Mechanical Aptitude Test (Alternate Equivalent) - Form B3

Categories tested include:

Ramsay Corporation's Mechanical Aptitude Test (MAT) was professionally-developed in 2004 as a short-measure of mechanical aptitude with reduced adverse impact based on gender and race. The MAT has been found to be highly correlated with other measures such as the Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA) and the Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehension. The MAT should be useful in selecting apprentices, trainees, or other candidates who are learning and performing production and maintenance job activities.

Great care was taken in selecting questions that relate to everyday items and common knowledge to reduce adverse impact (early data collection reveals this test to be very gender friendly).

Ramsay Corporation felt the need to develop the MAT to address several issues in the realm of mechanical aptitude testing. Specifically, the MAT fills the following voids:

• The need for an updated measure of mechanical aptitude.
• The need for a short and user-friendly measure of mechanical aptitude.
• The need for a measure without reference to city/rural or gender-based content.
• The need for a measure appropriate to the context of 21st century life.

Data were taken from applicants in various industries using form MAT-3 of the Mechanical Aptitude Test, an alternate equivalent of this form.

In order to ensure this test can measure the ability to learn and perform production and maintenance jobs, the MAT underwent criterion-related validation studies for both maintenance and production applications. This test has been used in 13 content validation studies and 2 criterion-related validation studies.

• It was found to be significantly correlated, r = .48, p < .01, With scores on a test of mechanical job knowledge for a group of 109 male and female post-secondary technical school students.
• Scores on the MAT were found to correlate significantly, r = .40, p < .01, with grade point average (GPA) among a similar group of 159 male and female post-secondary technical school students.
• In a study of production workers, the Mechanical Aptitude Test was found to be significantly correlated with "ability to troubleshoot equipment" and "ability to enter and receive information using a computer".

Additionally, validation studies were completed to determine the construct validity of this test. The MAT was found to be significantly correlated with scores on the Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude, r (160) = .72, p < .01, and the Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehension, r (161) = .80, p < .01.

Below are the O*NET job titles that were determined to be applicable to this test during the job analysis. Click the Job Title for more information about tasks performed, tools and technology used, job knowledge areas and abilities required, as well as related job titles.
This assessment is intended for use with jobs that are sufficiently related.

[Industrial Machinery Mechanics]
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems.