What is a Career Aptitude Test?
A career aptitude test is an assessment that helps you find the careers you would most excel in. The questions on these tests assess your personality traits, career interests, preferred management style, and professional goals. Using your answers as a basis, the career aptitude test will match you to the best jobs and roles for your unique circumstances. For example, if you have friendly personality traits, you may work better in a human resources job than in a job where you would sit at a desk and answer emails.
The Best Career Aptitude Tests Online
Many websites offer career aptitude tests, but weve narrowed down some of the best websites for you. Here are the eight best websites to take a career aptitude test.
JobTest
Voted as the number one career test by bestcareertest.org, JobTest.org offers a number of different career assessments, including a free career test. These tests will unlock the future you deserve, as stated by JobTest.orgs homepage. Over 50,000 customers have rated the test five stars. The test analyzes your interests, ambitions, background, personality traits, and workplace preferences with JobTests advanced machine-learning algorithm, then matches those answers against current career satisfaction data to help you build the best professional life possible. And that's why we recommend them as our top choice for best career tests.
CareerFitter
Praised by TopResume, Forbes, Psychology Today, Top Interview, and Fairy God Boss, Career Fitter offers a way for users to find their perfect career by uncovering their work personality and strengths. Career Fitters career assessment test has been used for more than 20 years, and you can access the career online or through their app. The career assessment asks 60 questions, then provides results concerning your work personality, strengths, and the top career matches for you.
Truity
Truity offers a career aptitude test that can accurately help you at home, at work, and in relationships. Truity offers six different tests for users; the Enneagram test, the TypeFinder test, the Big Five, the Career Test, the Love Style test, and the DISC Test. Each test offers different results involving your personality assessment such as what your personality type is, what your love style is, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.
CareerHunter
CareerHunter is a pricier option for those who want an in-depth career quiz, with different price ranges depending on what a customer wants. For $79.99, users can take all six tests twice and receive personalized suggested occupations. For $15.99 each, users can choose which career assessments they take from the six. Each test may be taken twice, but each test has a different amount of questions, and some are timed.
MAPP
The Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential (MAPP) career assessment takes 22 minutes to complete and helps you find the best fitting careers relevant to your unique assessment profile. MAPP also offers post-assessment guidance and job descriptions to help start you on your new career patha feature only provided by other premium services like Jobtest.
Career Explorer
Career Explorer by Sokanu offers a career aptitude test consisting of 40 questions that gives users their career matches, personality archetype, degree matches, and final results. Whether you are a college student, a graduate, or a working professional, the Sokanu career test can help you figure out your career following school or be your best self at work.
Princeton Review
The Princeton Reviews career quiz is automatically available on their website. The quiz offers 24 questions, using either/or questions about your career motivations, personal qualities, and current job to narrow down the answers which describe you best.
My Plan Career Assessment
The MyPlan Career Assessment website offers four tests to help you find your ideal career. While only one offers free results, the others arent very expensive. The Career Personality Test costs $9.95 to take and helps users figure out their personality type with questions developed by studies done by Carl Jung. For $9.95, users can also take the Career Interest Inventory test to identify the career that most interests them. For $7.95, users can take the Career Skills Profiler, which helps users assess their skill set and identify career recommendations where those skills might be valuable. The Career Values Assessment is free and helps users understand how to beneficially incorporate their values into their careers.
Why are Career Tests Important?
If you are in a career you do not enjoy, a career aptitude test can often help you find that dream job. Additionally, if you are currently in high school or college and are experiencing confusion and frustration over finding the right career, an aptitude test can help relieve some of that stress. The tests can also help:
- Align with your personal values: Career quizzes can help you find potential careers that give you a sense of purpose and provide a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in your job.
- Boost Confidence: These tests can give you confidence and direction in your decision-making regarding your career and making informed decisions.
- Identify New Options: Career tests can help you identify new job roles and industries you may have ignored before, which expands your horizons and possibilities.
- Improve Self-Awareness: If you want to gain a deeper understanding of your work style, career personality, and preferences, a career aptitude test can improve self-awareness.
- Increase Likelihood of Success: By offering guidance and clarity, these tests can improve your job satisfaction and likelihood of finding a career that works for your needs.
- Provide Clarity: Career tests help you gain a clearer understanding of your strengths, interests, career values, and how they can help you find your best career options.
- Provide Guidance: Career tests sometimes offer personalized action plans and resources to help you achieve your career goals and make informed decisions regarding your career and personality attributes.
- Reduce Anxiety: Finding the best career for you can be stress-inducing and make it feel overwhelming. Career tests are designed to help reduce that anxiety and help you make informed decisions.
- Save Time: Rather than waste time looking into careers that may not be the best fit for you, career aptitude tests can help you eliminate the options that wont work.
Benefits of Taking a Career Test
Career Tests provide a wide array of benefits, and although they might be overwhelming at first, they can nonetheless offer you help and relieve stress you may have about job hunting. They also:
Boost Your Confidence
Career aptitude tests can validate and reassure you that you are on the right track, identify your best options, and eliminate poor options.
Develop a Personalized Action Plan
A personalized action plan helps you achieve your career goals by breaking down your end goal into a clear, step-by-step process.
Discover New Career Options
Career tests can help you consider industries and career paths you may have previously overlooked.
Find Greater Fulfillment
Aligning your career with your values and interests can help you find greater fulfillment and satisfaction.
Gain Self-Awareness
Career aptitude tests can help you identify your personality, personal strengths, personal weaknesses, interests, and values.
Improve Communication with Others
A career quiz can help you with communication skills with your employers and colleagues.
Make More Informed Decisions
Career tests help you create a framework and mold for evaluating job opportunities and making more informed decisions about your career and personal life.
Narrow Down Your Options
By eliminating options that may not work for you, a career aptitude test can help you narrow down your options.
Set Realistic Goals
Career aptitude tests help you set realistic goals throughout your life, whether in your career, relationship, or private life.
Understand Your Work Style
To better understand your preferred work style, such as ideal career path, work environment, pace, and communication style, a career aptitude test can help answer any questions.
How to Choose a Career Test
With many different career aptitude tests available, finding the perfect one for you can be challenging. While JobTests career quiz offers some of the most value in the market, you may still be interested in other options. As you decide on the best career test for you, we suggest you keep a few important features in mind, such as:
Customization
One of the most critical elements of any career test is customization. Does your chosen test offer personalized feedback and recommendations or just general information? If you want something tailored to your specific needs and interests, it would be best to prioritize career tests with this feature.
Credibility
With career tests, it is essential to consider who developed the test and how credible that source is. If the career test was not developed by a reputable organization or has not been thoroughly reviewed, it may not provide the accurate results you need.
Cost
When looking for a career aptitude test, it is important to keep in mind that some of them may want you to pay to either take the test, receive the results, or both. Its entirely possible to find a free career test, but the most effective career tests will often come with a price.
Format
Do you want an online test or a paper-based test? Do you prefer self-paced or administered by a professional? The tests format can influence how well you do, including accuracy, validity, and convenience.
Purpose
What is your main reason or purpose for taking a career test? Finding a test that properly aligns with your situation can mean the difference between success and failure. If you are looking for a general assessment of your strengths and interests, or a specific assessment of aptitudes and skills, different tests help different needs and goals.
Validity and Reliability
How valid and reliable are the results? With a career test, it is essential to choose one that uses rigorous research methods and has been validated by reliable third-party sources.
Tips for Taking a Career Test
Taking any type of test can be intimidating and daunting. We have some tips for making taking a career test easy and enjoyable.
Read the Instructions Carefully
Before beginning your career test, make sure you read and understand the instructions, including how to answer and move through the test properly.
Take the Test in a Quiet, Distraction-Free Environment
For the most accurate results from a career test, your focus is of the utmost importance. Take the test in a distraction-free zone, such as a library, quiet cafe, or office.
Answer Honestly and Accurately
When answering questions, do so accurately and as honestly as possible. Dont second-guess your answers or try to present yourself in a certain way. It is important to remain true to yourself while completing a career test and to answer in alignment with your true thoughts and feelings.
Avoid Overthinking
Overthinking and over-analyzing can be detrimental to your results at the end of a career test. Trust your instincts and go with the best answer you feel. Remember, there are no wrong answers on these tests.
Take Your Time
As with any test, do not feel the need to rush through it. Ensure you read each question and consider your answers, but do not overthink. If you generally struggle with timed tests, try finding one that allows you to work at your own pace.
Dont Be Too Influenced By Results
Remember that the results from a career test are just one factor and do not determine who you are. Just because a certain job comes up for you, it does not guarantee that you will make a good fit in that position; it simply means it is something to consider.
Reflect on the Results
After completing the test, take some time to reflect and think about the results. What do they tell you? What do you notice about your interests, strengths, and values? What new career paths and opportunities do you want to pursue?
Use the Results as a Starting Point
Your career test results can be a starting point from which you progress and research career development and different career paths. Use the results as a guide rather than a final solution.
Final Thoughts
Remember, career aptitude tests are not the end goal of your job search. Instead, they are a valuable and often vital way to see what jobs you may excel in and which jobs may not be your best fit. Do not stress and overthink when taking a test, and do not worry if the results are more or less than what you wanted to see. At the end of the day, your dream job is whatever career makes you happiest.