Are you considering a career change? Or perhaps you’ve always wondered which career best suits your strengths and personal motivators? Or maybe you’re just starting your career and you’re unsure about which line of work to pursue.
That’s where career aptitude tests can help and, fortunately, there are a number of free options that can provide valuable information to those seeking career clarity.
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What is a Career Aptitude Test?
A career aptitude test (or career assessment) is a tool that asks specific questions about your personality traits and provides clarity (and often, recommendations) for your career path, based on your answers.
The power of a good career assessment test is that they provide an objective look at the types of work that could be a strong match for your unique skills, values, and interests.
We’ve curated a list of 11 top free career aptitude tests to help you determine the right career path for you.
1. Careerfitter Free Online Career Test (Our Pick)
As one of the pioneers in the field, CareerFitter has been providing career assessments since 1998. Receive a free career report when you complete the Careerfitter Online Career Test. This 60 question test takes about 10 minutes to complete.
It analyzes four dimensions that contribute to the foundation of your personality including Energy, Perception, Decision Style, and Planning Style.
The free career report includes information such as how much money you can earn in careers that match your personality, career fields you should consider, and the number of specific careers that fit you.
2. Truity: Career Personality Profiler
Truity’s Career Personality Profiler will help you find a career you love with its scientifically validated career test that measures both your interests and your personality traits so you can find the right career for you.
Find out which careers will maximize your potential and take advantage of your natural talents, and understand your core values so you can choose a career that will keep you motivated and satisfied
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3. CareerHunter
CareerHunter is designed to match you up with your ideal job through a series of six, science-backed tests that determine your psychological makeup. These tests include: Career Interests, Work Personality, Career Motivators, Abstract Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning
The first test, Career Interests, is free with 27 questions and 135 statements about work activities. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. On each page, you will rank five work activities according to your personal preference. The results of this test alone help you identify your areas of interest so you can choose a job that you will find interesting and enjoyable.
If you choose to pay to take the remaining five tests, you'll discover your compatibility with over 250 career paths. For each career path, the site also includes detailed career profiles with qualification, salary, and job outlook information. Once you've received your career match, you can get relevant course recommendations to build up your career skillset and qualifications. CareerHunter has 5,000 courses to choose from!
4. MAPP Test
The MAPP test is a bit more intense than some of the other career aptitude tests on this list, but the results are comprehensive. With this assessment, you’ll be presented with 71 different triads that include three statements a piece.
For each statement, you choose if it represents you the most or least. It normally takes about 20 minutes to complete. While the test is free to take, there is a fee to review your full results. However, if you choose to pay the fee, the results are very reliable.
5. My Next Move: O*Net Interest Profiler
This free 60-question career assessment seeks to determine your ideal career by asking questions related to your likes and dislikes. It’s administered by the United States Department of Labor.
The assessment provides a list of task options such as “Buy and sell stocks and bonds” or “Develop a new medicine.” Select among five preferences for each option: “Strongly Dislike,” “Dislike,” “Unsure,” “Like,” and “Strongly Like.” You’ll be provided with career options at the end of the test.
6. Career Explorer: Career Test
Career Explorer uses advanced machine learning, psychometrics, and career satisfaction data to design the assessment. The basic test is free while the premium report costs $35.
The career test provides a series of questions that reflect upon your past experiences and future goals. Suggested careers are then based on your interests, goals, history, workplace preferences, and personality.
7. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is known as being one of the most accurate career aptitude tests. While Myers-Briggs offers a paid $50 version of the test, this is a free version known as the Jung Typology Test.
The personality assessment presents a series of 64 statements such as “You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job” and “It is difficult to get you excited.”
Choose whether or not you agree with each statement. Your answers are analyzed and the test provides careers and occupations that are most suitable for your personality type.
8. Rasmussen University Career Aptitude Test
The Rasmussen University Career Aptitude Test analyzes your skills and interests to offer career recommendations.
Instead of working off a question basis, the test allows you to adjust sliders for seven categories (e.g. Artistic) so they represent your personal skills (from high to low). A list of career suggestions based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is then provided.
9. Princeton Review Career Quiz
The Princeton review career quiz consists of 24 questions that each contains two different scenarios. You choose the scenario that best fits you.
For example, two scenarios might include “I would rather be an auditor” and “I would rather be a musician.” Once you’ve made your selection for all 24 questions, you’ll receive “interest results” and “recommended careers.”
10. MyPlan Career Assessment Test
According to MyPlan, this values-based career assessment test can help you learn more about your underlying work needs and motivations to help you decide what is important to you in a job.
The assessment consists of 20 cards or statements and takes about 12 minutes to complete. Within this test, you group cards that relate to different aspects of work and identify how important each statement is to you.
The point is to find a career that relates to your work values as this highly correlates with job satisfaction.
11. 123 Career Test
This career aptitude test takes 5-10 minutes to complete. It’s a visual style assessment that provides fifteen sets of four pictures that show specific work activities.
If you like a specific activity, click the green arrow. If you don’t, click the red “x.” You can choose one activity that you like the most and one activity that you like the least. This test helps you discover what kind of work environments and occupations are best for you.
Discover career possibilities with a free career aptitude test
A career aptitude test isn’t perfect and shouldn’t be the only data point when deciding which career to pursue. Your own vision for your life plays the most important role. But a career aptitude test can offer clarity and ideas for career directions that you might not have considered before.
If you’re looking to make a career change, ResumeSpice is here to help. We offer premium career coaching, resume writing, and cover letter services, LinkedIn profile writing, and more. Please contact us today to learn about our services!
