One thing that many people seem to be forgetting here is that the key word in CFAT is Aptitude. This a natural talent that the applicants possess. The recruiters want to find what your communication, troubleshooting and spatial perception skills are to find a trade that will best suit your natural abilities.
THIS.
The test is to check your APTITUDE levels.
"aptitude ( ) n. An inherent ability, as for learning; a talent:"
The CFAT is decidedly NOT a knowledge test. Knowledge tests are to see what you know.
Aptitude tests are used to see what you are capable of doing.
Example. You, as a machinist might know how to safely operate a CNC multi-axis mill. However, you may have no sweet clue how to program the G-code that runs it, defining the tool path, speed of advance, cutting depth, etc.
However, you may have a highly developed understanding of how the machinery....you'd probably know how to oil, repair and maintain the tool.
The guy who writes the G-code may never have even seen the Mill that you're working on. He probably doesn't know the day-to day maintenance requirements for it.
Extend that to your own aptitudes....that programmer probably takes his car in every 3 months to get the oil-change done....you know how to change the oil on your mill, so by extension, a car isn't such a scarily different piece of equipment, you probably do it on your own. You have mechanical aptitude.
Sort of make sense?
That programmer probably knows HOW the oil is changed on his car....but can he do it? Can he line up the oil filter properly?
The CFAT measures for APTITUDE, not knowledge.
NS
