when you might take an aptitude test
some schools administer aptitude tests to students beginning in the elementary years combined with intelligence and achievement tests that measure student mastery of academic content aptitude tests may be used to determine placement in gifted and talented programs or other specific educational tracks the modern language aptitude test mlat for example can measure an elementary school student s potential for successfully mastering a foreign language aptitude tests of that nature can also help determine if a student needs special education services 1for older students differential aptitude tests dats assess a range of aptitudes from spatial relations to language usage the results can help school administrators make curricular recommendations in keeping with the student s abilities 2aptitude and personality tests can be useful in determining skills and abilities to highlight on a resume or cover letter when applying for a job counselors might use high scores in mechanical reasoning tests to guide students toward courses that prepare them for engineering or designing studies in college for instance students who score well in tests measuring speed accuracy and problem solving might choose coursework in computer science finance or other fields requiring attention to detail some companies use aptitude tests to help them make hiring decisions these tests called career assessment tests help human resources hr personnel learn more about a prospective employee s strengths and weaknesses career assessment tests may also be used within a company to make promotion decisions situational judgment tests are a specific kind of career aptitude test that can help predict how an employee might respond to specific situations in the workplace they are also used to assess an employee s communication style and ability to work within a team3 some situational judgment tests focus specifically on customer service careers these tests analyze personality traits predictive of successful public interaction such as empathy diplomacy and patience situational judgment tests may also be used to predict future competency in sales related careers types of aptitude testsmany types of aptitude tests are administered for educational or career discovery and ability purposes the most common aptitude tests are if you re unsure about what kind of job you want or where you want to go next in your career an aptitude or assessment test offered on various websites either for free or for a small fee can often be helpful 