I keep failing aptitude tests, what can I do to improve my score?

I have done two such tests and to be frank, I have not managed the 80 per cent pass mark out of the possible 100 per cent. How can I improve my aptitude? PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • School barely prepares students for aptitude tests. It is therefore unsurprising that many candidates approach these tests with a great deal of anxiety.
  • This notwithstanding, it is possible to familiarise yourself with aptitude tests, many samples of which are available on the internet. For most candidates, the greatest obstacle is the inability to complete the tests on time.

Q. I have realised that many outstanding companies, local and foreign, have embraced aptitude tests as a model of selecting the best candidates for their organisations.

I have done two such tests and to be frank, I have not managed the 80 per cent pass mark out of the possible 100 per cent.

How can I improve my aptitude? Is this test the best model to define all there is in a candidate or is it just an elimination tool due to the overwhelming applications received by HR departments? 

 

An organisation would usually conduct aptitude tests as part of its recruitment process to increase the probability of making successful hiring decisions. While there is lingering debate about the value of psychometric tests in general, their merit in providing a more objective overview of a candidate’s profile is widely acknowledged, especially when used as part of a wider candidate evaluation approach. Aptitude tests should ideally prop, rather than govern hiring decisions.

School barely prepares students for aptitude tests. It is therefore unsurprising that many candidates approach these tests with a great deal of anxiety. This notwithstanding, it is possible to familiarise yourself with aptitude tests, many samples of which are available on the internet. For most candidates, the greatest obstacle is the inability to complete the tests on time. With practise, you can attain speed and therefore grasp the opportunity to respond to more or all test questions.

That said, no single model of evaluation can unravel all there is to a candidate. True, when HR departments are inundated with job applications, aptitude tests have at times been employed as an expedient instrument of carving back the number of job applicants. Some organisations however administer them for the final candidates who make up the short list.

There are instances where capable candidates have failed aptitude tests due to the angst generated by the pressure of time constraint. In the end, it is worth noting that certain traits of a candidate cannot entirely be left to the vagaries of digital or scientific testing, unyoked from face-to-face interaction, which is a staple component of our working lives.