Our friends at HubSpot recently published a blog titled, 7 Free Career Aptitude Tests You Can Take Online Today, which got us thinking that the last time we took one of these quizzes was back in high school. Some of us got career paths like Rodeo Clown and Zoologist, while others of us can't remember if we even took one. So this week we assigned one of our writers to take all seven of the free career aptitude tests HubSpot mentioned in their article.
What is a Career Aptitude Test?According to BusinessDictionary.com "Tests and assessments taken to measure preferences in jobs and career types based on the individual's assessment of his or her own personality, character traits, and skills."
There are a ton of different methodologies and ways that these traits and skills can be measured. Each of the below tests gave our writer pretty similar results even though the science and method were different for almost every single one.
Which ones did we take?
- 123 Career Test
- Princeton Review Career Quiz
- My Next Move O*NET Interests Profiler
- MyPlan.com
- MAPP Career Test
- Career Strengths Test
- PathSource
This test is based on the different types of work associated with specific types of personalities. Dr. John Holland is the creator of the Holland Codes, which were used for this test. We took quite the dive into the theory behind the Hollands Codes but we will spare you all the details and give a brief overview. There are six "types: Realistic (Doers), Investigative (Thinkers), Artistic (Creators), Social (Helpers), Enterprising (Persuaders), and Conventional (Organizers). The idea is that each person falls on the spectrum somewhere.
What did our test taker think?
“I felt like my results were pretty accurate to who I think I am. I was a little thrown off by the jobs they said I should do, like being an Astronomer sounds super fun but I am not 100% sure it would be a good fit. The test was pretty quick and easy; it took about 15 minutes and was 16 questions long.”
2. Princeton Review Career Quiz
We are not sure about the methodology behind the Princeton Review's career quiz, but it was easy and quick to take. Each of the 24 questions worked like a “would you rather” question. It took us about 15 minutes to complete and was a pretty fun test to take.
What did our test taker think?
“I had a lot of fun sorting through these questions, and because there were only two options for each question, it forced me to make a definitive decision. When I got my results, I was slightly confused. It said I was Planning and Administrative. After reading the description, it made a lot more sense. The career paths that I was given were a lot more realistic for me than the 123-Test careers.”
3. My Next Move O*NET Interests Profiler
The U.S. Department of labor sponsors the O*NET Interest Profiler and, like the last test, didn't say much about the methodology behind the analysis. The test was 60 questions and took around 20 minutes to complete. It asked questions about different kinds of work tasks and asked if you strongly dislike, dislike, unsure, like or strongly like any particular career/job.
What did our test taker think?
“I was kind of meh on this one. The test itself was quick to answer, but I find it hard to describe how I felt about "repair household appliances." I mean, I like to tinker and fix things, but as a career, I am not so sure about how I would feel. I found that I had a lot of unsure answers. I don't feel like I gleaned any new information by taking this one, but I did like some of the jobs it recommended."
4. MyPlan.com
Myplan.com was our overall least favorite. After reading the HubSpot article, we clicked the link to explore the test some more and found that finding the actual test was pretty hard. If you plan on taking this test here is how to find it: in the assessment box click "values assessment," from there it will take you to a new page. Once there scroll down and click the free assessment. Don't get alarmed when you see all the pricing we promise there is a free version. The test took about 15 minutes (add in an extra 5 for the time it took us to find the test and to set up an account) and was 20 questions.
What did our test taker think?
“I hate this website, maybe it is because I am in marketing and a millennial, but I get annoyed at bad web design. As far as the test goes, it felt a little dated in some of the questions it asked. Overall it was okay, at the end of the test it told me what I most valued in a job and gave me a star rating as to how I fit in with a category. I would give this one a 1.5 out of 5 stars and would probably not recommend it.”
This is another one of those tests where we got lost in the rabbit hole of research. The MAPP stands for Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential and was created in 1995. The website boasts that the MAPP assessment takes career aptitude testing a giant step further than others. The methodology behind the test has been studied and validated several times and was very interesting to learn about, but again we will spare you from our nerdiness. The test took 30 minutes and is 70 questions.
What did our test taker think?
“This test took me longer than the 22 minutes it should have, I have a feeling that was because I spent way to much time wafting about in choosing my answers. The test asked me to decide what I would most prefer and what I would least prefer and then I would leave one answer blank. I have to admit that there were some questions that I wanted to answer “most prefer” to all three and then vice versa. After I finished the test and got my answers, I was kind of grumpy that I only got half of the results, but then I reminded myself that it was a free test and started reading my results. After reading the first section, I thought "maybe I should pay for my results." Instead of just telling me I am creative and should do a creative job it gave me some serious insight into myself. I recommend this test, it seemed spot on and gave a lot more insight than the other tests I took, and I only saw half of my results.”
The Career Strengths Test is different than the other tests on this list. HubSpot says that all the tests are online tests, and we guess you could technically take this one online, but it is much better if it is printed out! This test consisted of five small little "challenges" each designed to measure something different. The tests take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how much you want to think about them.
What did our test taker think?
“This was so fun, and it took me back to the good old days of school when I lived responsibility free (I am talking about, like, middle school here to be clear). I always liked puzzles and games, and that is what this test felt like. I got nothing out of these tests and the results they produced. I did, however, enjoy a fantastic childlike wonderment for like 10 minutes. Oh, also, does anyone know what comes next in this pattern 6 5 15 10 70 _ (don't use google that is cheating)?”
7. PathSource
Last on the list is PathSource which is an app based assessment. We read about it online and thought "cute it's like a dating app but for your career"! The app has two main assessments: the career assessment and the lifestyle assessment. We took the career assessment which consisted of 60 statements. We had to select, strongly like, like, unsure, dislike, and strongly dislike for each comment. The test took about 10 minutes tops.
What did our test taker think?
“Meh… the gamification part was fun, and the assessment was spot on with what I already knew and what all the other tests said. It gave a lot of information about the careers that it aligned me with. It showed me the salary, and gave a small description on the job! After the recommended career paths I realized it was pushing universities and tech programs. I think this would be a useful app for someone young in their career still figuring out what to do and what things cost.”
Final Thoughts
No matter what assessments you take, finding a job that aligns with your ambitions and career goals is important. If you feel a little lost in your search or need a little guidance sign up for one of our free consultations, and we will be more than happy to help you find your dream job!
