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Do I
really need a test to help me find out my natural abilities?
Some people think
they know their abilities. However, we get mixed up with our skills and
abilities. There are some things we are naturally good at, and other
areas where we have developed a high level of skill. E.g. I’ve got quite
a good reputation for proof reading, but my natural ability is very low.
It’s something I’ve learnt to do. It certainly wouldn't be a good fit if
this was the main focus of my work.
Don’t forget, what we
know of our talents is based only on what we have done before. You could
have talents that you don’t
even know about. Our school days only cover a few of the abilities
you will find out if you take this assessment
Why is measuring
abilities/aptitudes so important?
Most sources of job
unhappiness stem from natural abilities not being used, or
people being forced to perform tasks for which you do not have the
natural abilities.
If
you choose a new career without a knowledge of your innate abilities,
you have a relatively high probability of winding up in a career that
you find boring, frustrating, or unfulfilling.
What if I’m hopeless at
tests?
Don’t worry, this is
not like an exam, you can’t pass or fail this test and there is no need
for any revision. Your results will show if you have a high or low
ability in something and it is just as important to know what you are
low in as what you are high in. These tests are different from anything
you will have done before.
There is a scale
called classification which is non logical problem solving – an ability
to quickly spot the big picture. I score very low in this, but the
benefit of this is that it means I have a lot of patience in working
with people and in going at a pace to suit others rather than me. A real
strength in the work that I do.
What is the earliest age someone can
take the Highlands assessment
Since abilities do
not stabilise until age 14, we usually recommend waiting until after the
15th birthday.
Tell me more about the
assessment
The Highlands Ability Battery comprises 19 separate validated objective tests.
It is not like any aptitude testing you may have done at school. The HAB
isolates natural abilities and analyses combinations of aptitudes in
addition to individual aptitudes. It is an objective measure of the
individual’s relative ability to perform defined hands on tasks.
You take the assessment in the privacy of your own home.
You can
read more details
here
>>
How accurate is
it?
The
Highlands Ability Battery is based on 80 years research, beginning with
Johnson O’Connor. It is psychometrically valid and reliable. The
information and suggestions that it makes are highly accurate. The
minimum reliability standard for the 19 tests that make up the
Highland Ability Battery is r = .80. It has been described as the
equivalent of getting a CAT Scan
for a painful
injury instead of a traditional X-ray. As an associate
fellow of the British Psychological Society, I would not use any
test that could not measure what it sets out to measure.
How do you measure
abilities?
Each ability is measured by you performing a
particular task, which requires a certain innate ability. Given
enough time you probably could do all the work samples.
We obtain results by putting you under time
pressure which eliminates
the possibility of substituting another ability or extra time to
accomplish the task.
Whilst we measure
abilities individually, we then look at them in combination.
One combination of aptitudes makes the accomplished salesperson,
another combination describes a person who enjoys network
administration, and another combination explains why a person enjoys
one part of management but not the rest.
What will I get
from taking the Highlands Ability Battery?
- Understanding of where I am
naturally talented
- Know how I solve problems and
make decisions most effectively
- Understand in black and white
why I would be happy in some fields and not happy in others
- Be able to choose the best
option from a group of study/ career/ job/ business choices
- Knowledge on how to study most effectively
- Know what other jobs within my
organisation I would be better and more fulfilled with
- How to use my true strengths
more effectively and more consistently
How good is it?
In
October, 2002, 32 graduate students at Colorado State University were asked
to compare a number of assessments which they had completed as part of their
course.
The group was asked to rate 4 different well-known assessments in terms of
effectiveness in measuring their abilities and talents, as well as in
guiding them in future career decisions. The assessments were the Highlands
Ability Battery, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Strong Interest and
Skills Confidence Inventory, and True Colors.
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Percentage of Students that ranked it #1 in
measuring abilities and talents
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Percentage of Students that ranked it #1 in
effectiveness in guiding them in career decisions |
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I want to get
started, what happens next?
The steps in the process are outlined
here >>
Do you work with people
from across the world?
Yes, I have satisfied clients from USA,
Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and many European countries
I still have a question?
No problem,
get in touch and
I'll answer any questions you have, or sign up for our complimentary
introductory calls, held monthly
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