Verbal Aptitude

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Definition - What does Verbal Aptitude mean?

Verbal aptitude refers to a person's ability to understand and respond to spoken information. Aptitude tests are used to assess an individual's skills or ability. These tests are intended to evaluate the person's natural abilities or talents rather than learned skills. Verbal aptitude tests center on assessing a person's ability to understand and use language.

When testing for verbal aptitude, a person may be asked to demonstrate not only that they comprehend the meaning of individual words, but also how to use those words effectively.

SureHire explains Verbal Aptitude

Aptitude tests are often used to determine whether an individual is in need of rehabilitative services or will be able to perform specified tasks. For example, an individual may be asked to take a verbal aptitude test to determine their placement in a vocational program. Reading comprehension passages, vocabulary questions, and word riddles (spoken to the test taker, not written testing) are all examples of materials that might be used in a verbal aptitude test.

Additionally, some job tasks require a minimum level of language skills. An organization's human resources, customer service, or marketing department may seek employees who can communicate easily with customers. Thus, an individual's verbal aptitude may be tested as part of a pre-employment evaluation.

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