Whether they are called abilities, talents, or aptitudes, they are part of the "hard wiring" you are born with. By the time you are a teenager, barring major accidents or illnesses, they will remain relatively stable throughout your life. Aptitudes are not significantly influenced by learning or your culture. Your combination of aptitudes is unique and represents what you do easily and well. For example you may have natural talents in music but can't read a map to save your life. Some of your abilities may be extremely compelling and exert pressure on you to utilize them while others might be more subtle and barely noticed unless you compare how easy something comes to you to others around you. Your natural abilities significantly influence the type of work that you will find satisfying. Using your abilities will generally bring you pleasure, not being able to use your abilities brings frustration and lacking the abilities required for a task results in stress.

Each job or occupation relies on a certain pattern of abilities. Interest in a profession is certainly important but without the underlying aptitudes you are less likely to be successful and more likely to find the profession difficult to learn or perform. This is not about intelligence or inspiration. With enough motivation and effort you might "learn" to do many things you don't have the natural aptitude for, but you are not likely to find it very fulfilling and it is likely to take you much longer than someone who is naturally talented in that area. When you combine natural abilities with passion and effort, then you are a force to be reckoned with.

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“Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.”
--Robert Heinlein
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Aptitude testing was born in 1922 when an engineer named Johnson O'Connor tried to improve efficiency at General Electric. Mr. O'Connor proposed that if workers performed jobs consistent with their aptitudes then efficiency would increase since the workers would be more productive and content. Mr. O'Connor and a Mr. F. P. Fox analyzed the various jobs to determine which particular abilities were required. They then set out to design worksamples that would assess the different abilities.

The purpose of a valid test of innate abilities is to measure in a reliable way the ease with which you can perform the tasks, which measure those abilities. The test should be designed in such a way that you are forced to use only your abilities and not compensating skills.

Over time, different types of aptitude testing evolved. The original laboratory-based worksamples evolved into paper and pencil tests and later to online abilities testing. In 1992, the rights to use the paper and pencil test developed by the O'Connor researchers was acquired by the Highlands Company. Over the years, Highlands has trained affiliates to administer the test and interpret the results. In 1997, the Highlands Company developed a computer version (now online) of the test, which consists of nineteen worksamples.

• Understand why certain tasks are easier (or more difficult) for you
  
• Identify how you can work with less stress and greater enjoyment
• Achieve greater efficiency in problem solving and decision making
  
• Identify how you best learn and communicate new information

As you consider various careers or jobs, you can compare the characteristics of those careers and jobs with your ability pattern and get a sense of how fulfilling (or frustrating) the job will be.

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The cost for the Highlands Ability Battery package, which includes the test, a detailed report and a two hour feedback session is $450*. Testing can be completed at your own pace on your own time on your own computer. Feedback is conducted over the phone and you will be provided a recorded copy to listen to later or share with others.

* Different pricing available for existing clients.