Aptitude tests are similar to intelligence tests in that they measure a broad spectrum of abilities Such tests yield a profile of scores rather than a single IQ and are widely used in educational and vocational counseling. Aptitude tests also have been developed to measure professional potential (e.g., legal or medical) and special abilities (e.g., clerical or mechanical). The Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) measures specific abilities such as clerical speed and mechanical reasoning as well as general academic ability.

Aptitude tests use a series of questions about your interests, about your style of working, and how you interact with other people. when taking a aptitude test, it's important to be as honest as possible. Usually your first instinct is the right one. By answering these questions, a career aptitude test can help you figure out your natural preferences and strengths. Aptitude tests then try to match these preferences and strengths with a large database of careers.

An assessment test can't guarantee the perfect career - but it can be a wonderful tool to use to narrow down your choices or open up avenues you might never have thought to explore! Aptitude tests are standardized tasks designed to indicate an individual’s future job proficiency or success in training. Some tests have been specifically developed for this purpose while others have been borrowed from educational, clinical and research use Tests may be administered to an individual or to a group. The main types now in use are of intellectual, spatial, mechanical, perceptual and motor abilities, and of interests and personality traits.

Tests must be shown to be job-relevant, the most persuasive evidence usually being the demonstration of a relationship between pre-entry tests scores and later training or job performance (predictive validity).Most aptitude tests are paper-and-pencil. Only a small proportion involve other types of material or apparatus. Recent developments include the production of computerized versions of existing tests, and computer scoring. It is likely that tests designed to benefit from computer technology, for example tests involving the display of dynamic material on the visual display unit, and the interpretation of test results using computer software.