Career Aptitude Tests for High School Students: 19 Important Facts you need to Know

Career aptitude tests for high school students are often administered all over the United States, and students who earnestly await their results would like to see whether the results match their declared ambitions.

Guidance is offered to those ones who have no indication about what they want. The purpose of the career aptitude test is to provide high school students with an overview of their skills.

Direction for the future is also given to students.

Students should choose a major that focuses on their future career goals as the cost of college never stops increasing.

Taking the advantage of career aptitude tests is one of the ways teachers can make sure that students are prepared for college.

Students can advance their career eagerness skills when offered the chance to explore various career opportunities in the classroom.

Where to major in is a common question that students struggle with as they prepare for college.

So, to help make this complex question easier to answer, making use of career aptitude tests for high school students is the key.

To gain insights into potential matches, both junior and senior students should be encouraged to take these tests.

They can narrow down their options based on the results of that high school career test instead of wondering what major they should choose.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to finding a career assessment for high school students.

If you are to take the career aptitude tests for high school students, you should know what the test is all about and the tools to help you choose a major.

19 Important Facts about Career Aptitude Tests for High School Students you need to Know

Here are important facts and tips on the career aptitude tests for high school students that you need to know to perform excellently in the exam:

How can we describe a career aptitude test for high school students?

A career aptitude test for high school students is mostly a career quiz. The test helps them to determine which jobs or majors match their preferences and goals.

The career aptitude tests for high school students usually consist of multiple-choice questions and they are designed to make sure that a student’s personality, opinions, values, and goals are considered as they start a career path.

Naviance student assessment test

The Naviance test offers an assessment known as AchieveWorks Skills that help students to learn about skills they need to excel both in school and in the workplace.

The Naviance assessment discovers students’ top aptitudes and soft skills to build them over time. The test also analyzes which employment and career opportunities best suit them.

The AchieveWorks Skills assessment focuses on five main measurements such as creativity, critical thinking, conscientiousness, social-emotional, and leadership.

Six career aptitude tests for high school students

Students that plan their career in high school will have the opportunity to prepare for their future. With the Naviance assessment tool, students can prepare well for their careers and apply to colleges.

Besides assisting students to recognize their likes and dislikes, career aptitude tests can still bring an up-to-date and vital aspect of college and career readiness and also create a student’s career plan.

Below are six career aptitude tests that high school tutors can start using in the classroom these days:

MBTI Career Aptitude Test
MAPP Career Aptitude Test
The Princeton Review Career Quiz
CareerExplorer Career Test
Holland Code Career Aptitude Test
Gallup (by Naviance)

Why should I take career aptitude tests for high school students?

As a high school student, career aptitude tests will help you to determine what you want to do in life as the college application process is drawing close.

Remember you must choose a major and the higher education institution that will help you reach your goal.

You might already have an idea of what your skills and interests are if you have any work experience like an internship or volunteering. It takes lots of suggestions to identify exactly what your dream job is.

For reflecting on your personality type, skills, and interests, career assessment quizzes are there to help you as a student.

The reason you should know yourself better by taking career aptitude tests is to make a decision on what industry and job roles you want to build your career in.

So, stop wasting time and choose career aptitude tests for high school students for the opportunity to decide on the right career for you.

Answering the questions of career aptitude tests for high school students is entirely by choice

The questions you should answer in these tests depend on what answers you want to submit or what statements you relate to.

Bear in mind that the more accurate you are in providing your answers, the higher the opportunity to benefit from the report you receive.

Most high school students’ career aptitude tests have multiple-choice questions

The career aptitude tests for high school students usually contain four answers to select from, unlike some other tests that provide a list of statements you may have to relate to.

You may decide whether the statements apply to you completely, not at all, to a smaller or greater extent. There is a neutral option available if you are undecided on some accounts.

What should I also know about career aptitude tests for high school students?

What you should know when taking a career aptitude test for high school students is that you may find it difficult to provide answers to some questions.

In a situation where questions or statements seem too complex, think deeply about how to tackle them and try your best to provide the most truthful answer.

You should try to read all the questions thoroughly and provide detailed answers, as well as study your report carefully to get to know yourself better.

You should regard the report as a suggestion rather than the final answer.

If you meet a situation where the test report suggests some majors or career paths you’ve never considered, it could be a chance to gain ideas, discover some new things, and make a clever ultimate decision.

Where can I take career aptitude tests for high school students?

You can take the career aptitude tests for high school students in your high school’s counseling office.

You can ask your school’s career counselor to give you a quiz to complete if you schedule an appointment with them.

Right there, you can talk to them to interpret your report with you to help you understand it.

You mustn’t leave your home to take the career aptitude tests for high school students as the tests are becoming more and more popular and remote-based.

Why are career aptitude tests for high school students useful?

Career aptitude tests for high school students are useful because they help you reflect on your values and strengths, determine what your work style is, and understand what careers align with your interests.

These tests are also useful in making you identify your personality type and how it relates to your day-to-day activities, as well as getting ideas for majors you want to study and careers you want to pursue.

What are the functions of career aptitude tests for high school students?

Career aptitude tests for high school students come in several forms. While some tests require students to answer a series of multiple-choice questions and use their areas of strengths and weaknesses to determine potential careers, others offer a series of statements about interests and emotions, requiring students to indicate how well the statements relate to them.

ACT Explore and ACT Plan are tests that comprise both interest-based questions and knowledge-based questions and use those skills and interests to decide potential careers.

There are Kuder Assessments that ask students to rank their skills and interests to determine their ideal career path. Kuder’s assignment may encourage students that are unable to make up their minds and help them to discover and achieve what they want to be.

What type of college should I attend?

You may be wondering what to choose for a major or how to make an informed career choice so as to have joyful, fruitful, and successful working years.

Well, these questions are common among high school students.

Many people don’t look for answers to these questions until they have graduated from high school and college and are already in the working class.

That’s very wrong, because at this stage of one’s life family and financial commitments may make it hard to change careers.

These vital questions should be asked before enrolling in a college and before starting your first job.

How can I make a choice of school and major?

A high school student’s most immediate concern could be placed on making choices of college and major.

A lot of colleges and universities in the United States offer more than 230 major courses of study, including literature, architecture, psychology, management, communications, engineering, and lots more.

Obviously, this variety of choices may seem irresistible even to informed students. The Occupational Informational Network Resource Center is a place to visit if you want to explore careers. Their website is www.onetcenter.org.

Furthermore, the cost of higher education has been increasing significantly. It’s a considerable investment every parent can make for their child. It has become even more vital to plan your education carefully because of the variety and cost.

What else to consider when choosing a school and a major is where you will likely be happier and more industrious.

Again, how does your SAT verbal score balance with the level of verbal ability to go into the freshman class?

What are the challenges and the boredom of the job you’ve chosen?

Do you know yourself as a student waiting to take a career aptitude test?

You need to know yourself and also your strengths. Having a general idea of your goals will help you a lot and you will benefit more from your education.

Questions you should ask yourself include, what are my interests? What are my aptitudes? What are my values? These are some of the areas you can know yourself better.

Know which jobs will be most in demand at the time of your graduation. You can also hear from the experiences of people that have walked through the path before you.

Questions of career aptitude tests for high school students

The questions that you will need to answer in the career aptitude tests for high school students depend on the test you are taking.

But there are key areas your questions will focus on and these have been listed here:

Skills
Values
Work style
Likes and dislikes
Personality traits

15. How can I prevent and control anxiety in my career aptitude tests as a student?

If you are nervous about the test you are planning to take, there are steps to take. These include:

Get prepared

Test tension will be reduced if you take classes, read notes and review them repeatedly. Being confident will help decrease anxiety and make you relax.

Practice over and over again

If you really want to prepare for your test, you need to make use of practice tests and learn the way through them.

Practicing test-taking in a test-like environment will help you deal with test-taking anxiety.

A study room or library is a good place to practice. Stay calm, relaxed, and confident. You must have built the confidence with repeated practice.

Picture success

Visualize yourself having distinctions, and pursue it with goal-setting. Work towards your goal and take one step at a time.

Develop a plan and pursue it

A plan for studying should be developed as soon as you know that a test is coming. Develop a plan for the test once you get your test paper.

Arrive early and be ready

Arrive at the test with all the things you need such as a calculator, pencils, erasers, and more.

Come to class early so you don’t get worried about time. Avoid chatting with class and focus on relaxing.

Focus on yourself

Keep a focus on your own work and plan and avoid comparing yourself to other students in the class, especially during the test.

Go through your work before submitting it to see if there is an error somewhere in your work. This will give you a chance to make any corrections on time.

Eat very well and catch a good night’s sleep

Avoid going to the test hungry, or eating poor quality food. Make sure you catch a good sleep at night so you don’t feel sleepy taking the test.

16. Myers-Briggs Indicator (MBTI) Career Aptitude Test

The MBTI is included in the career aptitude tests for high school students. The MBTI serves as a support for online quizzes that students take, and is one of the most popular and widely-used tests utilized by high school guidance counselors.

In the assessment, you may be asked to watch a TV series and answer a question that shows how invested you are.

Some of the potential results of the MBIT include ISFP, ESTP, INFJ, and ENTI.

The MBIT can help you discover your needs and how you interact with other people and your surroundings.

You will be able to recognize the ideal surroundings and job culture where you can do well by understanding the MBIT.

17. Holland Code Career Aptitude Test

There are six areas of interest that the Holland Code Career Aptitude Test measures based on John Holland’s RAISEC Theory of Career Choice, including:

Realistic (mechanical, electrical, working outdoors, and construction)
Artistic (art, craft, self-expression, and design)
Investigate (research, experimentation, thinking, and problem-solving)
Social (counseling, teaching, and medical care)
Enterprising (politics, leadership, persuasion, and sale)
Conventional (organizing, recording, and categorizing)

It’s believed that success is sure when the same career personality types work together to accomplish a common goal and working with like-minded people is an ideal atmosphere to maximize your passion and improve your talents.

The Holland Code compares your interests with your ideal career field, helping you to find a compatible working environment that aligns with your personality in the place of work.

18. Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) Career Aptitude Test

This piece of test seeks to unveil the activities students are motivated to do and what prompts them to get up and go to school.

The MAPP Career Aptitude Test is a credible career aptitude test that was created for high school students to help them decide which college course to major in or what employment to choose.

The test is longer than most career assessment tests with 71 questions. This occurs because the test only wants to be complete in analyzing skills, interests, learning style, and temperament.

It will help you discover the tasks you enjoy, your work styles, how you relate with others, and how you handle other aspects of work.

19. Keirsey Temperament Aptitude Sorter

Keirsey Temperament Aptitude Sorter is another career test for students. The test is based on Dr. David Keirsey’s model, which was made to divide individuals into four temperaments. These include:

Guardian – This test assesses how dutiful and focused a student is on traditions and accomplishments.
Idealist – This assessment measures how abstract and compassionate a student is and who finds pleasure in looking for a deeper purpose for what they do.
Rational – This questionnaire evaluates people who seek discipline, competence, and self-control.
Artisan – Those who love fun and optimism are judged based on these traits.

Dr. Keirsey noticed that someone’s temperament controls his core pursuits in life.

This test will give you insights into your temperament and lead you to a better understanding of yourself and the career you are most suitable for as a high school student.

Career Aptitude Tests for High School Students Practice Questions and Answers

These practice questions and answers will help you a lot as you prepare for career aptitude tests for high school students and make you have some experience of the test:

Question One

Sandra is older than Paulina. Paulina and Rose are both older than Mandy. Zelina is not the youngest.

Who is the youngest of the five?

A. Paulina
B. Mandy
C. Zelina
D. Cannot say

Answer:

B = Mandy

Explanation: There are 5 persons in total – Sandra, Paulina, Rose, Mandy, and Zelina.

By the same logic, neither Paulina nor Rose is the youngest as Mandy is younger than both.

That leaves Mandy and Zelina as the only two possible candidates.

However, it is mentioned that Zelina is not the youngest.

So, obviously, Mandy is the youngest.

Question Two

In the following sequence, identify the next number:
25, 49, 97, ?

A. 159
B. 179
C. 139
D. 193

Answer = D 193

Explanation: Try checking the difference between consecutive numbers since there is no clear arithmetic or geometric progression in the sequence.

A new sequence of the differences will be gotten as 24 i.e. (49-25) and 48 i.e. (97-49).

Let us quickly check the possible sequences that might be created from the differences since it’s a small set of numbers. It could be 24,48, 72. 96….etc. or 24, 48, 96, 192…etc.

The 4th number would be 97+72 = 169 if we check the original sequence with 72 as the difference between the 3rd and the 4th numbers, but it’s not in the given answer set.

However, one of the answer options is 97+96=193.

Thus, option D being 193 is the answer.

Question Three

Sample numerical reasoning test question

From November to December, what was the percentage rise in snowfall in Whistler?

A. 30%
B. 40%
C. 50%
D. 60%

Answer: C = 50%

Solution:

Identify how much snow fell in Whistler in November and December (Nov = 20cm & Dec = 30cm)
Calculate the difference between the two months: 30 – 20 = 10
Divide the difference by November (original figure) and multiply by 100: 10/20 x 100 = 50%

Question Four

Sample situational judgment test question

Passage: You recently presented a document to an approaching professional conference that many people will attend from your industry and from global universities. When you attended the conference in the past, it was highly regarded in the industry. The document contained compound research you’ve been carrying out with some main discoveries that you believe people will find very interesting and helpful. As soon as it has been accepted, your manager asks you to think about how you will present your findings so as to hit the biggest blow. You only have a very brief time schedule for your presentation. How would you respond?

From the passage below, choose two answers for how you would most likely and least likely respond.

A. Speak that you plan to use various graphics and images to try and draw out a handful of vital messages.
B. Speak that you intend to create a presentation that reflects the broader research paper that you wrote with similar section headers.
C. Ask your manager what they think would be the best method to use based on their experience.
D. Speak that you will spend a small amount of time introducing your method to the research but will mainly talk about your main findings and conclusions.

Answer: The most valuable reply is D, and the least valuable is C.

Solution: The least valuable is the third option, as you’re not demonstrating any unique thought by simply seeking their advice. Since the key findings are what you believe will be of greatest interest to the audience, Option D is the best. Therefore, it’s wise to lay emphasis on them.

Conclusion

High school students usually struggle with questions such as ‘what should I major in’ as they prepare for college. Utilizing career aptitude tests can help make this difficult question easier to answer.

Career aptitude tests for high school students usually include a multiple-choice test that helps conclude which jobs or majors align with different preferences.

It will take your personality as well as your personal goals and values as a student into account.