MT - Business case - THE APTITUDE TEST WORKBOOK

THE APTITUDE TEST WORKBOOK i ii THE APTITUDE TEST WORKBOOK Discover your potential and improve your career options with practice psychometric tests Revised edition JIM BARRETT iii London and Philadelphia Whilst the author has made every effort to ensure that the content of this book is accurate, please note that occasional errors can occur in books of this kind. If you suspect that an error has been made in any of the tests included in this book, please inform the publishers at the address printed below so that it can be corrected at the next reprint. First published in Great Britain in 2004 Reprinted 2004, 2005, 2007 (twice) Revised edition 2008 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 120 Pentonville Road London N1 9JN United Kingdom www.koganpage.com 525 South 4th Street, #241 Philadelphia PA 19147 USA © Jim Barrett, 2004, 2008 The right of Jim Barrett to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. ISBN 978 0 7494 5237 7 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barrett, Jim. The aptitude test workbook : discover your potential and improve your career options with practice psychometric tests / Jim Barrett. — rev. 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-7494-5237-7 1. Vocational interests—Testing. 2. Occupational aptitude tests. 3. Vocational guidance. I. Title. HF5381.5.B26 2008 153.9⬘4--dc22 2008010355 Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall iv Contents 1 2 3 4 Introduction 1 Verbal tests 8 Test 1: Word skills Test 2: Verbal concepts Test 3: Critical application 10 24 33 Numerical tests 43 Test 4: Number skills Test 5: Numerical reasoning Test 6: Number logic 46 57 63 Perceptual tests 71 Test 7: Perceptual logic Test 8: Perceptual deduction Test 9: Power focus 72 87 101 Spatial tests 115 Test 10: Shapes Test 11: Blocks Test 12: Design 116 123 131 v Contents 5 6 vi Practical tests 139 Test 13: Word order Test 14: Numerical systems Test 15: Graphs, tables and charts Test 16: Memory 140 151 161 171 Interpreting your test results 181 Your aptitude profile Your career potential 181 186 Further reading from Kogan Page 193 Introduction This book contains tests of a psychological type. They will be of interest to people who want to practise tests in order to gain greater awareness of their aptitudes and abilities, or to prepare for ‘real test’ situations. The tests are representative of many tests used for academic, assessment, recruitment or selection purposes, and will help you to: • get into the ‘way of thinking’ that is required when taking tests; • see where you may be able to improve key skills; • gain awareness of strengths and where they can take you. The inclusion of two new psychological tests makes this revised edition even more comprehensive. The new tests of Word Skills and Numerical Skills are longer and have a wider range than the tests they replace. They are typical of the tests that are used for selection and assessment purposes in order to reveal what standard has been attained by a candidate. They are used as assessments for further training or as criterion measures for certain jobs where specific skills are required. Aptitudes and abilities Most organizations as well as many educational institutions use some form of psychological testing as part of their selection or employment 1 The aptitude test workbook procedure. Testing has become routine because it is often perceived as essential, even though there may exist evidence of prior learning (school, college or professional qualifications) or previous experience (job record and other attainments). The main reasons are: • to give an indication of long-term potential for a course, training or job; • to give up to date information; • to provide data that is relevant and fair. Employers and educational bodies are in a position to compare people’s performance on tests with other measures of success. For these reasons what tests seek to discover is: • What can you do now – have you got the ability? • What potential have you – have you got the aptitude? This workbook has a comprehensive range of tests of the types commonly presented to intending students and job applicants. ‘Real test’ situations Preparation is not ‘cheating’. Far from it, because if you are not prepared you may not properly show people what you are capable of achieving. Too many people appear to ‘fail’ tests for all the wrong reasons, such as: • not knowing what was expected; • feeling nervous; • not understanding the instructions; • never having seen anything like that before; • not knowing whether it was possible to ask a question. There is no shame in failing something you really cannot do, but it is a waste to fail at something you can. You may have missed the opportunity of your lifetime, and this may well be a loss to other people as well. To give yourself the best chance possible, prepare yourself well in advance. If you have used this workbook, you will have gained plenty of 2 Introduction experience of what you are likely to meet when it comes to ‘the real thing’. In addition, make sure that you do not let yourself in for any surprises. Therefore, before you even approach any test situation you should: • Ask exactly why you are taking the test and what it is for. • Ask how the results will be used and whether you will get the results. • Ask what the test consists of, how long it takes and whether there is any practice material you can look at. • Make sure you are comfortable and ready to take a test. You must not feel any unnecessary stress, either physical or mental. • Wear clothes that are appropriate to the situation and check whether you are expected to provide any materials or anything else yourself. Getting into the ‘way of thinking’ when taking tests The tests in this book are representative samples of tests, but tests, like the people who take them, come in all shapes and sizes. What they all have in common is a requirement for discipline and attention. You can take your time and study the tests in your own way. Each is presented as a ‘real’ test in the way you would see it in a real test situation. Therefore, you are likely to get most from the tests in this book if you work through them as if you were taking them for real. This involves timing yourself and completing them exactly in the way that would be asked of you if you were in ‘examination conditions’. In any test situation: • Give yourself plenty of time before the test starts and whilst looking through instructions. • Do not be afraid to ask questions (this often helps others as much as you). • Always work through practice examples. Take your time and make sure you thoroughly understand the process. 3