Academic Achievement

Aptitude Testing

Because achievement and aptitude tests are frequently used in combination with one another, a brief discussion of aptitude tests is warranted. The Sixteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) groups aptitude and ability tests into a single classification (i.e., Intelligence and Scholastic Aptitude) that includes measures of general or specific knowledge and aptitudes or cognitive abilities. As mentioned, aptitude tests are essentially measurements of an individual's performance on a selected task or tasks, which are then used to predict that same individual's future performance. They can assist external parties in predicting performance in selection processes, and help individuals gain a better understanding of their abilities in making life decisions (e.g., career or educational choices). The MMY includes a plethora of assessments under this category, including those of verbal and nonverbal reasoning; critical, abstract, and creative thinking; cognitive and mental abilities (including traditional intelligence tests); memory aptitudes; and learning aptitude, potential, and efficiency. The predictions made from aptitude test results are not always limited to tasks or situations that are similar to those initially measured. In fact, some aptitude tests focus on predicting seemingly unconnected tasks and skills, while others are used to predict future performance in entirely different situations. For instance, high school students interested in particular careers might be given aptitude tests to measure their aptitudes for those careers. The students' test results can then be used to help advise them about available academic or training programs beyond high school (rather than simply whether they should actually pursue the specified careers).

Aptitude tests can also vary in the number of aptitudes measured by a single instrument. Multiaptitude batteries are aptitude tests that measure a broad array of ability areas (e.g., verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and mechanical reasoning) during a single administration. These batteries are used primarily for intellectual, educational, and vocational assessment, and they are well suited to show individuals' relative strengths and weaknesses. For that reason, multiaptitude batteries are generally more useful in career and academic counseling than are single-aptitude assessments.

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