Individuals who feel unfulfilled, uninterested or lost in their current careers, or students undecided on what degree fields to major in, may consider taking a vocational aptitude test to determine the right career for them. Vocational aptitude tests help identify the types of careers that best fit an individual's interests, intellect and personal aspirations. Special education students interested in taking a vocational aptitude test have several available options.
The Career Occupational Preference System Intermediate Inventory (COPS II) exam measures an individual's interest in a career based on his knowledge of fourth grade school subjects and activities. The COPS II test and scoring booklet reads at a fourth grade level, and provides students instructions on how to interpret their exam results. Using career clusters, students can determine which careers they may be best suited, based on their interest scores in each field. The exam takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
The Vocational Research Interest Inventory exam determines an individual's career interests by using a 12-point scale based on the U.S. Department of Labor's Interest Areas index. Written at a fourth grade level, the VRII offers an Individual Profile Analysis (IPA) that helps determine specific interests and preferences in 12 career indicators. The exam also measures personality indicators, such as willingness to accommodate or lead others, when determining an individual's ideal career.
An online vocational aptitude test, the Career Decision-Making (CDM) Internet exam's online system allows students to access CDM's career database, which provides students occupational briefs that details over 800 potential careers. The exam analyzes a student's interest in crafts, science, art, socializing, business and office operations when determining in which careers the student demonstrates the highest aptitude. The exam reads at a sixth grade level, requires approximately 20 to 25 minutes to complete and can be taken anywhere with Internet access.
The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS) provides special education students preparing for college an excellent tool for pursuing their degree. The CISS helps pinpoint the academic strengths that an individual can build upon in order to open further career opportunities. The CISS also estimates an individual's confidence in her ability to perform occupational activities when determining what careers to recommend. By factoring in a student's confidence in her abilities to perform in a certain career, the CISS provides a more comprehensive exam than one that judges on interest alone. The exam reads at a sixth grade level, and requires 25 minutes to complete.