PC AGE Aptitude Test Measures Computer Ability
with Zafar
Khizer
Students
at PC Age have a good idea of their computer ability before
they set foot in the classroom.
PC Age
gives prospective students a free aptitude test before they
enroll at one of the school’s two New Jersey locations.
The test measures their ability to become technical information
professionals, and only those with a score of 50 percent
or above are admitted.
"Anyone
who wants to check his or her computer aptitude can take
the test," said Zafar Khizer, founder and owner of
PC Age, a career school that specializes in network engineering
training and training products. "The higher the score
the better IT professional this person will be."
The test
focuses on analytical and problem-solving skills, rather
than measuring a candidate’s knowledge of computers.
It can be used to help a person make a career change or
training decision.
By screening
candidates for the school, Khizer can tell that students
have the ability to succeed in the information technology
profession and which level of the profession is best for
them.
"We
can take anyone with no or little computer background and
make them a professional in six months," he said.
The 90-minute
aptitude test measure a candidate’s ability in five
areas:
Recognition
of similarities and differences: Much of information
technology involves relational situations, including determination
of how one set of instructions will impact another set.
It also involves noting when an element of a set does
not match the other elements. Because information technology
involves these relational needs, an individual must be
able to compare, value and distinguish between a variety
of objects and situations.
Syntax:
Just as a word is composed of a string of letters, and
a sentence is composed of a string of words, computer
languages and commands use a string of characters and
words. Patterns of these specialized computer languages
often appear odd or even arbitrary to a beginner. While
first-time computer candidates are not expected to understand
COBOL or other languages, they must be able to demonstrate
the ability to think logically, and to recognize patterns
that exist in apparent chaos.
Procedural
ability: Computers process information in a 'yes-no'
or 'on-off' sequence. This can be illustrated with a flow
chart that presents a picture of the computer’s logic.
Candidates who can easily grasp the concepts behind a
flow chart will tend to have an easier time understanding
and developing a computer program, since they will have
a deeper understanding of the computational processes
involved.
Math
and logic aptitude: For the most part, information
technology does not involve higher math skills, so a person
does not need to be a mathematician in order to be a skilled
programmer or systems analyst/engineer. However, the ability
to troubleshoot and work out a computer process to its
logical conclusion is a central component of working successfully
with computers. And in doing this, information technology
shares the same problem-solving principles that form the
core of math and logic.
Sequencing:
Getting a computer to properly perform a task involves
setting up a sequence of instructions. Programmers must
be able to visualize this step-by-step process, thinking
ahead while following certain rules that govern computer
languages and commands. There are a variety of tests that
can measure a candidate’s ability to discern a pattern
and predict the flow of objects.
Khizer
developed the test based on research of intelligence tests
and his desire to find what makes a good information technology
professional.
"If
you’re working in the computer field, you see that
some people can solve problems very quickly, and with some
people it takes a long, long time," he said, noting
that one survey found that one programmer may take 10 times
as long as another to finish the same assignment.
The school
does not actively market the test. Rather, the role of the
test is mainly to attract students to the school.
"We
don’t want to make it a commercial product," Khizer
said. "Its main goal is to generate leads for the schools.
We really want to promote our training, and right now we
hesitate to market it for itself."
The test,
which has been given to more than 1,500 employee and student
applicants since 1997, works so well that if a person scores
90 percent or better, Khizer knows the person will outperform
most of those working in the field in six months.
One of
Khizer’s top employees scored close to 100 percent
on the aptitude test, higher than Khizer’s score. The
employee was hired without any previous computer background
and has since installed Windows NT and Cisco in all of the
company’s locations.
"I
hired him as a technical employee and gave him a book and
some training and within three months he became a good IT
professional," Khizer said.
