Employment Aptitude Test for Technical and Mechanical Jobs

When applying for a new job, or a promotion in a company, you may be given an employment aptitude test to determine if you have the proper problem solving skills or natural skills to excel at a given position. Approximately 40% of employers use an aptitude test to screen job applicants, many of which use standardized aptitude tests.

Depending on the line of work that you are applying for, there are several different aptitude tests which are specific to the line of work that you are applying for.

The benefit of an aptitude test for employers is that it allows them to see how your troubleshooting and logic reasoning works, and they can determine if you will be able to learn new skills quickly.

Technology rapidly changes, and employers want someone with a natural skill in a line of work, so they can learn these new skills with minimal extra training and effort.

Employment Aptitude Test for Mechanical Jobs

If you are applying for a job with mechanical skills, there are two main tests that may be given to you. The Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA), and the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (BMCT) are two such examples of mechanical aptitude tests.

These two tests have a few subtle differences.

The most common employment aptitude test for mechanical jobs is WTMA which contains 60 questions, asked within a 30 minute time period. Questions on the WTMA are worked in a 6th grade vocabulary, and are easy to understand. In addition, studies have shown that the WTMA does not discriminate against your sex or race.

The BMCT contains 68 questions asked in the same 30 minute time period. While studies have shown that the BMCT may be less fair to test takers of a different sex or race, the BMCT is the most popular mechanical aptitude test in use today.

Employment Aptitude Test for Technical Jobs

If you are applying for a job related to Information Technology, or IT, the most common employment aptitude test is CAT (computer adaptive test). The CAT contains 35 multiple choice questions, asked within a 45 minute time period. The advantage of the CAT is that not only will it tell your prospective employer whether or not you are naturally suited for a job, it will also tell your employer what types of jobs in IT you are suited for. Scores on the CAT less than 50 percent correct will tell an employer that you are best suited with less troubleshooting intensive IT work, such as a data entry specialist. Scores in the 50 percent to 70 percent range will tell an employer that you are best suited for a job in IT that involves minimal troubleshooting skills, such as a PC Technician or a Network Technician position. However, if you score between 70 and 90 percent correct, this tells an employer that positions such as a Network Administrator are best for you. Finally, scores from 90 to 100 percent tell an employer that you are well suited for Computer Programmer positions.

With the unprecedented development in science, engineering and technology, chances for technical writer employment have increased. The technical writer salaries are good enough to attract many professionals in these fields to develop technical documentation. Many scientists, technological experts and engineers prefer to hand over their work to technical writers to proof read and editing. Generally, technical writer employment is with the professional offering work. However, in the case of big companies, they may like to hire technical writers. In such situations besides language capabilities your technical abilities are also tested.

Some employers do not use standard employment aptitude tests. They develop custom aptitude tests to find the perfect candidate for a position in the company. If you find yourself faced with a custom written test, often you can ask your interviewer or the HR director at the company for sample questions, or specific question content. Employers who use custom technical aptitude tests vary, but they include the Geek Squad, and Microsoft.

With any employment aptitude test, you should have a good working knowledge of the subject matter beforehand, and also know how to solve new problems easily. There are many employment aptitude test samples available on the Internet, which will be able to prepare you for your test. With any test, practice makes perfect, and the more that you the better your score will be when you take the real test.
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