Aptitude Vs. Psychometric Testing; What Is The Difference?

Many companies utilise psychometric and aptitude tests within their recruitment process. The tests are used to assess a candidate’s attributes, characteristics, intelligence and general abilities. The term ‘psychometric’ refers to the measure of an individual’s understanding of specific formulae, theories and concepts. ‘Aptitude’ refers to the measure of an individual’s characteristics, intellect and potential for understanding new theories or concepts.

Psychometric testing is an assessment method used in recruitment to measure a candidate’s mental capabilities and personality traits. Through multi-faceted methods of collection, a recruiter is able to observe a candidate’s behaviour, personality, cognitive thinking and profile on the basis of this.

Psychometric testing allows for further refinement during the hiring process as the recruiter can account for educational history, knowledge and skill by looking at the candidate’s application or CV.

Aptitude tests are a great way for recruiters to understand a candidate’s suitability to a role. Aptitude tests are more specific and examine the candidate’s ability to learn to do a new task rather than testing the skills they may already have. Recruiters should typically issue aptitude tests to assess the candidates capabilities in regards to problem-solving, prioritisation and numerical skills.

The types of questions recruiters should ask and types of aptitude tests they should issue depends on the industry in which they are recruiting. For example, a recruiter hiring for a secretarial position should issue a clerical aptitude test.

Aptitude tests are highly beneficial to recruiters as they have a scoring system which makes it easier to compare candidate performance. Aptitude tests should be issued to selected candidates after shortlisting has occurred.

The main categories of Aptitude Tests include;

• Clerical
• Diagrammatic/Abstract reasoning
• Verbal reasoning
• Mechanical reasoning
• Spatial ability
• Logical reasoning

Clerical Aptitude Tests

Clerical aptitude tests assess the skills necessary to perform optimally in a clerical position (Clerk, Receptionist, Secretary). A Clerical aptitude test will include subject matters surrounding Alphabetical Filing, Basic Mathematics, Data Checking, Reading Comprehension, and Attention To Detail.

Diagrammatic Reasoning

Diagrammatic reasoning tests assess a candidate’s ability to problem-solve and analyse visual information such as diagrams and patterns. Diagrammatic reasoning tests present a sequence or sequences of shapes, patterns and numbers.

These tests do not rely on technical or industry knowledge, language or mathematical skills, rather they simply focus on a candidate’s intellect and ability to reason.

Diagrammatic Reasoning tests are often aimed at selecting information technology specialists.

Verbal Reasoning Tests

Verbal reasoning tests are used to measure a candidate’s comprehension level, including their ability to spell and use grammar correctly. They are designed to assess a candidate’s ability to understand the information they have read, think constructively and reach accurate conclusions.

Mechanical Reasoning Tests

Mechanical reasoning tests are issued as pre-employment tests to candidates that require basic mechanical understanding. Mechanical reasoning is therefore the ability to understand mechanical and physical concepts.

Spatial Ability

Spatial ability tests assess a candidate’s ability to manipulate 2D or 3D shapes/objects, spot patterns between shapes and visualise movements and changes in the given shapes. Spatial ability tests are often distributed to candidates applying for technical or engineering positions.

Logical Reasoning Tests

Logical reasoning tests are non-verbal assessments which test a candidate’s ability to analyse logical and abstract reasoning, obtaining rules and structures to determine an appropriate answer.

Logical reasoning tests are therefore designed to measure a candidate’s ability to reach an intuitive conclusion.

Psychometric testing and Aptitude testing are often used interchangeably, despite their differences. Psychometric testing should be considered an umbrella term which encompasses two main areas of testing; Aptitude/Ability testing and Personality profiling.

Recruiters should use psychometric tests to identify the best candidates for the advertised position. Aptitude tests should be used to ensure a candidate has the necessary skills for the job, or the potential to learn new skills.

In conclusion, Aptitude tests are a key aspect of Psychometric testing and should be used within the recruitment process. You can view our complete test library here, inclusive of Verbal Reasoning tests, Mechanical Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.