matter where you are in your career search trajectory, it’s important to know which career would be best suited for you based on your unique personality and strengths. And a career aptitude test may just point you in the right direction!
Career aptitude tests can offer helpful insight into the jobs best suited for your distinct skills and personality. There are many aptitude tests online that are free and provide valuable information to individuals seeking career clarity. So, if you are confused about the right career for you, we suggest you take an online aptitude test.
What is an aptitude test?
Before we answer that, let’s understand what aptitude is.
Your aptitude is your natural ability to excel in a specific area. You may have a set of aptitudes that enable you to do specific tasks. For example, you may be good with numbers, and that would indicate that you can either pursue an MBA or take up a STEM course.
An aptitude test is an objective career explorer quiz with multiple-choice questions that help you find your natural ability. It is a simple yet powerful way to find out your interests and personality.
Based on the data you enter, the test shows a list of professions and occupations that fit you best. It reveals your characteristics like your values, motivations, preferences, and skills. Consequently, it makes sense of your traits and tells you how they can influence your success in various professional fields.
Why is a career aptitude test important?
Career aptitude tests are objective measures of your interests. They help you recognize the kind of person you are and what can you become with your existing skillset and interests. They can also help you realize your strengths and areas of weakness so that you have a clear understanding of yourself so you can make the right choices.
A career aptitude test can help you get to a list of jobs compatible with your personality, skills, interests, and values.
How do career aptitude tests work?
The questions in a career aptitude test are aimed to help you learn more about your traits so you can find a career that aligns with your skills and personality.
A career aptitude test may cover things like your-
- Strengths
- Skills
- Values
- Personality traits
- Motivation
- Interests
- Emotional intelligence
Many companies and universities take aptitude tests to assess applicants as well.
What is the best time to take a career aptitude test?
The ideal time to take a career aptitude test is during your high school years. The canvas is wide open for you, you have the time to experiment and test what your likes and dislikes really are.
But as they say, it’s never too late to start all over. In our opinion, career aptitude tests are relevant at every age because your aptitude keeps developing as you grow older. So if you’re someone who is considering switching streams, aptitude tests can help you discover new skills and reassure you of your decision.
Top 10 career aptitude tests
The best career for you is the one that gives you fulfillment in life. A career aptitude test measures your interests and helps you find a career you’ll love by matching your personality, interests, and talents to real-world jobs.
Following are some of the top career aptitude tests available online for free-
1. 123 Career Test
You must find a job that you are passionate about; one that suits your personality. Therefore, it is important that your personality fits well with your job and work environment.
123 Career Test is a 10-minute test that assesses your career personality. You just have to look at some pictures of people doing work and click on yes or no, denoting whether you would enjoy doing the task or not. The test will tell you the occupations and work environments best suited to your career personality.
2. Keirsey Temperament Sorter
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter test helps you know your personality type and the type of temperament you have. The test results show a predominant personality type like Guardian, Idealist, Rational, or Artisan.
Your temperament impacts your career satisfaction and job performance. You get a free description of your profile with this test.
3. PathSource
PathSource is a free career assessment app available on your smartphone. As you input your interests and personality characteristics, PathSource shows you a list of potential career options for you, including information like income expectations and lifestyle, for each role it suggests to you.
Again, the app offers a database of careers for various academic majors so that students can know the implications of their academic choices.
4. Red Bull Wingfinder
This 35-minute free aptitude test lets you identify your strengths in four different areas of personality: creativity, connections, drive, and thinking. You immediately receive a feedback report with an analysis of your strengths.
5. CareerExplorer
You can assess your interests, abilities, career values, personality types, and preferred work environments to find satisfying careers on the CareerExplorer. The platform provides you with a list of careers after you respond to the aptitude test questions. You get detailed information on each suggested career option.
6. MyPlan
A career in an industry or a company is right for you if it matches your values. But it is hard to identify those values when you have never worked in a corporate setting. MyPlan offers a free test that determines your work values to help you narrow down your search. If you are unsure which industry would best suit your principles, the test can offer useful insights to help you fine-tune your search.
The test divides work values into six different clusters. After you complete the test, you are assigned one cluster and shown a list of occupations ranked based on how they match with your values.
7. Skills Matcher
With the Skills Matcher test, you can assess the skills you want to incorporate into your career. The test rates you on basic skills, like speaking, writing, reading, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning as well as specialized skills like technical, social, computer, analytical, resource management, and problem-solving skills.
8. MyNextMove
MyNextMove helps you determine your interests related to work. In this 60-question test, you are required to rate how much you will enjoy doing specific tasks, like laying bricks, building kitchen cabinets, managing stocks and bonds, etc.
The test yields a profile of interest tendencies in six areas: investigative, realistic, enterprising, social, artistic, and conventional. You are shown a list of careers related to each cluster. You can also sort the careers into five job zones as per the levels of preparation.
9. MAPP Test
MAPP is an acronym for Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential. The MAPP Career Test offers you insights into your career motivations and provides you with a list of 10 industries that are best suited for you. It also matches you with specific careers from its database of more than a thousand roles to help you narrow down your job scope.
The MAPP test has been in place since 1995. While other tests may offer value or general personality assessment, this aptitude test matches you with definite roles. If you are looking for more concrete advice, you should take the MAPP Test.
10. Holland Code Career Test
The Holland Code is a 20-minute career aptitude test that examines your suitability for varied careers based on these occupational themes – investigative, realistic, enterprising, social, artistic, and conventional. The test identifies your top interest area, compares it with other interest areas, and relates them with your career interests.
Get started on your career path by taking an aptitude test
A career aptitude test helps you recognize your profession and keeps you moving forward on your career path.
But note that your aptitude is not the only criteria you should look at for choosing a career. Your interests, work-related values, etc., also play an important role in deciding your career path. Do a thorough self-assessment and take an aptitude test to discover a happy and fulfilling career.
Once you know your preferred career, you need to find courses to equip yourself with knowledge in the field. Feel free to reach out to us to help you find the right course and university.
Liked this blog? Read next: Best career options | 6 career options you can go for!
FAQs
Q1. How can I crack the aptitude test of a company?
Answer- Crack a company’s test by following these tips-
- Practice as much as you can. The more you do, the better prepared you will be. So, take up those online assessments and work on your weaknesses to ace the test.
- Time management is crucial while taking an aptitude test. So, calculate the average time you can spend on each answer and take the test accordingly.
- Do not get caught up in trap questions. Some of these questions would be the same as the previous ones and are only present to confuse you. But navigate through it smartly.
Q2. Are aptitude tests and IQ tests the same?
Answer- While both these tests aim to evaluate a person’s thinking ability or brainpower, they do so in different ways. Aptitude tests test your intelligence in specific areas, while IQ tests assess your general intelligence.
Q3. How can I identify my career interests?
Answer- You can identify your career path by-
- Exploring your skillset.
- Taking into account your past experiences.
- Researching about the career paths and listing down the options.
- Networking with people to learn more about different career paths.
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