“Aptitude- n. Natural ability or talent to do something”
Why Aptitude Testing is Important for Students
Changing Majors is a Major Problem
Up to 85 % of college students switch majors (Bertram, 2017).
Every time a major is switched, the student enrolls in new mandatory classes for that major. Therefore, money is spent for the new classes (Marcus, 2018).
Often, classes from a past major are irrelevant or excess for completion of the student’s degree. Thus, money was wasted on the classes taken for a previous major (Marcus, 2018).
Longer in school = more student loans, and more student loan debt (Marcus, 2018).
Lost at sea
Students are developing their self-identity. Understanding their abilities and gifts helps them sculpt their identity easier and more efficiently.
The more understanding a student has of him/herself, stress ls lowered. The student’s resources can be expended on other tasks and events such as homework rather on stress.
Understanding abilities and self helps with goal construction, adds direction, and lowers depression (Freeman, Lenz, & Reardon, 2017). The student is going somewhere because they now have a vivid goal in mind due to finding added clarity from understanding abilities.
Greater exploration of a desired career raises self-efficacy which ultimately raises job satisfaction (Komarraju, Swanson, & Nadler; 2013).
Changing majors is less likely to happen when a student has been aptitude assessed. They have a better understanding of what they want to do and who they want to be.
A better sense of ‘self’ and the knowledge of what abilities a student excels in helps a student focus on their strengths. Students no longer waste time trying to find out what their natural talents are as aptitude testing has vividly disclosed talents.
“Career exploration is defined as behaviors providing access to new information about one’s own aptitudes, skills, and information about job characteristics. It is assumed that higher levels of career exploratory behaviors are associated with less difficulties regarding career decision-making.”
Self-regulation is also assessed in student career exploration
Self-regulation is the ability to regulate behavior, emotions, and thoughts to reach long term goals.
There are four aspects of academic self-regulation: goal setting or planning, monitoring, controlling (behavior), and reflecting.
Students with higher self-regulation are more likely to obtain a diploma (Cambron, 2017).
Greater self-regulation can lead to greater engagement in their school tasks making learning more productive, efficient, and successful (Chernauskas-Beecher, 2018).