An aptitude test is often used by employers as a part of their recruitment process. The idea behind using this test is to measure a candidate's work-related mental capacity or intelligence quotient (IQ) which is one of the deciding factors for whether the person is a good fit for a job or not. As a job seeker, you might come across various kinds of aptitude tests which can help you in your career development, but the most common ones are:
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Abstract or Conceptual Reasoning Test - This category of test measures your ability to recognize patterns, apply logical rules and integrate the data for problem solving.
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Verbal Reasoning Test - This type of test measures your ability to understand verbal information, think about the written information in a logical way, draw accurate conclusions, produce written reports and finally convey the complete information in a simple and clear form.
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Numerical Reasoning Test - This test measures your ability to understand, study and draw reasonable conclusions based on mathematical data presented in the form of tables and graphs.
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Spatial Reasoning Test- This test measures your ability to think about three-dimensional objects and draw conclusions about them using limited information.
The ability to perform well in these tests is based on a combination of your natural aptitude and experience with giving such tests. Since you can't change your natural aptitude, you may as well focus on gaining experience. So what do the best job-seekers do to crack an aptitude exam? Nothing but practice, practice, and practice.
Practicing helps you will familiarize yourself with content so that you are more relaxed and focused while performing the test. The confidence that practice gives you will help reduce the number of errors you make and improve your chances of beating other candidates. That's not all. The process of preparing for an aptitude test can make you more aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, which in turn, will help you plan for your own career. For instance, if you struggle with numerical reasoning, you are probably better off pursuing careers that don't depend on your ability to work with numbers like finance or accounts.
Now that you know practice can make you a pro, you need to have the right method to prepare. We suggest using online tests as they come with many advantages:
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They are realistic- Many companies have moved to use online tests for recruitment. In India, RBI, Railways, State Bank all conduct online aptitude tests to fill vacancies
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They are affordable - online tests are cheaper than coaching institutes, many of them are free too
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They offer flexibility - you can give your online tests anytime and from anywhere
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They give you instant feedback on your performance - Most online tests offered today to give you instant feedback on your own performance
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They allow comparative performance analysis - Many online tests allow you to instantly compare your performance with other students or job-seekers preparing for the same test. This helps you assess where you stand and your chances of making it.
When preparing for your aptitude exam, sitting through online mock tests can help you fix a lot of things that might be a hurdle for you. Let's see how:
Get Familiar with the Instructions
Every aptitude test has a set of instructions with important guidelines like- time allotted for each test, the total number of questions in a section, total marks associated with the test, how to answer the questions, etc. When you sit through a mock test online, you can get a good idea about commonly stated instructions so that during the actual aptitude test, you can save time. A word of caution, always read instructions at the start of every test since they may differ according to different organizations.
Know What Kind of Questions you May Encounter
There are various categories of aptitude exams including spatial reasoning, numerical reasoning, situational judgment, etc., containing different types of questions. Online mock tests are designed in a way so that you get maximum exposure to various questions. These will be very similar to what you may encounter in your final test, although you should always bear in mind that they won't be exactly the same.
Practice Time Management
In any aptitude test, time plays an important role. Even if you are an expert and capable of answering all the questions, it is very important that you stick to the given time duration. If you are not able to answer all questions within the stipulated time, it will negatively impact your overall score. Once you start practicing with online tests, your speed of answering automatically improves.
Study your Results
After submitting the test, you will have results in front of you. They will reveal your scores based on your answers and you will be able to see where you went wrong. Studying your mock test results can help you improve your performance as you learn the right answers to questions you got wrong. You can then focus on practicing sections where you tend to make more mistakes to further boost your confidence before the actual test.
Improve your accuracy and consistency
When you do a lot of practice online, your ability to get answers right every time you give a test should improve. Like a professional singer who rehearses before a performance, the benefit of a lot of practice is that you will be ready to give a good performance in your aptitude test even while giving it unfamiliar circumstances like an exam hall or testing center.
These are the five ways in which online tests can help you prepare for an aptitude exam. If looking for such tests, check our Fair and Lovely Foundation, a free online education platform designed to empower women.
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