Skip to content
English
Raise a Ticket Sign in
Go to thomas.co
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Aptitude - the basics

Thomas Aptitude enables organisations to gain a detailed understanding of a person’s fluid intelligence and how quickly they can grasp the fundamentals of a new role. It was developed over 15 years by Dr Peter Dann in the Human Assessment Laboratory at the University of Plymouth. Thomas integrated the Aptitude into its product suite in 2006. 

Most organisations consider aptitude as a benchmark for predicting a candidate’s ability to perform successfully in a specific role. By understanding candidates' aptitude profiles, you have a much higher success rate of identifying the candidates who are most likely to succeed in their roles.

The Thomas Aptitude focuses on a range of cognitive capabilities, including individuals’ abilities to reason (Reasoning), detect errors (Perceptual Speed), work with numerical data (Number Speed & Accuracy), understand words (Word Meaning), and interpret visual information (Spatial Visualisation).

Reasoning

The Reasoning component is a problem-solving task. A person's verbal reasoning is measured by asking them to hold verbal information in their short-term memory and make decisions based on that information. This component assesses their ability to make inferences, reason from verbal information and draw correct conclusions. 

Perceptual Speed

The Perceptual Speed component is a matching task. A person's perceptual speed is measured by asking them to identify the correct number of matching pairs of letters or characters. This component assesses their ability to check and report for error/accuracy in written material, numbers, and diagrams as well as the ability to ignore irrelevant information.

Number Speed & Accuracy

The Number Speed & Accuracy component is a number task. A person's numerical reasoning is measured by asking them to identify the numerical distance between a series of numbers. This assesses their ability to manipulate numerical information, their numerical reasoning, and their comfortability in working with quantitative concepts. 

Word Meaning

The Word Meaning component is a semantic word task. A person's range of vocabulary and understanding of words are measured by asking them to identify two words that have a similar meaning out of a choice of three. This assesses their comprehension of a large number of words from different parts of speech and their ability to process written and verbal information. 

Spatial Visualisation

The Spatial Visualisation component is a symbol task. A person's spatial and mechanical reasoning is measured by asking them to visualise and manipulate a symbol in their mind. This component assesses their ability to create and manipulate mental images of objects and to understand how shapes and patterns fit together to form a whole.

Aptitude in practice

Thomas Aptitude allows you to maximise your learning and development budget, gain greater certainty when recruiting, and understand how to reduce staff turnover. The Thomas Aptitude assessment can provide answers to questions such as:

  • Can this person cope with the cognitive demands of a role?

  • What job experience level will this person be suitable for?

  • What pace of work will fit them best?

  • Will this person match the learning requirements of a role?

  • Can they thrive in a role that will evolve and change over time?