A career aptitude test is a simple assessment that analyzes and pairs applicable career paths to an individual’s personality, preferences, and skills. A career aptitude test generally consists of a series of questions to ascertain your motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. The results are a list of recommended career paths matching the answers. Companies, educational institutions, students, and working adults use career tests to measure professional interests.
View in gallery
Career aptitude tests are important because they help individuals explore different career paths that match their personality and interests. It’s essential that test takers are objective and honest for a career test to be effective. Otherwise, the suggestions will not match your personality, rendering the career test futile.
Below, we will review ten career aptitude tests.
1. Big Five
The Big Five is a popular personality test that may also function as a career aptitude test. The Big Five utilizes a short questionnaire to determine and break down personality into five base traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism). The Big Five test attributes a percentage to each trait’s propensity, delivering a rounded overview of personality and best-fit career options. The Big Five test is popular because it only takes around ten minutes to complete and provides a full report covering everything from core traits to career choices. The Big Five test is free to take, but accessing the full report costs $29.
2. 16Personalities
The 16Personalities career aptitude test is a questionnaire that assesses your ideal job preferences according to your personality. The 16personalities Job Preferences Test takes about twenty minutes to complete. The results will provide you with a list of potential career paths. The test is free, but the full report costs $49. 16Personalities is a popular choice for career aptitude tests because it’s a well-known facilitator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test. Paying for the full report gives you access to thirty-five unique tests on career preferences, MBTI assessments, relationships, personal growth, and more.
3. MyNextMove
MyNextMove is a popular career aptitude test consisting of sixty questions. MyNextMove assesses your career potential by gauging your response to questions set across six themes—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. The MyNextMove career test is free and takes no more than ten minutes to complete. Test results provide a list of potential careers segmented by expected qualifications and experience levels. The MyNextMove test does not provide a report that you can download but offers hyperlinks to subpages that offer a breakdown of the careers and how they fit into your answers.
4. PI Behavioral Assessment
The PI Behavioral Assessment (Performance Index) is a short questionnaire that can function as a career aptitude test. The PI Behavioral Assessment measures an individual’s work style by analyzing underlying personality traits, which can help highlight a person’s best career choices. The assessment measures responses against four essential functions—dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality. The test takes approximately five minutes to complete. The PI Behavioral Assessment is popular among businesses because it provides insight into employees’ personality traits, habits, and motivations. The PI Behavioral Assessment is only available as part of a subscription model.
5. Keirsey Temperament Sorter
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a simple statement-driven questionnaire that can serve as a career aptitude test. Participants must choose the most agreeable option of two opposing statements. The results will assign one of four temperaments archetypes—Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational. The test should take no longer than ten minutes to complete. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter does not suggest a career path. It instead explores how the four temperament types behave in the workplace, which can provide insight into preferred work environments and careers. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is popular among businesses, though individuals can take the test as well. The questionnaire is free, but the full report costs $34.95.
6. Holland Codes Career Test
The Holland Codes career test is a multiple choice career aptitude test that assesses answers against six different occupational categories. The Holland Codes test takes approximately ten minutes to complete, though there is no time limit on answering the questions. The resulting report provides an analysis of identified traits, values, and compatible career paths. The report also describes the different careers in detail and offers an idea of average salaries. The Holland Codes test is free and the full report is also available as a free PDF download, making it a fairly popular choice for career tests.
7. Enneagram of Personality
The Enneagram of Personality is a typology of personality that can serve as a career aptitude test. The Enneagram’s typology establishes nine interlinking personality types (also called enneatypes). The Enneagram is a very popular personality model, favored by individuals and organizations alike. Each personality type is either a Head, Heart, or Body type connected by several core motivations, fears, and desires. The simple questionnaire takes around ten to fifteen minutes to complete. The results identify a base personality and ideal growth directions (the traits each personality tends to take on through positive self-growth). The test also offers insight into the career paths that best align with the given answers and personality types. The Enneagram personality test is free, but detailed reports cost $29.
8. MAPP Test
The MAPP (Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential) test is a career aptitude test that identifies key career motivations for job satisfaction. Results will suggest relevant careers that align with an individual’s key motivators. The MAPP test targets students, graduates, and working adults and takes about twenty-two minutes to complete. The test consists of seventy-one questions assessing likes and dislikes. The MAPP career test is available in three separate payment packages, starting at $89.95
9. MyPlan.com
Myplann.com is a site that offers a career aptitude test among a range of other services. The MyPlan career test uses the Jungian theory of personality to assess personality strengths and weaknesses. Results will recommend the best careers that align with the answers given. The MyPlan.com career test consists of seventy-five questions and takes approximately fifteen minutes to complete. The test is also free to take, but the complete report costs $19.95 (if bought as part of a bundle).
10. iSeek “Clusters”
iSeek “Clusters” is a career aptitude test that assesses and pairs an individual’s preferences to different career clusters. The “Clusters” career test offers a range of statements divided into eight pages, spanning three core themes—activities, personal qualities, and school subjects. It is popular among businesses and individuals. Test takers may select any number of statements they feel are applicable to the question. The test takes around fifteen minutes to complete. The test is free to take and the results are available at no extra charge. However, there is no report available, merely a statement of applicable career clusters.
How does a career test work?
A career test works by asking a series of questions designed to assess a person’s motivations, abilities, and personality traits. The career test will then produce a list of possible careers that fit with the answers given, indicating the most rewarding and best-suited career paths for the test taker. Career tests are commonly used by companies, educational institutions, students, and working adults. Most career aptitude tests have no pre-requirements except for a one-time or subscription-based fee.
How effective is a career test?
A career test is effective in providing a generalized overview of an individual’s potential career paths. However, career tests require honest and objective answers to be truly effective. In taking a career test, individuals gain useful insight into career paths that match their work preferences, personal motivations, and personality traits.
What is the importance of a career test?
The importance of a career test is to get a better understanding of which career paths are the best fit for an individual’s personality. The goal of a career test isn’t to provide a single, definitive answer but rather, to suggest a range of possible careers that would suit the underlying personality of the person taking the test. Test takers can utilize this knowledge to better understand themselves and narrow down the careers they’re interested in. Finding a career that aligns with your personality and interests is important for long-term success and job satisfaction.
Do career tests truly distinguish employable candidates?
No, career tests do not truly distinguish the best employable candidates for a job. Career tests provide a good overview of a candidate’s skillset, but the results are ultimately subjective. Additionally, test questions cannot account for unknown variables and personal insights. Answers may rule out viable candidates based on how they read a question or how they view themselves at the time of taking the test.