FAQ

The flat fee includes:

• Six hours of in-person testing with a trained test administrator.
• One 60-90 minute results consultation session conducted over Zoom or in person (the summary appointment).
• A second, optional consultation session that can be taken within a year of testing conducted over Zoom or in person (the follow-up appointment).
• Our newly updated 20-page digital report with career suggestion list.
• An industry standard career interest survey, The Self-Directed Search.
• A hard copy of our updated 111-page reference book, Choosing Intelligently.
• A digital badge that can be shared on social media or embedded in resumes or college applications.

We have been researching human abilities, and constructing and validating tests for these abilities since 1922. Because they require the use of specialized apparatus, audiovisual equipment and individual administration, our battery of ~21 different aptitude tests is only available at the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation.

We measure natural abilities like spatial visualization, reasonings, ideation, goal-setting, design, music, dexterity aptitudes and more. We also offer a proprietary workplace personality test.

We also administer a knowledge test (a multiple-choice English vocabulary test) and an industry-standard career interest survey called “The Self-Directed Search.”

Our aptitude testing service includes all of the assessments listed above.

About half of our tests are given individually by a trained test administrator; the rest are given using audiovisual equipment. Each set of tests is anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half long, with breaks in between sets. Most of our tests are timed and require the use of both hands.

Our tests feel more like puzzles or games than school tests. Some are as short as a couple of minutes and others are as long as twenty minutes. There’s a lot of variety throughout the day.

There are two testing sessions, each about three hours long, and a third appointment to review the results. The results appointment (called the summary appointment) is 60-90 minutes and held over Zoom on a separate day from testing.

Most of our clients opt for a one-day testing format (testing in the morning and afternoon with a lunch break in the middle of the day), but half-day testing appointments can also be scheduled over separate days.

Almost anyone can benefit from learning about their aptitudes, and how to use them—high school and college students seeking educational guidance; working adults unhappy or dissatisfied with their current job or career; someone returning to the job market after time away; people facing a decision about a promotion or transfer within their current company; or professionals planning for retirement.

Aptitude testing provides self-knowledge, which is relevant at any life or career stage. The youngest age we test is 14, which is when aptitude test scores become stable.

Your aptitude test results contribute to our ongoing research into aptitudes and careers and help us improve our service.

We never sell or share data outside of our organization. The client data we send to our internal research department is kept anonymous and  identified by folder number.

Because this is psychological testing, clients must sign a consent form before the testing begins which gives us permission to use the data internally to continue our research.

Clients cannot opt out of the consent form.

Contact any of our eleven offices or three affiliate offices by email or phone to schedule testing.

Each office manages their own calendar and availability. We do not currently offer online scheduling.

All of our offices are listed here.

Appointments must be made in advance, especially for holidays and school vacation times. The advance notice needed varies from month to month. During the summer, it’s best to schedule further in advance. Our busiest times are June through August, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s weeks, any school vacation time, and the holidays the Foundation is open.

Outside of our high-demand times, you may be able to schedule with just a few days’ or a week’s notice.

The youngest age we test is 14, but it’s important that young clients are mature enough to engage with the tests and the concept of career exploration. There is no upper age limit.

Our offices are generally open Monday through Friday. Some offices are occasionally open on Saturdays. Contact the office where you plan to be tested.

Our offices are open on the following holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day, and Veterans Day.

We are closed on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Directions, maps, links to area hotels, public transit, and parking information for each center can be found here. Click on the name of the city where you are taking the tests to find this information.

There’s nothing you need to do to prepare for aptitude testing. Since our aptitude tests measure natural abilities, you can’t study for them. We recommend getting a good night’s sleep and having a meal before your arrive. You might also want to bring coffee, water, or a snack with you. We prefer that you have read our brochure before you come in as well.

The summary is a 60-90 minute appointment held after you’ve completed your aptitude testing. A trained consultant will explain your scores and overall pattern and make recommendations for the types of work and activities that would best fit your aptitudes. If you have a specific career you’re considering, the summary is also a good time to discuss how your aptitudes relate to that direction.

Clients are given a digital report of information about the testing they have just completed, which includes their test scores, explanatory material for each test, and a list of career examples specific to their pattern of aptitudes.

Most of our clients choose to have their summary over Zoom, but they can also be conducted in person in one of our 15 testing centers.

The Foundation also provides a book, Choosing Intelligently, with more in-depth information about specific aptitude patterns, school and major choices, and strategies for using your test results. Clients also receive a three-booklet career interest survey called The Self-Directed Search.

You can always call or email the office where you were tested if you have a few brief questions. It helps us if you have your scores with you when you call.

For a more in-depth discussion of your scores, you should consider scheduling a follow-up conference. Every test fee includes one free follow-up appointment which is valid within the first year of testing.

If it’s been more than a year since you tested or you’d like additional follow-ups, the current fee is $100. They can be held over Zoom or in person.

The appointment generally lasts 60-90 minutes and is conducted over Zoom or in person. It is your time to discuss the issues that are important to you and how your aptitudes relate to your new interests, circumstances, plans, and opportunities. You can ask questions, explore one or more specific job possibilities, or even redo your summary from the beginning.

For some people, the summary expands the number of possibilities they are considering; a follow-up can then be a tool to help narrow down the search again. How to Make the Most of a Follow-up discusses what you can do to prepare for a productive meeting.

Yes. Contact the office where you were tested. For confidentiality reasons, we require a written request, and there may be a small fee.

Because this is psychological testing, we will need the client’s permission to release their scores to others, including their parents, if the client is a legal adult.

If you have a physical or mental impairment or learning disability, or are taking a strong medication, please let us know when you call to schedule. It’s possible that your scores may not be accurate.

Most of the tests are timed and your scores are determined by how fast and accurate you are as compared to others in your age range. We are not able to provide additional time on the tests without invalidating the test results. Call the testing center nearest you to discuss any impairment or disability, and whether the testing is right for you.

People on the autism spectrum can have a wide variety of symptoms and behaviors, so it depends on the individual. Please call the testing center where you plan to schedule to discuss whether the testing is appropriate. We have tested many people on the autism spectrum and gotten useful results, but it is not for everyone. Typically, a good rule of thumb is that someone who can function well in school (for instance, they can stay calm, follow directions, and work independently) can handle our testing process. However, keep in mind that we cannot provide accommodation on our tests, as the resulting test scores will be compared to a norm sample of people who are not on the spectrum.

Our staff are not experts in autism, so please be aware that we’re not able to provide recommendations that are filtered through the lens of that diagnosis. It is important that you let us know when scheduling that the client is on the autism spectrum. During the first appointment, we will stop the testing if we determine the process is not yielding accurate results.

We will refund that portion of the fee for the equivalent portion of the testing not taken. For example, if you have completed one appointment but choose not to complete the second and third, we will refund two-thirds of the testing fee.

Anyone who signs up for our service is expected to take the full battery of tests. No refunds are given if a client refuses to take an individual test that is offered in the battery.

No, just the offices in eleven major U.S. cities and our affiliates in Florida, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas. Visitors from abroad have often been able to take advantage of our program while in the USA for school, vacation, or business. Each testing center is located in a city with an international airport with convenient connections to our offices.

Unfortunately, we are not able to assist international clients with obtaining visas.

No. Some of our individual aptitude tests are similar to those in use by others, but no one else uses the same complete test battery or our individual, hands-on approach to test administration and interpretation.

We do not license or sell our tests at all. We continue to conduct our own research and develop new norms and test improvements. We are happy to share our findings with the general public and other researchers, but the tests and their norms, in order to remain accurate and novel to our examinees, are kept confidential and restricted in use.

If you would like more information, please contact any of our offices.

In order to maintain the quality of our tests and their interpretation, we do not franchise, sell, or license our program to other individuals or companies. We are a non-profit foundation that continues to carry out research and test development; our service is always undergoing revision and improvement.