An
aptitude test, properly designed, can indicate the IT level that
is best suited for an individual.
The
IT ranks range from a basic computer operator, responsible
for data input, to a systems analyst, responsible for overseeing
large software/hardware projects and software/hardware improvement.
Identifying
those guideposts is the first step of an effective approach.
And it is critical to implement this step without any preconceived
notions. It is not uncommon for men and women with no prior
business or computer experience to take an effective training
course and go on to pass the Certified Novell Engineer (CNE)
or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) exams. They
then can go on to develop satisfying careers as systems
engineers and systems analysts. Conversely, there are people
some with extensive backgrounds as computer operators, and
some who hold advanced degrees-who have either failed the
CNE and MCSE exams, or passed the exams only to discover
that they could never quite fit into an IT environment.
For these people, the investment of time and money led to
a dead end.
Instead,
would-be IT professionals should consider a computer aptitude
test before they ever set foot in a classroom. An effective
IT aptitude test will not merely measure knowledge of computers.
In fact, that would be self-defeating, since it would eliminate
many applicants who do not have computer training but are
still well suited to IT. Instead, a valid aptitude test
will measure an applicant's ability in the following five
areas:
•
Recognition of similarities and differences: Much of IT
involves relational situations, including the determination
of how one set instructions will impact another set. It
also involves noting when an element of a set does not match
the other elements. Because IT 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 utilize a string of characters and
words. However, the patterns of these specialized computer
languages and commands 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. Illustrating this flow in
human terms is greatly facilitated with the use of 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 that are involved.
•
Math and logic aptitude: For the most part, IT 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.
It
is important to note that the test does not measure a candidate's
knowledge in these areas instead, the test should look to
determine the candidate's aptitude, or ability, as it relates
to the subject matter.
The
aptitude test itself should be designed to yield a numerical
score that can be compared to other candidates' scores on
the same test. The validity of the test is demonstrated
when a large volume of scores are compared, a correlated
against the subsequent success or failure of the candidates.
In
October 1997, almost five years after Zafar Khizer
established PC Age, a computer training school in
Parsippany and Edison, PC Age designed such an aptitude
test. It administered the test to 1,500 employee
and student applicants (persons who fail or score
low on the test are not admitted to the training
school). Tracking a sample group of these test-takers
yielded a success rate of 94 percent that is, 94
percent of PC Age graduates pass the CNE and MCSE
exams.
The
solution of the problem of declining numbers
in the information technology field may lie
in expanding the methods of IT education
That
rate is more than six times the general average of 15
percent. And, most of the school's graduates find high-paying
network administration/ engineering jobs.
A
properly designed aptitude test offers other benefits.
For instance, nonqualified candidates can be eliminated
before going through a time-consuming direct interview
process. And, because the test indicates the level of
a person's IT aptitude, it can also help to match a
candidate with a particular position.
Because
a well-designed IT aptitude test measures a variety
of desirable qualities, it can help almost any company-regardless
of the industry-to hire bright candidates who can quickly
learn the computer, to do their jobs more efficiently.
