General Ability - Introduction

By Zain Ul Abedin Memon

Mental Ability
• Mental Ability Tests are psychometric tests.
• Mental Ability are a set of tests used to describe the level
at which an individual learns, understands instructions,
and solves problems. Tests of general mental
ability include scales that measure specific constructs
such as verbal, mechanical, numerical, social, and
spatial ability.
• These are divided into:
• Primary Mental Abilities
• Secondary Mental Abilities
Measuring Mental Abilities
• Intelligence cannot be physically measured.
• The idea of ‘measuring’ intelligence has been found to be
rudimentary and inconclusive by scientists.
• However, in 1935, Louis Leon Thurstone was the first
person to put forth the idea of assessing someone’s
mental abilities through a finite number of facets or
aspects.
• This led for him to put forth the idea of primary and
secondary mental abilities.
Primary Mental Abilities
• These are a handful of essential aspects that represent a
person’s mental ability:
• Verbal comprehension
• Spatial orientation
• Inductive reasoning
• Number facility
• Word fluency
• Associative memory
• Perceptual speed
Secondary Mental Abilities
• Secondary memories can be best defined as inert ability
to link and connect primary mental abilities into
appropriate functioning. For this, we have to understand
the two types of intelligences:
• Crystallized Intelligence
• Fluid Intelligence
Secondary Mental Abilities
• Acculturation Knowledge – Languages, Concepts, etc.
• Fluid Reasoning – Identifying Relationships, Implications.
• Short term Apprehension and Retrieval (SAR) or short
term memory
• Fluency of Retrieval from Long term Storage (FLS) or
long term memory
• Processing Speed – Rapid scanning and comparisons
• Visual Processing
• Auditory Processing
• Quantitative Knowledge – Application, concepts, skills,
and mathematical abilties
 Difference between Mental Abilities and IQ:
• Simply put, IQ tests are standardized tests set for
measuring intelligence of candidates according to age
groups.
• The formula for measuring IQ is:

IQ = Mental Age x 100

Chronological Age

There are many other types of psychometric tests. Kindly

go through those.
What is General Ability?
• It is a standardized assessment of an applicant's general
reasoning ability, and it measures observation skills,
problem solving ability as well as learning capacity. The
General Ability Tests provide an objective measure that is
free from subjective language and cultural biases.
• It involves quantitative, logical, analytical, and mental
ability tests which test memory, reasoning, and numerical
aptitude of candidates.
Syllabus According to CSS - 2016
• Part I – Quantitative Reasoning
• Basic Mathematical Skills
• Basic Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry (Averages, Ratios, Rates,
Percentages, Fractions, Exponents, Angles, Triangles, Sets,
Remainders, Equations, Symbols, Rounding-off Numbers, etc.)
• Sampling and Probability
Syllabus According to CSS - 2016
• Part II – Logical and Analytical Ability/Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning includes the process of using a rational,
systematic series of steps based on sound mathematical
procedures and statements to arrive to a conclusion.
• Analytical Reasoning includes visualizing, articulating, and
solving both complex, and uncomplicated problems and
concepts and making decisions that are sensible based on
available information, including demonstration of the ability to apply
logical thinking to gathering and analyzing information.
Syllabus According to CSS - 2016
• Part III – Mental Abilities
• Mental Abilities Scales that measures specific constructs such as
verbal mechanical, numerical, and social ability.
• Verbal Reasoning
• Series
• Relationships
• Analogies
• Coding
Basic Mathematics
• Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, and Division
• Rules: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
• Solve: 7 x 11 – (4+5) = ?
• Least Common Multiples (LCMs)
• Solve: 5/28 + 4/7 = ?
• Exponents
• Ratios and Proportions
Basic Geometry
• Shapes and areas of geometrical figures (provided)
• Angles
• Acute – Between 0 and 90 degrees
• Right – At 90 degrees
• Obtuse – between 90 and 180 degrees
• Straight – at 180 degrees
• Triangles
• Area and Perimeter
• Pythagoras Theorem a² + b² = c²
• Equations of Straight Line
• Slope Intercept Form y = mx+b
• Point Slope Form y-y1 = m(x-x1)
Basic Arithmetic
• Average, Mean, Median, Mode, and Range.
• Find all for: 13, 18, 13, 14, 13, 16, 14, 21, 13
• Ratios and rates
• What is the one ninth of 600?
• Percentages:
• 4% of 3600 will be?
• Fractions and LCMs
• Exponents or Powers
• Sets, Unions and Intersections (Study their laws)
• Rounding off numbers and its rules
Basic Algebra
•  It is the part of mathematics in which letters and other
general symbols are used to represent numbers and
quantities in formulae and equations.
• a, b, c, etc. are letters which represent variables.
• Basic algebraic equations.
• Finding values of variables through equations.
• Quadratic equation and quadratic formula:
Basic Algebraic Formulas
Sampling and Probability
• A probability sample is a sample in which every unit in
the population has a chance (greater than zero) of being
selected in the sample, and this probability can be
accurately determined.
• Probability is the extent to which an event is likely to
occur, measured by the ratio of the favorable cases to the
whole number of cases possible.
Self study suggestions:
• Regular tests at the academy will be taken.
• For self-study, go through following websites and books:
• www.gotest.pk
• http://www.aptitude-test.com/general-aptitudetest.html
• http://
www.questionpapers.net.in/general_knowledge/general_mental_ability.html
• www.mathsisfun.com
• GRE, GAT and other aptitude test books.
Thanks!