aptitude test

American  

noun

1. any of various tests given to measure abilities, as manual dexterity, visual acuity, reasoning, or verbal comprehension, and used to assist in the selection of a career.

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aptitude test British  

noun

1. a test designed to assess a person's ability to do a particular type of work

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Etymology

Origin of aptitude test

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does aptitude-test compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• achievement test vs. aptitude test

Example Sentences

After her divorce, she went to Indiana University Southeast to sit for an aptitude test.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

After failing an aptitude test with tech company IBM as a young man in Hackney, east London, he started selling car aerials from a van, and later transistor radios.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025

After firing about 10,000 mortar rounds during four years of training, one soldier who joined the Army with near-perfect scores on the military aptitude test was struggling to read or do basic math.

From New York Times • May 2, 2024

She told me that she once took an aptitude test that suggested she become either a mechanic or a missionary.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2022

That’s one of the reasons why everyone in the city has to take the aptitude test at sixteen—if they’re aware during the test, that shows us that they might have healed genes.”

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth