Career Ability Tests for New Career

There are numerous career ability tests also known as aptitude tests on the market today.  Most of them are used solely for learning purposes.  Only a few are suitable for career purposes.  Of these, most can be used for general career purposes such as career development but also for selecting a new career.  Benefits and drawbacks of three of the best career ability tests are presented below.

APTICOM

APTICOM was the first ability career test tool I was exposed to. A game-like approach on a dedicated computer made it fun to take and eased test anxiety.  It was used primarily for special needs populations.  I used it as part of a grant project to help teenage mothers determine a suitable career for themselves in an attempt to encourage them to complete their schooling. Like the COPSystem, Apticom provides an ability battery interest inventory and perceived skills assessment integrating the information into a singular report that presents career recommendations. Even though Apticom is no longer produced, there are a few refurbished tools available for use in determining a new career.

CAPS (part of the COPS System 3C)*

“The Career Ability Placement Survey (CAPS) is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional

COPSystem - Career Ability Test - best career ability test to find career lists and career clusters for your career abilities and career aptitudes

COPSystem – Career Interest Test – Career Ability Test – Career Values Test – a 3 in 1 career test system – best ability test to find career lists and career clusters and career resource links

battery designed to measure vocationally relevant career abilities. Each of the eight ability dimensions is keyed to entry requirements for the majority of occupations in each of the 14 COPSystem Career Clusters. CAPS scores are interpreted in terms of examinees’ abilities relative to others at the same educational level. Scores are also interpreted in terms of each of the 14 COPSystem Career Clusters. Examinees learn which occupational areas are most suited to present abilities and which areas might require a bit more training if examinees are interested in pursuing related occupations.”
http://www.edits.net/products/copsystem/239-caps.html

CAPS has several benefits over other  career ability tests.  Like Apticom, it delivers 3 assessments in one platform all relevant for new career choices. An interest inventory and a values assessment are available with the ability or aptitude career test portion producing a scoring summary for each 14 career clusters in a 4 page report. Links take you directly to a long list of new career occupations for each cluster.  What makes the COPS 3C System tests (taken as  a whole or separately) particularly useful is not just the long list of new career occupational options.  Hyperlinks on each occupational title takes you directly to detailed government documents offering information on median pay, education level, job outlook, work environment, similar occupations, and so much more.

This is only new career test system that more than encourages career exploration,  it makes it readily accessible.  This readily accessible format is critical for the student population who urgently need to gain knowledge of the job world in order to make informed, wise decisions for their first new career. Career exploration is also a necessary component for service, administrative and trades workers along with other working adults seeking new career options.

THAB (The Highlands Ability Battery)*

The publisher of The Highlands Ability Battery claims that its career ability test “is the gold-standard among tools assessing human abilities or aptitudes.”  As a career testing specialist with more than 20 years in various parts of the career industry, I absolutely agree with them!  Here’s why:

The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB)  is an objective assessment of career abilities.  Unlike

THAB - Highlands Ability Battery - finds "driving" career abilities making it the Best Career Ability Test for Career Aptitudes

THAB – Highlands Ability Battery – Best Career Ability Test for Career Aptitudes and Career Roles – Only Ability test that isolates “driving” career abilities

subjective, self-analysis assessments as are all interest, personality and values career tests, the THAB provides nineteen work samples which require the performance of hands-on tasks. It takes at least 3 hours to complete all work samples making it the most extensive online career test inquiry into abilities or aptitudes on the market.  Upon completion,  an in-depth 36 – 44 page report of content-rich data is provided on each of the 19 abilities or aptitudes, the 4 key factors for any career or work, the ranked ordering and description of the 35 transferable work task types, and an extensive 1 or 2 interpretation sessions.  In the interpretive sessions with an experience career test consultant, the examinee is presented with descriptive and comparative information for each type, academic and career relevant examples for each type, and the most suitable work roles for the individual.   Detailed charts for the most suitable work roles including possible occupations and educational resources are presented in an attached report to the examinee only through career test consultants at TestEts: The Career and Work Test Hub.

But probably the most astounding feature of THAB is its capacity to identify “driving” abilities. Driving abilities, of which there are 6 in total, are powerfully influential over almost every part of our work. Each one of these career abilities asserts itself in our lives by unconsciously “demanding” expression for itself.  Finding expression for a driving ability in a work role is the most ideal for an individual.  If one fails to account for a driving ability at all, it is not uncommon for the individual to create chaos at work or in their personal life, to make inappropriate decision or solve problems in unsuitable ways, to hop from job to job, to become bored with their job, to struggle with the ability to perform a job, or to become dissatisfied, despondent and even depressed about work, career and life in general. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to take them into account when considering a new career and specifically what role you should play at work.

Finally, of all of the career tests that I, as a career test guru, offer, the THAB receives the most praise from adult clients taking multiple new career tests.  It offers more substantive answers to elusive and seemingly contradictory career desires and work behaviors.  Furthermore, it offers specific reports for Adults and Students seeking new careers in addition to Leader and Lawyer reports.  Unfortunately, since it has only been on the market in its online version since 1999, it does not provide specific new career matches as the Strong Interest Inventory® can, nor does it account for certain facets of personality which is best provided by the MBTI® test.  It is therefore most often completed in combination with these other two career tests for new career purposes.

Please compare the reports of each career ability test before making a selection.   Review report samples, read detailed comparative information about each, and determine the level of investment to you in finding a new career in which you can realize success for yourself.  Consider all these important factors to consider before making your career test selection to help you determine your new career. (Access* to samples is found through link attached to each career value test title.)

 

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This entry was posted in Ability Tests, Aptitude Tests, Behavioral Tests, Career Ability Tests, Career Anchors, Career Aptitude Preference System (CAPS), Career Aptitude Tests, Career Occupational Preference System (COPS), Career Orientation Placement & Evaluation Survey (COPES), Career Tests, Career Tests General, Career Tips, College/High School, Employee Test, Interest Tests, Interpersonal, IQ Intelligences Test, Leadership Test, Leadership Tips, MBTI, Multiple Intelligences Test, Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Performance Tips, Personality Tests, Self Directed Search (SDS), Strong Interest Inventory (SII), Test Name, Test Type, The Highlands Ability Battery (THAB), Values Test and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.