Aptitude tests measure an individual's potential ability and capacity to acquire specific skills or knowledge in various areas such as mechanical, clerical, musical, and graphic arts. These tests assess teachability, special inclinations, and predict success in relevant training or professions. The document discusses various aptitude tests, their reliability, and their role in educational and vocational guidance.

2. • “An aptitude is a
combination of
characteristics indicative
of an individual’s capacity
to acquire(with training)
some specific knowledge,
skill, or set of organized
responses such as the
ability to speak a
language, to become a
musician, to do
mechanical work.”
-: Freeman

3. “An aptitude test is
one designed to
measure a person’s
potential ability in
an activity of a
special kind &
within a restricted
range.”
:- Freeman

4. • To obtain a measure of
a person’s essential
teachability in a given
area.
• To asses one’s degree of
special bent.
• To estimate the extent
to which an individual
would profit or achieve
success from specific
course or training.

5. Aptitude
tests
Specialized
Mechanical Clerical Musical Graphic
Generalized
DATB
GATB

6. Mechanical
•capacity to acquire
about mechanical
matters
•Tests include tasks
related to basic
information of tools &
their uses.
•Eg., Bennet tests of
mechanical
comprehension
Clerical
•Perceptual, motor &
intellectual abilities.
•Knowledge of simple
commercial terms,
alphabetical filing,
arithmetical problems,
classification & sorting.
•Eg., Minnesota
vocational test for
clerical works.
Musical
•Various aspects
essential for being a
good musician.
•Pitch discrimination,
loudness
discrimination, rhythm
judgment, chord
analysis.
•Eg.,seashore measures,
wing standardized test
Graphic arts
*capacity for learning &
performing graphic arts
.
*creative imagination &
ability to create
abstract design.
*eg.,horne art aptitude
inventory.
These tests assess a person’s aptitude for a specific area only.

7. • Present trend is to use these tests.
• Assess suitability of persons for different
professions on the basis of scores in relevant
aptitude tests in batteries.

8. Some examples of aptitude tests

9. Bennett tests of mechanical reasoning
• Consists of mechanical
problems in pictorial form.
• In each instance,
accompanying the picture is
a statement of problem
depicted, with 2-3 answers
from which to choose the
correct one.
• Measures one’s
understanding of physical &
mechanical principles in
relatively simple situations.

10. • There are 3 forms for
different groups.
• Reliability coefficients
range from .81 to .93
• There is no need of any
special knowledge.
• Problems are universal.
• However some items can
be better performed with
prior knowledge of some
principles of physics &/or
actual experience.

11. The Horne art aptitude inventory
• Was devised to use with applicants for
admissions to arts school.
• Creativeness test
• In the first part, subject requires to draw 20
familiar objects within short time limits.
Subject also has to create simple abstract
designs starting with given set of triangle,
rectangle, etc.

12. • In the second part, “imagery” there are 12
cards, each has several lines that must serve
as a basis of picture to be drawn.
• Scoring is done on the basis of creative
imagination & technical quality. Examples are
provided for rating good, excellent, average or
poor.

14. Differential aptitude test
• First published in 1947.
• For students of 8th to
12th class.
• 2 levels.
Level I. 7-9 grades students, those who
completed this level.
Level II. 10-12 grades students, those
who completed this level but
not high school.

15. • 8 tests in this battery.
1 Verbal reasoning
2 Numerical reasoning
3 Abstract reasoning
4 Mechanical reasoning
5 Perceptual speed & accuracy
6 Space relations
7 Spelling
8 Language usage

16. • Practice test covering all 8
areas is available.
• A special form the
“Differential Aptitude Test
for Personnel & Career
Assessment” in which each
of the 8 tests is shortened.
• It has been adapted in India
by S.M. Ojha.
• DAT has proved very
successful in providing
educational & vocational
guidance.

17. Utility of aptitude tests
• Backbone of guidance
services
• Help to locate fields in
which a person would be
most likely to be successful.
• Helps to guide youngsters in
selecting course of study.
• Educational & vocational
selection.
• Properly anticipate future
potentials of a person.

18. Resources
• Anastasi,A.,Urbania.S.(2004). Psychological
testing(7th ed.). India: PHI.
• Freeman F.S. Psychological testing, oxford &
IBH publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd.