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What is Aptitude Testing?
Our aptitude testing service is a series of interactive assessments that provide objective data about natural talents (aptitudes). We’re both a testing service and a nonprofit research institute with over 100 years of research into careers and human aptitudes.
Aptitude testing is different from career surveys and personality tests. Our tests are performance-based assessments that feel like puzzles or games. They provide objective, neutral data about your innate strengths. These scores aren’t influenced by interests, grades in school, or any other outside factors. They’re a snapshot of how your mind likes to naturally work.
Aptitude testing helps you make strengths-based career and college decisions using data that predicts the career directions where you have the most potential to be successful.
Our testing can help you choose a career path; narrow down college majors; decide between college or trade school; plan for graduate school; or even provide new career possibilities you haven’t considered before.
Our clients change their college major at lower rates than the average student and express higher levels of career satisfaction. Understanding your aptitudes is a shortcut to getting on the right path for your future.
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What are Aptitudes?
Aptitudes are natural talents for doing certain kinds of things quickly and easily.
These abilities aren’t related to what you’ve learned in school or your interests, which can change over time.
Aptitudes are talents you’re born with, so you can use your test results to make decisions throughout your life.
Our Tests are Different
Personality tests and interest questionnaires reflect how you feel about yourself at that moment in time.
Our tests don’t consist of answering subjective questions or filling out forms, and they’re not influenced by factors like past experiences or schooling.
We provide objective data about how your mind likes to work and what careers might best match your combination of abilities.
How will Aptitude Testing Help Me?
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is one of the most important aspects of career planning.
Aptitude testing provides objective data about the areas you’re likely to succeed in and the ones you might want to avoid.
People tend to be more satisfied and successful in occupations that use their aptitudes.
Aptitude Testing and Research since 1922
Since 1922, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people understand their innate potential and choose careers that fit how their minds like to work, naturally.
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Comprehensive Testing for Only $950
Our Testing Service Includes:
- Six total hours of testing (Two three-hour sessions that can be taken on a single day, or spread over two days.)
- One 60-90 minute results consultation
- A second optional consultation that can be taken within a year of testing
- Written materials (digital report and book) are also included
- Multiple convenient testing locations across the United States
As a nonprofit organization, we are firmly committed to keeping prices as low as possible while covering our operating costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other career tests are often “yes or no” personality or interest surveys that mirror your answers back to you. These tests can give different results at different life stages.
Aptitude testing is different. Our tests are performance-based and provide objective, neutral data about innate strengths.
These scores aren’t influenced by interests, grades in school, or any other outside factors. They’re a snapshot of how your mind likes to naturally work.
Our research shows that choosing a career or college major that matches your aptitudes leads to greater satisfaction and success.
Because aptitudes are stable over time, the results from our tests don’t expire and can always be used to make informed career decisions.
We’ve been researching human abilities since 1922. Our proprietary battery of 21 different aptitudes is only available at the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation.
We measure natural abilities like:
- spatial visualization
- reasonings (inductive, analytical, and numerical)
- ideation
- goal-setting
- visual aptitudes
- auditory aptitudes
- dexterities
- workplace personality and more!
Clients also take a multiple-choice English vocabulary test and an industry-standard career interest survey called The Self-Directed Search.
Our tests are a hybrid of hands-on and digital assessments. Testing must take place in one of our 15 testing centers.
This is a one-on-one testing environment. Clients test at their own desk with headphones (digital tests) or in an office with a test administrator (one-on-one tests). Clients are not tested in a group setting.
Our tests feel more like puzzles or games than school tests. Some tests are as short as a couple of minutes and others are as long as twenty minutes. Many of them are timed.
There’s no advanced studying or preparation required.
While we do have low, average, and high scores on our tests, there are no “good” or “bad” or “passing” or “failing” scores. Every person has their own unique combination of scores.
Test results are discussed in remote, 60-90 minute consultation sessions on a separate day from the testing.
We charge a flat fee of $950 for our service.
As a nonprofit organization, we are firmly committed to keeping prices as low as possible while covering our operating costs.
The youngest age we test is 14, but there’s no upper age limit.
Half of our clients are high school or college students making decisions about college and majors, and the other half are working adults looking for career guidance and self-discovery.
One flat fee includes:
- Six total hours of in-person testing (two three-hour sessions that can be taken on a single day, or spread over two half days)
- One 60-90 minute results consultation
- A second 60-90 minute consultation that can be taken within a year of testing
- Written materials (digital report and reference book with career and college major recommendations)
- Industry-standard career interest survey The Self-Directed Search
- A digital badge that can be shared in resumes, college applications, or on social media
There are two in-person testing sessions, each about three hours long.
The results appointment is 60-90 minutes and held over Zoom on a separate day from testing. The fee also includes a second, optional consultation appointment which is valid within the first year of testing.
Many of our clients opt for a one-day testing format (testing in the morning and afternoon with a lunch break in the middle of the day), but half-day testing appointments are also available.
Contact any of our 15 testing centers by email or phone to schedule testing.
Each of our 15 testing centers offers the same aptitude test battery.
Our affiliate locations (Austin, Boca Raton, North Carolina, Seattle, and Tampa) offer the same testing experience but operate under a different business model.
Appointments should be scheduled in advance, especially for holidays and school vacation times.
Our busiest times are June and July, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s weeks, and school or federal holidays. You might want to schedule a few weeks in advance for these times, although there are often last-minute spots available.
Outside of our high-demand times, you might be able to schedule with just a few days’ notice.
Feel free to contact any of our 15 locations with questions. If you have questions about scheduling or the testing day itself, you might want to contact the location you plan to test in.
Every month we run informational webinars with Q+A for new clients to learn more about the service. Please visit our Events page to register.