Almost all companies organise aptitude tests when recruiting for job positions, especially at the entry-level. These tests are designed to assess candidates for various skills and capacities, such as behavioural skills, language skills, problem solving skills, critical reasoning capacity, and many others, with a view to weeding out unfit candidates. Typically, the tests are administered under exam conditions. In Nigeria, companies like KPMG, PwC, McKinsey and Company, Sahara Group, FMCG, manufacturing, service, insurance, banks, oil and gas companies etc. organise aptitude tests for their entry level job candidates.
So, if you’re looking to take up a graduate position in a company, bear in mind that you will most likely have to write an aptitude test, which is usually in a multiple-choice format. Your performance during this test will determine whether you will be invited for the next phase of the recruitment process, which is usually the interview. So, it is crucial that you pass this test to have any chances of getting that desired job. Tips on how to pass aptitude tests are listed here. In this article, we chronicle popular aptitude tests used by companies in Nigeria.
1. SHL: This format of test published by CEB SHL provides psychometric ability tests, including numerical, verbal, diagrammatic and inductive reasoning tests, commonly used for candidate screening and at assessment centres. As well as the overall score, speed, accuracy and caution are assessed during the course of the exam, and provided with the final test score. The most commonly used SHL aptitude tests by companies are the SHL Verify range of tests, with the most common types including numerical, verbal, inductive, mechanical, deductive reasoning and situational judgement tests. An example of a firm using SHL is PwC.
2. PLI: A 12-minute test, comprises of 50 questions. The Predictive Index Learning Indicator (PI Learning Indicator), formerly known as Professional Learning Indicator, is an effective tool used to measure one’s cognitive ability, and capacity to quickly learn and adapt on the job. According to Predictive Index (company that organises PLI), a person’s cognitive abilities are a direct indicator of an individual’s on-the-job performance and ability to acquire job knowledge. Testers are looking to see if you can learn the job quickly. The test measures your ability to do the following: Understand complex ideas, adapt properly to a new environment, learn from experience, reasoning and overcome obstacles. Format includes: Numerical Reasoning (Number series and math word problems), Verbal Reasoning (vocabularies, analogies and formal logic) and Non-verbal reasoning (spatial and inductive reasoning). Examples of firms using PLI for recruitment purposes are Maersk and GTB.
3. TALENTQ: Established in 2006 by Roger Holdsworth (also co-founder of SHL), the firm designs and delivers online psychometric assessments for various clients. The tests are ‘adaptive’, denoting that candidates are presented with questions that are selected on the basis of their performance on previous questions. This means you are likely to receive a unique combination of questions thereby reducing the risk of candidates sharing questions and answers. TalentQ tests cuts across the following:
Numerical: Used to assess a taker’s ability to analyse, grasp and interpret data using basic arithmetic and calculations expected in the workplace. Usually presented in the form of graphs, tables and diagrams. They include 12 questions, although there is no overall time limit. Test takers are expected to spend 90 seconds on the first question in each table, and 75 seconds for the rest. On average, the test take 10 minutes.
Verbal: These are used to determine the individual’s to read, understand and interpret written information. As with the numerical, it has 12 questions based on the provided passage of text. As with the numerical, no overall time limit, but test takers are expected to spend 75 seconds on the first question and 60 seconds for the rest. Average time is 8 minutes.
Diagrammatic: This comprises 8 tables of information, each possessing 5 or 6 rows of data. Used to evaluate an individual’s aptness to analyse and draw conclusions from diagrammatically presented data. This part of TalentQ requires candidates to identify similarities and differences within the patterns of data provided. Candidates are expected to spend a minute on the images with 6 rows and 50 seconds for that with 5 rows. Average time is 6 minutes. Others include Situational Judgement and Personality Tests.
Examples of companies using TalentQ include Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank.
4. GMAT: One of the widely used test format in recruitment processes. GMAT comprises of numerical, verbal, and abstract reasoning. It is also used in business school admissions. It consists of:
Numerical: Candidates are tested on basic mathematics compromising of word problems, arithmetic, data sufficiency, geometry, ratios, percentages, data interpretation etc.
Verbal: This comprises of sentence correction, synonyms, antonyms, reading comprehension etc.
Critical Reasoning: Argument construction, argument evaluation, evaluating a plan of action. Other test features in GMAT include: Logical reasoning, graphical interpretation and abstract reasoning. Tests are administered by various firms for recruitment based on their criteria. Majorly used by different companies across various industries. Notable example is KPMG.
5. KENEXA: An IBM company that provides recruitment, retention, and talent management solutions for professional companies. As a result, Kenexa works with many different organizations, providing them with skills tests to be used as part of their hiring processes. These tests evaluate applicants’ skills for a wide range of positions, such as those in the financial, industrial, technical, clerical, software, healthcare etc. Kenexa also offers employers three aptitude tests with which to assess applicants’ cognitive abilities: numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning. Furthermore, they provide personality and behavioural tests to help recruiters determine if a candidate’s disposition matches the requirements of the position.
The test comprises of:
Numerical: This is part of the Kenexa Infinity Series. It evaluate candidate’s ability to interpret and analyse numerical data, understand profit margins, and work out percentages. This test is 20 minutes long and contains 20 different questions from a large bank of possibilities.
Verbal: Also part of the Kenexa Infinity Series. It assesses one’s ability to communicate with team members and customers. As with the numerical, the duration is 20 minutes and contains 24 different statements. Candidate must decide whether the information presented in each statement is true, false, or cannot be determined based on the information contained in the preceding paragraph.
Logical Reasoning: This assesses one’s ability to make correct conclusions and assumptions using the information presented in a sequence. When you take this test, you are presented with a series of different shapes. You must select the pattern missing from the sequence.
Behavioural and Personality: These are used to evaluate candidate’s behaviour in the workplace. Consists of statements about one’s personality and behaviour at work. With candidates required to rate each statement on a five-point scale from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. Notable examples of firms using Kenexa are Unilever and Grant Thornton.
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