Mechanical reasoning tests measure your knowledge of
straightforward mechanical and physical concepts. They do not
measure your underlying mechanical aptitude in the same way that
abstract reasoning questions measure your underlying intellectual
ability. For example, you could sit an abstract reasoning test
without having seen one before and still get a reasonable score.
The same is not usually true of mechanical reasoning where your
score will depend significantly on your knowledge of:
You may have come across: levers, pulleys, gears, springs and
simple circuits in elementary science and the questions on these
topics are fairly straightforward. If elementary science classes
seem like a long time ago then you may need to refresh your
memory.
Mechanical Reasoning for Emergency Services and Military Jobs
If you are taking a mechanical reasoning test as part of the
selection process for the emergency services or the military then
the questions you can expect will tend to concentrate on
principles rather than on making calculations. For example, you
may be shown 3 diagrams of a lever and asked which one is the most
efficient. This is very different from craft and technical tests
where you will usually be expected to make calculations.
Mechanical Reasoning for Craft and Technical Jobs
If you are taking a test as part of the selection for a craft or
apprenticeship job, then you may be asked some questions about
tools and how they are used. You should also expect some shop
arithmetic questions. These questions approximate the type of
reasoning and maths that are needed to estimate materials costs
etc.
Mechanical Reasoning - Remember, the scenario is incidental
Many of the questions in mechanical reasoning tests are ‘industry’
specific. For example, tests used by the fire service tend to
frame the questions in terms of fire-fighting whereas tests used
to select for an aircraft maintenance job would tend to frame the
questions in aviation industry terms. It doesn’t matter if the
questions you practice on aren’t specific to the industry you are
applying for. It is the substance of the question that is
important – the scenario is incidental.
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