Preparation For Aptitude Test

Any company conducts the placements in three or four rounds. The first round is generally a written round, consisting of reasoning-based or quantitative-based questions. The first round is also referred to as the aptitude round. In most placement procedures, the aptitude test is the first round from where the eliminations start, or it can be included with any other test. So it is really vital to do aptitude preparation. This section is present to test your numerical and logical ability. Aptitude preparation is not that difficult to crack if one consistently practices the questions. This blog will contain all the necessary points to guide on aptitude preparation.

Aptitude preparation plan

Preparing for an aptitude round is not a very big task, but it requires consistency. You need to follow three basic steps for aptitude preparation. 

Step 1 - Covering the syllabus 

For clearing the aptitude test covering the syllabus is very crucial. The syllabus of the aptitude preparation is divided into the following three parts-

Quantitative

• Arithmetic Ability
  A few essential topics are Problems on ages, ratio & proportion, percentage, profit & loss, time & work, pipes & cistern, time & distance, boats and stream, probability, problems on trains, mixture, permutation & combination, the odd man out & series.

• Data Interpretation
  This subpart of arithmetic ability consists of a Bar graph, line graph, pie graph, and tabulation.

Logical Reasoning

A few essential topics are Seating Arrangement problems, Blood relation, Circular Arrangements, number & alphabet analogies, and symbol series. All the questions present in this section are for testing your mental ability. These questions are generally very time-consuming and require a lot of practice. Plan out your time correctly in this section. Otherwise, you may not be able to attempt more straightforward questions present in other sections.

Verbal ability

This part tests word power, sentence correction, analogies, and verbal reasoning abilities. Your basic vocabulary and English skills are tested in this section. The questions in this section are pretty straightforward and don’t require a lot of thinking. All you need is basic English proficiency and vocabulary knowledge. You can quickly solve a problem in under one minute. Try and finish this section first so that you have sufficient time for other sections. 

Step 2 - Practice 

After completing the syllabus, you must thoroughly practice each topic's question. You should devote two months of your preparation to aptitude preparation. There are multiple sources to practice for aptitude preparation. You can enroll in a course, go through blogs, or even practice aptitude questions available all over the internet. You can also go old-school and refer to textbooks to practice for aptitude preparation. I will list out a few good books that you can refer to,

Quantitative Aptitude by R.S Aggarwal

This book contains a massive variety of questions about quantitative aptitude. Quantitative aptitude is generally more challenging and requires a lot of practice. This book thoroughly covers all the mathematical concepts that you might need while appearing for an aptitude test. 

How To Prepare For Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT By Arun Sharma

This is yet another book for questions on quantitative aptitude. This book is generally considered to be really good for beginners. This book contains a variety of detailed explanations of concepts and questions associated with quantitative aptitude. You can also find a collection of mock tests at the end of the book.

English For Competetive Examinations By Wren And Martin

This book is really essential for developing your English proficiency skills. It contains a series of questions based on verbal ability. 

Aptipedia Aptitude Encyclopedia By FACE

This is literally the one-stop for all your aptitude preparation needs. This book is a compilation of all three sections needed for aptitude preparation, quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, and verbal ability. This book also contains a series of mock tests that are great practice. 

Step 3 - Time management

To clear the aptitude test, you should learn the management of time. This skill is vital to acquire.

Tips for time management-

• Find shortcut methods for solving the quantitative question fast. You can also learn Vedic maths for applying calculation shortcuts. Vedic maths teaches many tricks and gives many tips to do heavy calculations in seconds or minutes.
• Decide the time you want to spend on each section. It is suggested to solve the easy questions first and then go for hard ones. For marking the answers, leave 15 minutes.

Building aptitude is a long-term process. It would be best if you were regular in following the plan.

Benefits of Aptitude Testing

Below given points are some of the benefits of aptitude testing -

• They offer objective comparisons and efficiency
  The main reason companies prefer aptitude testing is to improve the quality of promotion and hiring. For determining if a candidate has the potential to do a job well or not, tests are more efficient than interviews. Aptitude tests can impartially and objectively compare and contrast the possibility of each candidate when it is appropriately designed.
• Reputable tests are standardized
  To ensure a fair process, you know the test is both reliable and valid with standardization. The tests can help prove that you provide equal opportunity employment if your recruitment practices are legally challenged.
• For crucial competency areas, they help you "screen in" aptitudes
  For example, customer service aptitude is essential in a retail setting. If you want your recruits to run the cash counter, their numerical ability should be good. The training needs of your staff can be quickly identified by you with an aptitude test and determine how successful the training will likely be. Aptitude tests can also determine whether the training program will be worthy or too difficult for the applicant.
• They're cost-effective and easy to deliver
  Delivering an aptitude test is relatively easy and cost-effective. Companies can efficiently conduct an aptitude test using pen and paper mode. It is one of the most convenient ways to test the mental and verbal ability of recruits in a short period of time.