Resume Digest Blog

Hopefully whether you are apt or not! In a world where we are racing to do more with less, aptitude tests have become the recipe for personnel appraisal. Even if you are not currently job hunting, you may be faced with some online tests of some sort to check your OH&S knowledge or to indoctrinate you as to make sure your mindset is politically correct.

Obviously there are two sides to a coin and since aptitude tests are here to stay it appears there are benefits to both the candidate and the recruiter.

People may appear to have everything going for them but collapse when put under stress. Some have no shame in fudging their resume. It gets so bad that you can't take anything at face value from strangers. Every claim has to be substantiated. In recruitment you are deemed a liar until proved truthful. That's the level of trust in the 21st century. Compare that with 200 years ago when a real-estate transaction was done on the value of a handshake before witnesses!

Aptitude tests when well designed should be a reliable yardstick to rate objectively as many candidates as possible competing for the same position.

Candidates need to practise for this new environment as time-limited online tests can be daunting - remember the outcome being considered for the job or screened out.

Suddenly people computer skills improve dramatically because of what is at stake. People will soon walk around with a T-shirt displaying their IQ. Discrimination is never far away. There are already schools where people cram for all sorts of tests trying to fill-up their head with all the right answers.

What about taking a test where there is no right or wrong answer? Personality profiling is a gray area as 50% of people retested within 9 months will return different results!

Aptitude Tests is an online service where you can sit for several types of tests. Better test yourself and identify your weaknesses before someone else does. Recruiters can also sponsor candidates and receive a tabular report rating each individual in relation to the whole group. Finally experts in a given field can write tests and derive an income for their effort.

Tests are not limited to multiple choice questions. Sound clips are useful for testing your understanding of a foreign language. Graphics are used for perception tests and for assessing your knowledge of art, geography or technical issues.

An online service means candidates can take the test at home and be called for an interview once a shortlist has been established. Companies can benefit from scores of tests designed by several experts.