Many IT job candidates will enter the job market in 2014-15 seeking employment with technology companies they’ve spent the last four years preparing for. Very often after a job application is submitted an email will be sent asking for the applicant to take a test. Yep – the aptitude test is now a new standard among highly sought after IT employers. Welcome back to the world you thought you’d left behind!
What is an aptitude testing ?
It’s a test applying what you know.
IT recruiters are using these tests to screen new applicants and see how much they’ve learned. If you’re applying for a special field such as infrastructure support, web development or software engineering, then the test will be tailored to specific technical problems and the correct solutions.
Why are so many IT graduates failing these tests?
Many applicants assume they’ve gathered all the knowledge necessary and are overly confident in their field choice so they readily accept the test and breeze through making small errors. These small errors are all it takes to fail the employers test. The problem can lie anywhere within the wording or the simplest parts of the test. As an applicant ascends in a field and gets further away from the basics, the more likely he/she is to make a mistake on the simple aspects such as basic arithmetic.
How can an applicant do better?
Study! Just like any other test you may have taken over the last few years, study and take plenty of practice tests. The more you practice, the better the outcome. Don’t look too deep into your answers whilst taking the tests. You’re either right or wrong – this isn’t psychology!
Some applicants specifically avoid IT employers that issue these tests and compensate by sending out massive volumes of applications and assume they’ll work their way up to more desired employment. This is not necessary and will not avoid the aptitude test. It’s better to prepare for these tests and study.
Take your time with one more test and enter the job you’ve spent the last years preparing for.
