Economic and Marketing Information
FOR INDIANA   FARMERS
Prepared by the Agricultural Staff of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana
August   31,   1964
Aptitude Tests Show Hope and Problems for Low Income Areas
by  H.  Neil  Rude,  Agricultural Economics, and M.  R.  Janssen,  Economic   Research   Service,   USDA
Many people believe that the level of education and
abilities of adults is so low in low income areas that
few can find good jobs. Aptitude tests given in Hill
County* in 1963 indicate considerable promise for adults
but point up problems for high school pupils.
The average adult (16-30 years of age) in Hill County
has aptitudes similar to those of adults throughout the
United States. He has the basic ability to learn and to
profit from occupational training. But when aptitude
scores of the high school juniors and seniors are compared throughout the country, Hill County pupils are
below average in all tests but one. On other aptitude tests,
at least 60 percent of their competitors did better. Thus,
Hill County pupils are not well prepared to benefit from
training or to compete with other young people.
These results were based on eight aptitude tests taken
by 297 adults and 205 high school juniors and seniors.
Adult male results
The 45 Hill County employed males tested averaged
at or above the scores of the adult United States male
population for every test except verbal comprehension
(Figure 1). The results indicate that most of the employed males can perform many kinds of work or be
trained to perform a wide variety of tasks.
The 22 unemployed men scored lower than employed
men on every aptitude test except manual speed and
accuracy and below the average of men in four of the
eight areas tested (Figure 1). The numerical reasoning
test, a measure of ability to analyze logical relationships
and discover principles, predicts on-the-job trainability.
Since the unemployed men had scored as well on this
test as the average of all males, many have potential to
learn new work on the job.
Adult  female results
Six of the eight scores for 14 employed Hill County
females were equal to or above the average for adult
women  (Figure 2).
The performance of the 16 unemployed women indicates aptitude levels slightly lower than the employed,
but the differences are smaller than among males. The
scores for unemployed females are below the average
for all women on four of the eight tests. The results of
the numerical reasoning test indicates that many of the
unemployed women could be trained for new occupations.
High  school pupils
The average high school pupil in Hill County scored
below the average for high school graduates in the
United States on six of the aptitudes. Hill County pupils
work easily with numbers and do simple arithmetic
quickly and accurately and have good manual speed and
accuracy (Figures 1 and 2). Boys scored in the lowest
quarter in verbal comprehension and verbal reasoning.
Girls were better than boys but scored in the lower one-
Figure 1. Employee aptitude survey, males, age
1630, Hill County, 1963.
I       I Employed N
I Unemployed N - 22
i School N - 9/
An  assumed name. See January 31 and February 29 issues
for a description of economic conditions in the county.