The Mechanical Aptitude Test (MAT) is a quick evaluation of a person's mechanical aptitude with reduced adverse impact compared to older measures. This test is widely used to identify qualified trainees or apprentices for maintenance jobs such as maintenance mechanics, industrial machinery mechanics, and millwrights. It is also used to hire personnel for production jobs such as machine operators and tool setters.
Development
Ramsay Corporation's Mechanical Aptitude Test was
professionally-developed in 2004 to measure mechanical aptitude while reducing
adverse impact based on gender and race. It is a short measure of mechanical
aptitude and has been found to be highly correlated with other measures of
mechanical aptitude. It 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). The following areas are the primary focus of the questions:
Ramsay Corporation felt the need to develop our own
mechanical aptitude test to address several issues in the realm of
mechanical aptitude testing. Specifically, the Mechanical Aptitude Test fills
the following voids:
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The need for an updated measure of mechanical aptitude.
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The need for a short and user-friendly measure of
mechanical aptitude.
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The need for a measure without reference to city/rural or
gender-based content.
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The need for a measure appropriate to the context of 21st
century life.
Validity
In order to ensure this test can measure the ability to learn
and perform production and maintenance jobs, the
Mechanical Aptitude Test underwent criterion-related validation studies for both
maintenance and production applications. This test has been used in 8
content validation studies and 2 criterion-related validation studies.
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It was found to be significantly (.48 p< .01) correlated
with GPA for a sample of mechanical technicians in a technical college.
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Scores on Ramsay Corporation's Mechanical Aptitude Test
were found to correlate (.40 p<.01) with a measure of mechanical knowledge.
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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 competency".
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The Mechanical Aptitude Test was shown to have a significant
predictor-criterion relationship to success and manager ratings.
Additionally, validation studies were completed to
determine the construct validity of this test and was found to be significantly correlated with scores on the WTMA
(Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude) and the Bennett Test of Mechanical
Aptitude.
Reliability
The reliability of the test was shown to be .72 (KR20) in a
sample size of 994 persons.
Format
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