Aptitude

1. 1.Distinction between Skills, Ability and Aptitude  

   • ○Aptitude 

     • •Aptitude is the natural talent which can be nurtured to get ability and skills in future through apt training 

     • •Can be mental or physical 

     • •recognized aptitude 

       • •general learning capacity 

       • •verbal 

       • •numerical 

       • •reasoning 

       • •creative 

       • •visual memory 

       • •virtual memory 

       • •language learning 

       • •form perception 

     • •factors determining aptitude 

       • •correct identification  

         • •informal tests- recognition by family, friends etc. 

         • •formal tests- CSAT, SAT, CLAT, CAT etc. 

       • •Attitude-> belief and knowledge 

       • •socio-cultural+economic surroundings 

     • •Aptitude for civil services 

       • •Intellectual aptitude-> act and think rationally to deal with situations. Means oriented 

       • •Emotional aptitude -> conduct with colleagues and people. Behaviour oriented 

       • •Moral aptitude-> foundational values for upholding public interest. End oriented 

   • ○Ability 

     • •Ability of a person is capacity and power to perform certain tasks after honing one's aptitude though apt training  

   • ○Skills 

     • •A skill is the learned ability to perform an action with  good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. 

     • •Ability of a person to perform a task honed through experience and practice makes one acquire skills in performing the task 

   • ○Intelligence 

     • •It is defined as the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, critical thinking and problem solving 

     • •Two people with same IQ may have diff aptitude 

     • •Eg: One has aptitude to become Pianist and the other for  scientist despite same IQ 

   • ○Interest 

     • •Interest is an individual’s preference for engaging in one or more specific activities relative to others without aptitude or skills 

     • •Eg: One may like or have interest in cricket but not aptitude for playing it 

     • •Convergence also as in an engg who had apti and interest in engg 

     

   • ○Aptitude and Values: 

     • •In ethical perspective, moral aptitude represents potential to nurture a desired value in a person with respect to a specific requirement. 

   • ○Aptitude, Proficiency and Achievement: 

     • •Proficiency is the ability to perform an activity with ease and precision. Achievement looks at the past - what has been done, accomplished 

    

   • ○The first 3 are generally linear in evolution: 

     • •Aptitude-> Ability-> Skills 

     • •Eg: Dhoni had aptitude for cricket->he got cricketing ability through his training and he became a skilled batsman after several games 

     • •Eg: UPSC selected candidate has aptitude-> trained to get ability at LBSNAA-> Skillful administrator after years of postings 

   • ○Importance of aptitude: The importance of aptitude also needs to be emphasised. Attitude alone is not sufficient, one must be certain that he has learned the required skills. 

   1. 1.Aptitude is important as it provides the requisite flexibility, passion and leadership skills that can make or break a candidate’s fulfillment of their job description. 

   2. 2.In a constantly changing work environment, aptitude is crucial if one wants to succeed. If you have the potential to learn new skills and develop them over a time, success will not be far. 

   3. 3.One of the most important aspects is that aptitude helps to identify one’s interest and core strength area. A person can learn and develop skills in working with his strength areas and succeed. 

    

   From <https://blog.forumias.com/answered-what-is-the-difference-between-attitude-and-aptitude-which-of-the-two-is-more-important-for-leading-a-successful-life/>  

    

   
   

 

2. 2.Attitude v/s Aptitude  

   • ○Belief, emotion, behavior toward an object v/s Aptitude is potential to get capability to accomplish a task 

   • ○Aptitude determines what tasks can be performed while attitude determines how it should be performed eg aptitude determines surgery but attitude determines if surgery for treatment or organ racket 

   • ○Attitude is to do with character while aptitude is to do with competence. 

   • ○Character is a product of long term conditioning but can be changed while some aptitude can be taught, others can't be developed or created 

   • ○Hence aptitude has to be supplemented with the right attitude and the accompanying values under that attitude else fall outs 

     • •eg. Doctor kidney racket, CA being unethical, smart civil servant doing corruption-> They have aptitude but wrong attitude based on immoral values  

"Aptitude w/o attitude is blind, attitude w/ aptitude is lame" 

“If you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.”- Sheryl Sandberg 

 

 

 

Example: An administrator may have a good aptitude in resolving the communal issues (aptitude part) but may have a negative attitude towards a particular community (attitude part) which will naturally influence his/her overall decisions.