Prior to year 2002, high school students in Nigeria were tormented by the University Matriculation Exam, UME (UTME). There were stories of people writing JAMB, as it is popularly called, having to wait one full year to write an exam and then fail, some waited 3 to 7 years to enter a tertiary institution. Today however, there are several alternatives to such a waste of years. Not all entry exams involve a written test. Some involve a physical presentation of a person’s motivation and justification for wanting to be selected. Aptitude tests and visual presentation are opportunities to prove worthiness for a position and they require adequate preparation prior to the event.

Topics in this category:

1. From Application to Employment
2. Content and Preparation of Résumé, Cover letter, and Profile
3. Interview Day Preparation
4. The 4 Areas of an Interview

Aptitude Test Knowledge

Question Samples

For entry and mid-career stage, a test of mental capacity to process information is the goal. Aptitude tests typically assess mathematical reasoning, understanding of contexts, decision making and ability to visualize a concept. The aforementioned is the reason quantitative and qualitative questions form a basis for exams. Through several studies, it has proven that people who perform well in these also perform well under pressure. The test formats from GMAT and GRE are in most cases sufficient. One of the popular compilations, GMAT, is still valid, unless of course there are updated versions. For more specific and advanced tests, a person needs SHL type questions. These are available at https://www.shl.com/shldirect/en-us/practice-tests/. Below SHL format tests are free to download.

1. Deductive free test questions 1
2. Deductive free test solutions
3. Diagrammatic reasoning test 1 questions
4. Diagrammatic reasoning test 1 solutions
5. Diagrammatic reasoning test 2 questions
6. Diagrammatic reasoning test 2 solutions
7. Error checking free 1 questions
8. Error checking free 1 solutions
9. Free critical thinking test arguments questions
10. Free critical thinking test arguments solutions
11. Free critical thinking test assumptions questions
12. Free critical thinking test assumptions solutions
13. Free critical thinking test deductions questions
14. Free critical thinking test deductions solutions
15. Free critical thinking test inferences questions
16. Free critical thinking test inferences solutions
17. Free critical thinking test interpreting information questions
18. Free critical thinking test interpreting information solutions
19. Free critical thinking test questions 1
20. Free critical thinking test solutions
21. Inductive reasoning test 1 questions
22. Inductive reasoning test 1 solutions
23. Inductive reasoning test 2 questions
24. Inductive reasoning test 2 solutions
25. Logical reasoning test 1 questions
26. Logical reasoning test 1 solutions
27. Logical reasoning test 2 questions
28. Logical reasoning test 2 solutions
29. Numerical reasoning test 1 questions
30. Numerical reasoning test 1 solutions
31. Numerical reasoning test 2 questions
32. Numerical reasoning test 2 solutions
33. Spatial reasoning free test – questions
34. Spatial reasoning free test – solutions
35. Verbal reasoning test 1 questions
36. Verbal reasoning test 1 solutions
37. Verbal reasoning test 2 questions
38. Verbal reasoning test 2 solutions

Asides testing expertise, people skills are necessary for career success. Entering the job is the first and major step, but career success relies on development of other areas of a person’s personality. Suffice it to say that, without passing the testing stage, there is no opportunity to express people skills.

Preparation technique for each type

Typically 6 weeks to 3 months is required to have success in tests. Continuous practice of tests until it is engrained in the memory.  One easy approach could be in occasionally focusing on understanding concepts of questions they have gotten incorrectly on many occasions.

Verbal reasoning

Understanding essays, analogues and passage reading is through prior conditioning of the mind. Improving verbal capacity for tests can be done through:

Understanding essays

• By reading of articles, essays, journals, magazines, newspapers and other such long texts regularly.
• By spending time reading long texts on genres a person has no interest in. Such as for someone not interested in fashion but spends 3 hours reading analysis text in fashion magazines

Speed in understanding

• By deliberately reading long passages of text in a fast manner, without consideration as to whether they understand the passage or not. The aim is to speed read.
• By getting used to reading uninteresting information will increase speed of reading.

Presentations

Visual presentation is a form of responding to a test of knowledge capacity. Whether a company or a person who desires to be selected to offer a service, the expression of ideas through physical aids effectively is important. To be effective in this area, training on how to share knowledge in a credible manner is expected.

Key points to note

• It is necessary for the company to carry out presentations using visual aids or other public speaking engagements.
• The team of professionals ought to have a grasp of basic concepts their company desires to offer a client
• A document needs to be developed which simplifies and summarises key concepts for all members of the team.
• More specifically, the team leader should have in depth knowledge of the concepts of the proposal.

Skills to be developed

• Public speaking
• Presentation
• Event organization
• Negotiation skills
• Solution alternatives  

Application of the right approach depending on the test format will speed up success and ensure effectiveness.