While aptitude tests can make candidates anxious, they are an essential part of the recruitment process for businesses of every size, including major companies. Here are 10 major companies that use aptitude testing to select their future hires.
Companies utilizing aptitude testing during recruitment
- Johnson & Johnson
One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Johnson & Johnson attracts a large number of applications for every job they advertise. In addition to a personality test, candidates will have to take a general cognitive test which will reveal your thinking skills, perception, verbal, mathematical ability, as well as problem-solving potential. Candidates who do well on this stage are invited to an in-person interview for further consideration. - Apple
Apple is a dream company for graduates and workers across many industries, but it is hard to secure a role in the company. If you make a successful application to Apple, you can expect an aptitude test. But in true Apple style, the test is different to what you’d expect at any other company. Instead of offering the standard paper or online multi-choice test, Apple requires candidates to complete an aptitude style assessment in the physical interview. This involves candidates completing puzzle-style aptitude tests which rely on logic and sequences in order to reach an intelligent, innovative, and accurate solution. - Microsoft
Microsoft takes a more traditional approach when it comes to aptitude testing styles. Instead of administering aptitude tests at the interview stage, Microsoft chooses to use them as a screening tool immediately after candidates complete their online application. Aptitude tests are completed online and include mathematical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and a variety of riddles designed to test a candidate’s problem-solving skills. If you score well on these tests, you will be invited to complete a video interview and will then move on to the final stages of the recruitment process. - Samsung
Competition to enter Samsung is fierce, which is why the company has created their own aptitude test to help them determine who the top performing candidates in each recruitment round. If you apply to Samsung, your application will first be assessed, and if it meets the basic criteria, you’ll proceed to the phone screening stage. If you successfully complete the phone screening, you’ll be invited to complete a round of aptitude tests, either before or at the physical interview depending on the business unit you’ve applied to join. The aptitude test examines your mathematical reasoning, abstract and figural reasoning, Verbal reasoning, and situational judgment, so if you’re applying to Samsung be sure to be well prepared. - Nike
Who wouldn’t love to work at one of the world’s best brands? Nike’s popularity has forced it to create extensive pre-hire tests, which help them identify stand out candidate from the general pool of applications. If you make it through the first screening round, you’ll then be asked to complete a test that covers mathematical reasoning, abstract and figural reasoning, verbal reasoning, and situational judgment. Depending on the position you are applying for, aptitude testing can take place before, during, or after your in-person interview. If you’re applying for a store role, Nike requires you to complete a retail-specific aptitude test if you’re applying for a retail position, and personality tests, to determine whether candidates are a great fit for the company and role as a whole. - P. Morgan
One of the most recognizable financial institutions in the world, J.P Morgan chooses to utilize aptitude tests to help sort through the immense number of applications the business receives for every position advertised. If you successfully pass the online application stage, you’ll be invited to complete a range of aptitude tests, including a numerical reasoning test, a diagrammatic reasoning test, a situational reasoning and judgment test, as well as a verbal reasoning test. J.P. Morgan requires well-rounded candidates, which shows in its approach to aptitude testing. If you pass the test, you’ll be invited to an interview to discuss your application further. - Deloitte
Deloitte is consistently ranked by graduates as the employment destination of choice, which is why the company has created a five-step recruitment process to help them manage the number of applications they receive. Aptitude tests are used to disqualify a large proportion of candidates, with the company confirming that 60% of applicants fail to pass this stage. Aptitude testing takes place after candidates have passed an online application and a game based assessment, before proceeding on to a round of general aptitude tests. If you do well in your aptitude tests, you can proceed to the interview stage, which is why these tests are so important. - Volkswagen
Like many other companies, Volkswagen has created their own test to help determine the best possible candidates. This test is administered at the pre-employment stage and is divided up into two sections, the first section covers your thinking processes, whether you are detail-oriented, and follows up with questions in relation to your situational judgment and behavior in specific situations. In the second half of the test, candidates are required to complete a mechanical aptitude test to determine how well each applicant fares in a technical environment. If you do well in these tests, you will proceed to the interview stages. - BP
BP requires all candidates to complete two of three aptitude tests, depending on the business area your potential role resides within. The three tests they use include a numerical, verbal, and diagrammatic reasoning aptitude test. The tests are relatively short at 6 minutes each and require candidates to answer questions involving tables, graphs, verbal questions, understand the meaning of difficult words, find sequences in patterns and are mainly multi-choice but require you do know how to reach the correct answer which is why aptitude test preparation is so important. If you pass these tests, you move on to the all-important interview stage. - Conde Nast
Conde Nast attracts competitive applicants wanting to work at the company’s industry-leading publications, such as Vogue and GQ. Like many other businesses, the exact procedure used depends on the role, business function, and level of importance in the company structure. Most employees who have passed the online application process are invited to a group interview, where candidates complete a range of aptitude tests and then answer questions in a short one-on-one interview with human resources or external recruitment staff. Conde Nast’s utilizes a 30-minute general aptitude test and success at this group stage determines who moves to the next round of interviews and potentially the position.
Many major companies utilize aptitude testing at various stages in their recruitment process. Success in these tests is vital to securing a role in the company.
With a bit of practice, you can improve your score and increase your chance of securing that position. We offer practice tests for most of the assessments described in this article.
