Your own assessment of your skills and your personality is quite likely to be accurate; however, your objectivity cannot be assured. Having a friend look over the preceding exercises will help increase the reliability of the information. The problem is that even your friends will have a difficult time being truly objective. It may be worth your while, then, to undergo a more formal career assessment with the assistance of a vocational counselor. The following is a list of career-assessment instruments, along with a brief description of what they measure and how you might find them.
Aptitude and Achievement Assessment
Most of the following assessment tests can be taken with the help of a qualified
career counselor. Check with your local vocational rehabilitation office, or look in
the Yellow Pages, for a college career center or vocational counseling agency. Some
assessments involve a fee, but some are free via your public library or the Internet. It
is recommended, however, that you use these instruments only in cooperation with
a career counselor. It's easy to misread the results of them, and the results of
misreading them can be significant in terms of money and, more importantly, time.
Adult Basic Learning Examination, 2nd Edition (ABLE)
This instrument is used to assess the basic educational achievement of adults,
although it is most useful for adults with less than an Associate degree. The
instrument tests six different achievement areas: Vocabulary, Reading
Comprehension, Spelling, Language (grammar and punctuation), Number
Operations, and Problem Solving.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a series of assessment
instruments that measure Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension,
Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, General Science, Auto and Shop
Information, Mechanical Comprehension, Electronics Information, Numerical
Operations, and Coding Speed. In addition, the ASVAB contains the "The Self-
Directed Search" assessment device (described below). The results of the test are
useful in determining the candidate's suitability for military and nonmilitary
careers. The ASVAB is most often used with senior high and postsecondary students.
Because it is offered to schools without charge, it is a popular instrument in many
school districts. It is worth pointing out that the ASVAB has been criticized because
of the timed nature of the instrument and the bias that results for persons with
some disabilities.
Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) with Career Interest Inventory (CII)
The DAT is comprised of eight subtests, measuring Verbal Reasoning, Numerical
Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Perceptual Speed and Accuracy, Mechanical
Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling, and Language Usage. The CII measures
interests in the following categories: Social Science, Clerical Services, Health
Services, Agriculture, Customer Services, Fine Arts, Mathematics and Science,
Building Trades, Educational Services, Legal Services, Transportation, Sales,
Management, Benchwork, and Machine Operation. The test is most often used
with secondary students through adults.
Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
This instrument is constructed to assess basic skills in reading, mathematics, and
language. The TABE is used primarily among individuals age 16 and over.
United States Employment Service General Aptitude Test Battery
(GATB) and Interest Inventory (USES II)
This instrument is used broadly among government employment and labor
agencies. Designed to assess individuals age 16 and older, the instrument contains
both an aptitude assessment and an interest inventory. The GATB measures the following aptitudes: General, Verbal, Numerical, Spatial, Form Perception, Clerical
Perception, Motor Coordination, Finger Dexterity, and Manual Dexterity. When
combined with the USES II, the GATB is the most extensively researched vocational
assessment instrument available. It should be noted that the GATB, like the ASVAB,
has been criticized because of the timed nature of the instrument and the bias that
results for persons with some disabilities.