Technical Aptitude Tests: 20 Important Facts you need to Know

By | July 17, 2023
Technical Aptitude Tests
With a technical aptitude test, the employer wants to be sure that candidates can perform calculations accurately and fast, etc.

The purpose of administering technical aptitude tests is to identify suitable candidates for technical roles within the emergency services and the military, as well as in the craft and engineering professions.

A technical aptitude test, which is also known as Technical Test Battery, is designed to evaluate your knowledge of basic mechanics, as well as your spatial reasoning and visual acuity.

Technical aptitude tests are designed for application for any type of role and will assess your ability to work skillfully with your hands, manipulate three-dimensional space, and analyze reports.

The duties on the technical aptitude test will differ from organization to organization, but the important material will remain the same.

20 Important Facts about Technical Aptitude Tests you need to Know

Here are important facts and tips on technical aptitude tests that you need to know to excel in it:

  1. What is a technical aptitude test?

Technical aptitude tests are designed particularly for technical fields. It’s a pre-employment assessment test to qualify candidates for the technician, mechanic, machine operator, and engineering jobs.

Although psychometric tests can measure general intelligence, they don’t necessarily assess technical ability.

The skills required for a job in a technical field are quite different from the skills needed for a corporate job.

  1. What does a technical aptitude test assess?

The technical aptitude test assesses you in three fields such as spatial reasoning, mechanical ability, and visual acuity.

Depending on the company you are applying to, your verbal comprehension and numerical skills might also be assessed.

The employer wants to be sure you can perform calculations accurately and fast and that you can analyze a written report and take out the related information.

  1. How to prepare for a technical aptitude test

You’ll have to ensure that you practice prior to your assessment day. You may not be prepared for the visual acuity and spatial reasoning parts of the technical aptitude test even if you’ve been working with tools for years.

You are going to meet unique questions that are not necessarily difficult you most likely won’t have come across before.

You wouldn’t want to lose out on a job just because you weren’t prepared. Therefore, you will see sample questions and answers that are provided for you in this article.

Study them and get used to them before sitting for your test.

  1. Top five tips on how best to prepare for the technical aptitude tests

Below are top five tips on how to prepare for technical aptitude tests:

i. Practice

Practice is the most essential approach you can prepare for any pre-employment test.

Practicing technical aptitude tests will help you become familiar with the style of questions, and the way in which they need to be answered – like multiple-choice questions.
Practice under exam conditions in order to learn how to answer the questions fast and accurately. You can see how positively practice can affect your forthcoming exam.

ii. Study critical reasoning skills

Although technical aptitude tests center on your technical skills, you still need to acquire the ability to read, understand, and analyze data, as well as provide a conclusion from it as some questions will come in that form.

The verbal reasoning section contains a passage of text that is typically related to the job role.

You will be asked to get information from this passage.

Numerical reasoning has charts, graphs, and tables; you will have to solve some basic math problems to find the correct answer.

Inductive reasoning or diagrammatic reasoning comprises shapes or images, and you will be asked to look for what comes next or what is missing.

Learning these kinds of questions will assist you to develop targeted reading, basic math knowledge, and be ready to find patterns that will help make you successful in the test.

iii. Improve your theoretical knowledge

Improving your knowledge of the general theories of physics and mechanics will make you perform well in the technical aptitude test.

It’s necessary to refresh your memory of the basic principles of things such as electricity, gravity, force, sound, as well as levers and pulleys.

iv. Get used to spatial reasoning skills

You need to acquire the skills of how to manipulate shapes in three dimensions and get accustomed to using visualizing objects in various ways.

Using video games is a very great way you can practice spatial awareness and improve your skills in unfolded shapes and mirror images.

v. Identify the publisher

You need to find out who the publisher of the test you are about to take is so as to make the most of your practice.

If you are given this information as part of your application, then you need to alternatively contact the recruiter.

Finding specific practice assessments from some of the main tests publishers like SHL and Talent Q will make it more relevant and ensure that you are used to the test format, as well as the test’s time limits and how the questions will look like and be presented.

  1. The application of technical aptitude tests

There are a lot of ways that technical aptitude tests can be applicable and customized.

These tests can be applied to all job applicants such as the sales aptitude test, manager aptitude test, quantitative aptitude test, accounting aptitude test, tech, design, and more.

The technical aptitude assessment for software developers evaluates candidates on their coding ability in test cases, problem-solving, and conceptual knowledge, and their ability to develop the courage to provide solutions to difficult situations.

  1. How do the technical aptitude tests judge candidates?

The technical aptitude tests provide a clear picture of the candidate’s ability to come out successfully.

All these areas of assessment give the recruiter a clue about a candidate’s competence.

Recruiters only want to be sure that the aptitude, knowledge, and skills they are assessing are indeed relevant to the available position.

The results that represent a candidate’s performance are easily interpreted on the online assessment platforms, very similar to that of truly placing the candidate on the job.

  1. How do the technical aptitude tests work?

Technical aptitude tests are taken online; they help the employer to streamline their full assessments and hiring processes, as well as to be time and budget-friendly.

The entire process of the technical aptitude tests is laid down into four easy steps, including:

  • Test creation: Recruiters create an online test and invite candidates.
  • Test conduction: The test is expected to be taken in a proctored online environment.
  • Reports: The recruiter gets a detailed report of evaluated results.
  • List of relevant candidates: The recruiter has a list of relevant candidates.
  1. What are the ways that technical aptitude tests can be used?

The several ways that online technical aptitude tests can be used include:

  • Campus hiring
  • Campus brand ambassador
  • Creative thinking for various scenarios
  • Walk-ins
  • Hackathons
  • End-to-end hiring.
  1. PHP test

The purpose of the PHP online test is to measure the candidate’s knowledge of PHP. The assessment consists of a combination of questions on various aspects of PHP such as functions, looping, etc.

Coding questions are used to assess the coding skills of the candidate. Most common profiles that this test is used for include PHP Developer (1 – 3 years).

  1. QA test

QA online test is designed to measure a candidate’s interpretation, as well as their ability to analyze basic computer skills.

Questions found on the QA test include logic reasoning, basics of computer science, quantitative aptitude, etc., and they are meant to assess the test taker on basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.

The common profiles this assessment is used for include:

  • Graduates and undergraduates
  • Software engineer trainees
  • Software development interns.
  1. Android test

The Android online test is designed to measure candidates in the development of Android apps.

The tests comprise questions on various aspects of Android such as Android activity life-cycle, basic user interface design, intents and core Java concepts.

The assessment also involves coding problems that help measure the candidate’s coding skills and problem-solving ability.

Most common profiles that this assessment is used for include Android developer (1 – 2 years).

  1. HTML/UI test

HTML online test was created to evaluate the candidate in areas involving HTML and CSS. The test questions will be based on HTML tags, forms, and CSS concepts.

The most common profiles that this assessment is used for comprise HTML and CSS developer (1 – 3 years).

  1. Java test

The candidate’s programming skills, basic Java language knowledge, and core Java aptitudes are measured using Java online test.

Some of the areas that the Java online test covers are Core Java, Syntax correction, Debugging, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Types, etc.

The most common profiles that this test is used for include:

  • Java developer
  • Software engineer trainees
  • Junior software engineers
  • Software development interns.
  1. SDET test

The candidate’s programming skills, basic theoretical knowledge, and levels comprising easy, medium, and hard are assessed using the SDET test.

This assessment contains various aspects of programming such as syntax correction, debugging, and problem-solving.

The emphasis placed here is on the test covering inductive reasoning problems and assessing raw intelligence instead of the test taker’s cultural belief and background.

The most common profiles of this test are used for:

  • Java Developer
  • Software engineer trainees
  • Junior software engineers
  • Software development interns.
  1. Mechanical reasoning

The mechanical reasoning test contains a diagram of an electrical circuit, a simple machine, a set of gears, etc. accompanied by a set of questions.

You need to understand how the machine operates and the basic physical principles that enable it to function.

  1. Spatial reasoning

This test consists of a wide array of geometry puzzles. You might be presented with different shapes and asked to merge them together in a particular way without illustrating the problem on paper.

You might also come across diagrammatic reasoning questions where you’ll be required to analyze a set of anonymous functions in a fictitious operation.

You might be asked to match two-dimensional drawings with the relevant three-dimensional figures.

  1. Visual acuity

If a broken part of a machine is required to be repaired, a complex web of wires and circuitry should be scanned to identify the problem.

Therefore, this section of the test is about completing a set of mazes. This will be made clear to you that mazes aren’t games for kids, but an assessment method.

  1. Verbal comprehension

In this section, you’ll be requested to read a report and answer ‘true’ or ‘false’ questions based on your understanding.

You will need to simply understand some relevant terminology and take out vital information.

  1. Numerical reasoning

Numerical reasoning is very essential to technicians and mechanics. The test involves exact assessment, ordering new paths, and keeping track of inventory.

You’ll be required to perform basic calculations, although you may not need to solve differential equations.

Your basic numeracy will be assessed in this section, and no calculator will be allowed.

  1. Top ten tips to pass a technical aptitude test

These top ten tips will help you pass your technical aptitude test:

i. List the basic principles you’re going to be tested on in the technical aptitude test.

ii. Practice past tests and take sample aptitude tests.

iii. Find new ways to learn such as online games and rotating shapes.

iv. Learn mechanical questions.

v. Focus on objects in spatial questions and develop the ability to understand their different contexts.

vi. Get confident with numerical questions.

vii. Watch out for trick questions that might be there to challenge you.
viii. Become familiar with technical terminology.
ix. Reread the questions and eliminate whatever you notice is incorrect.
x. Catch a good night’s sleep, eat well, and drink plenty of water.

Technical Aptitude Tests Practice Questions and Answers

You can make use of the following practice questions and answers to boost your knowledge of what you are going to face in the technical aptitude test:

Question 1

Process layout is also known as:

A. Synthetic layout
B. Static product layout
C. Analytical layout
D. None of the above

The correct answer is C.

Question 2

During the manufacture of cement, ¬a_______ is widely used for handling materials.

A. Bucket conveyor
B. Belt conveyor
C. Overhead crane
D. Forklift truck

The correct answer is A.

Question 3

Linear programming can be applied successfully to

A. Bank
B. Oil industry
C. Chemical industry
D. All of the above

The correct answer is D.

Question 4

The most essential function of inventory control is

A. Technical responsibility for the state of materials
B. To run the stores effectively
C. Stock control system
D. All of the above

The correct answer is D.

Question 5

PERT is applied for

A. Installation of machinery
B. Research and development of products
C. Marketing programs and advertising programs
D. All of the above

The correct answer is D.

Conclusion

The technical aptitude test questions are designed to assess your knowledge of tools and simple machines and to respond to questions about mechanics, electrical circuits, optics, and fluids.

You need experience with these systems through practice.

Your ability to visualize patterns and concentrate for long periods of time on complex diagrams will also be assessed.

To be able to design, build, and repair machines, you’ll need to be able to call up complex images in your head and concentrate on small pieces and detailed electronic circuitry for long periods.

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