What is an aptitude test and what does it measure?...How to do well in Aptitude tests?....Interview Advice: Learn How to Tell a Story


Written By Prof.Sumit Rastogi  for  Everything About CMS Blog 


WHAT IS AN APTITUDE TEST AND WHAT DOES IT MEASURE?

Aptitude tests are designed to measure your work-related cognitive capacity. The concept behind these tests is that each test question has only one correct answer, and everyone can correctly solve all the test questions. The only difference between people is in how quickly they can correctly complete the test (i.e. answer all the test questions). That’s why these tests are always timed. The time is defined in such a way that only 1% to 5% of the population can correctly solve all the test questions within the allowed time frame.
What do aptitude tests measure? These tests measure what psychologists refer to as your fluid and crystallized intelligence. The theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence suggests that people’s intelligence is composed of a number of different abilities that interact and work together to produce overall individual intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems. It’s more commonly known as ‘street smarts’ or the ability to ‘quickly think on your feet’

Crystallized intelligence is the ability to learn from past experiences and relevant learning, and to apply this learning to a situation. Employers, obviously, will only be interested in your ability to apply your learnings to work-related situations.


How to do well in Aptitude tests?

(from The New York Times)

Shaan Patel, who scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT, is the author of “SAT 2400 in Just 7 steps” and a co-creator of an SAT prep course for Veritas Prep. He is a medical student at the University of Southern California.
The SAT is a significant exam for many college-bound high school students, but it doesn’t have to be a source of significant stress. As the French scientist Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
In that spirit, here are strategies to help you best prepare for the SAT:



Practice Under Test-Day Conditions

It’s no secret that practicing for the Aptitude test improves your score.But most students don’t realize how much how their practice matters.
As much as possible, try to create test-day conditions when you study. Use written practice exams during timed sessions. No cellphones, no music.

Write your responses in the test booklet.

By preparing under the same conditions you will encounter on test day, you will decrease surprises and increase your confidence and comfort with the exam.

The Interview

When it comes to recruiting and hiring, we know one thing to be true: interviewing can make or break a candidate. Maybe there really is a lack of experience, skill-related issue not easily determined by scanning a resume or simply heavy competition, but typically, if you are good enough to be brought in, the job is yours to win – or lose. Enter the valuable skill of storytelling.


Interview Advice: Learn How to Tell a Story
By Laurie
I always tell people that likability is the key factor in finding a job.

Personal referrals always beat resumes. Informal networking always beats an email. People who are seen do better than the anonymous inquiries in an email system.

For me, it is all about extending the window of judgment by being as neutral and inoffensive as possible. No crazy smells. No crazy clothes. When you finally open your mouth, it’s also important to stifle any personal opinions or ideas that can kill your likability quotient.

This is why it’s important for you to learn how to tell your story.
In order to find a job, you need to know some truths about yourself. Who are you?  What are the things you most enjoy?

Don’t memorize lines. Dig deeper. If you can tell your story, you can manage those awful behavior-based questions that come your way. You can very easily give an example of a time you failed on a project — and talk about what you learned from an experience — if you know exactly what you did and what you would do differently next time.

 The problem is that so few of us know how to tell a story. At the very least, you have to establish a setting. Beyond that, you must understand what motivates you as a character within that setting. We can’t develop our narrative because we are mired in the lies we tell ourselves to seem more accomplished than we really are.

 Finally, few of us understand how to end a story. Why are you here in my office asking for a job? If you don’t have a clear ending, I will make one up for you in my head. And I’ll probably misjudge you.

So how do you learn how to tell a story?

  • Read
  • Go to the movies.
  • Watch TV.
  • Pay attention to short stories.
And then ask your friends and colleagues to tell you their stories. Listen to what they say and don’t say. Then do better.


Blog Post taken for IILM GSM