How to Create an Aptitude Test for Prospective Employees
Hiring a new employee is a gamble and using a pre-screening aptitude or assessment test will help eliminate some of the risks. Aptitude tests evaluate whether a prospective hire has the job and social skills to make your business a success and to get along with other employees. Once developed, aptitude tests should be updated as your business grows and should be given to every prospective employee.
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Instructions
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Review Job Description
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1
Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website and print a copy of the job description that best matches your opening. If it's not an exact match, make notes about what separates your position from that described.
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2
Read the job description, underlining all the important points. On a piece of notebook paper, make a list of these important points in order of relevancy. Add anything you think is an important part of your business.
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3
Write 20 to 30 test questions. For example, a question for a retail position might read: How do you best handle a customer complaint?
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4
Devise multiple choice answers. For example, for the question in step 3, your answers could be: a) by being apologetic and helpful, b) by telling the customer you are sorry, but cannot help because the sale was final, c) by finding someone else to handle the problem.
Type these answers on the test beneath their respective question.
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5
Rank each test question's answers. Give the best answer a 5, the next best a 3, the worst answer a 1. Create a score card.
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6
Determine what score range is best for the position. Determine what score range automatically eliminates potential candidates.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the aptitude test questions common-sense, applicable questions that people in your business will run into. Don't ask strange or unusual questions unless they are a part of your type of work.
Make the aptitude test look nice on the paper, and make sure it is free of grammatical and typing errors. You are making a first impression as well. You don't want to lose the best candidate for the position because your test makes you look sloppy.
References
- Photo Credit job image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com
