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Aptitude Test
This test is commonly used to judge the latest (existing but not yet developed) ability of a candidate to know new job skills. This will enable to understand whether a candidate is selected would be having the inclination of mechanical or clerical jobs. The aptitude test will guide the following forms of like Medicine, Art, Music, Painting or Clerical and many other activities. This test may lead to mental or intelligence test, mechanical aptitude test or psychomotor tests.
This test is further subdivided into 4 tests:
(a) Mental or intelligence test
This form of test measures the overall intelligence activity or IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of a person. It also measures the capacity for comprehensive reasoning, word fluency, verbal comprehension and other factors like digital span both forward and backward comprehension. But this test is proved to be dull as a selection device.
(b) Mechanical Aptitude Test
This test estimates capacity of spatial visualisation, perceptual accuracy and knowledge of mechanical aspects. This test is useful for selecting skilled mechanical employees and technicians.
(c) Psychomotor test
This test accounts for abilities like manual dexterity, motorability and coordination of individuals. It is also used for selection of semiskilled workers, who can assist the main work force.
(d) Clerical aptitude test
Test look on specific capacities required for office work, which includes checking and correcting spelling mistakes, copying, typing letters, keeping office records and files and despatching of mail from one place to another as an office administrative requirements.
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Achievement Test
This test is conducted when an applicant claims to know some special professional knowledge. It is useful to understand the quantum of specific knowledge the individual possesses at the time of an employment needed by the organization to select experienced candidate.
This test includes:
(a) Job knowledge test
In this test a candidate is examined for the knowledge he possesses. For instance, to promote a junior person to a seminar post, e.g., a LDC (Lower Division Clerk) to UDC (Upper Division Clerk) in an organization.
(b) Work sample test
A worker is doing his work of moulding section in a workshop of the company. To find out his capability, the in charge of the section may give him to mould a hot liquid material into a shape of one inch metal plate. If he succeeds in moulding the desired shape; he can be rated as an experienced “Sheet Metal Worker.”
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Situational Test
This test is used to find out basic characteristics of an individual, viz., value system, reactions and maturity, etc. A candidate is observed in his real life situation. In this he is told to involve himself with other candidates to solve a critical situation by bringing out his ideas.
(a) Group Discussion
A topic of common interest is given to the group to discuss and to arrive at a conclusion. In this the candidates’ ability to communicate with others, leadership quality, introducing valuable ideas, coordinating skill and ability to converse and conclude the subject in a cordial manner are judged.
(b) Basket Test
This is another type of situational test conducted through a basket containing different type of letters, requests, orders, etc., to be analysed by the candidates after going through the contents of varied documents in the basket.
After studying contents of each appropriate reply is to be made or solution is to be found by the individuals. In this a candidate’s capability to understand the subject of each paper and will bring out his perception, conception, investigation and decision making capabilities as a leader.
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Interest Test
It is the state of wanting to know something about or a capacity about a subject arousing in a person, who is normally non-intellectual in nature. This test-is an inventory of “likes and dislikes” of a person. The assumption of the test is that there is correlation between the interest of a person in his job and attaining success.
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Personality Test
Personality attributes are considered as important since they effect the entire behavioural pattern of a person. Personality refers to the impression which an individual forms on others. They are expressed in such traits like self-confidence, tact, conformity emotions, control opinion, decisiveness sociability, so on and so forth.
(a) Objective test
Most of the personality tests are objective tests, as they are suitable for group tests and can be scored objectively.
(b) Projective test
The test projects interpretation of certain ‘stimulus’ situations on confused form of pictures and figures.
