Forty per cent of employers now use aptitude tests as part of their employee selection process and this number appears to be rising. Find out more about the standard aptitude tests

Employers now recognise that choosing candidates on the basis of a job interview only is very subjective. They know that it’s not always the most suitable candidate who performs best in the interview and making a recruitment decision based on 45 minutes is not ideal, so many choose to base their recruitment decisions on selection test results as well as an interview to add an element of objectivity to the decision making.

However, some employers use career aptitude tests as a way to select candidates for interview. In this case, employers review applications and CVs as usual, choose suitable candidates, put them through testing and invite only those who do well in the tests for an interview.

Your potential employer may do either or may not do job testing at all – you can always ask when you apply, so you can be ready whatever the case.

Common career aptitude tests include:

Verbal Reasoning Tests or Logic Test Questions

These are designed to see how well you can understand and interpret written text. Usually there is a time limit but applicants are not always expected to complete all the questions in the time allowed.

Here’s an example question, the answer and an explanation:

Heart disease is so common that almost all businesses will have employees who either suffer from or will suffer from this condition. Research indicates that between 55-85% of all people who suffer a heart attack can’t return to work, because either their work is physically demanding or it’s high-pressure, stressful work.

Based on the paragraph above, for each statement which follows, state whether it is

a) False
b) True
c) Or not possible to say either way

1.Physical or stressful work may bring on a heart attack.

The answer is c) – it is not possible to say either way. You may know from life experience that physical or stressful work may bring on a heart attack but the statement does not tell you this or deny this.

You can practice logic test questions to improve your performance in actual tests.

Maths or Numerical Tests

Maths or numerical tests are designed to measure your ability to do basic mental arithmetic, not complex maths. Tests are usually multiple choice and timed.

If it’s been a while since you studied maths, take some time to brush up on basic mental arithmetic such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, fractions and reading graphs. It will give you more confidence in the test and improve your test scores.

Try not to worry about taking any tests before or after an interview but if you can, practice some tests as this will leave you much better prepared.