Welcome to our 21st Century Skills: this set of skills includes critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, which are considered essential for success in today’s rapidly changing and complex world.

21st Century Skills Assessments

An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Rob Williams is a Chartered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working and designing tests. He is also the author of five psychometric test design books and has worked for the leading global psychometric test publishers including SHL, Kenexa IBM, MBTI, CAPP and SOVA Assessment.

Our other psychometric test design specialities

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Alternative constructional constructs

These 21st Century Skills are an example of Alternative constructional constructs. More examples are listed below.

  1. Digital Literacy: This construct refers to the ability to effectively and responsibly use technology, including digital tools and online resources, to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems.
  2. Global Competency: This construct involves the ability to understand and appreciate diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives, and to work effectively in a global context.
  3. Entrepreneurial Mindset: This mindset involves the ability to identify opportunities, take risks, and innovate in order to create value and solve problems.
  4. Social-Emotional Learning: This construct refers to the ability to manage emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions, which are critical for success in both personal and professional contexts.

Alternative models of cognitive intelligence

Such Alternative models of cognitive intelligences are frameworks that attempt to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how the mind works. Some examples of alternative models include:

  1. PASS Model: The PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive) model of intelligence was developed by neuropsychologist Reuven Feuerstein. It suggests that cognitive ability can be broken down into four key areas: planning, attention, simultaneous processing, and successive processing.
  2. Triarchic Theory: The Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, developed by psychologist Robert Sternberg, posits that intelligence can be divided into three components: analytical intelligence (problem-solving), creative intelligence (generating novel ideas), and practical intelligence (adaptation to new situations).
  3. Multiple Intelligences: This theory, developed by Howard Gardner, suggests that there are several different types of intelligence, including linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.
  4. Emotional Intelligence: This construct, popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, refers to the ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions, as well as to use emotions to guide thought and behavior

So, what are Your Intelligence Types

What would your favourite superpower be? A skill that you would like to just have a lot of. Imagine you could learn anything you wanted to, really quickly.

Well, maybe you can. If you know your learning style and your own potential.

There is a lot of talk about intelligence and assessing ability, Surely you should first define intelligence if you want to start measuring everyone by the same mark. There have been many theories, but not so many definitions of intelligence.

However, most definitions have now come down to the fact, intelligence has to do with the ability to adapt to change. This definition opens up the question of the different theories on it.

Intelligence Types 

A few of the prominent ones include

  • Spearman’s theory – Two-factor theory of intelligence. A generalised intelligence (g-factor) & specialised forms of intelligence (s-factor).
  • Sternberg’s theory – Triarchic theory of intelligence. Referring to the ability to Assess, Create or have ‘Street Smarts’.
  • Gardner’s theory – Theory of Multiple Intelligence. For more on this and learning styles, have a look at this on Effective Learning Styles.

A Quick Indicator of Your Intelligence Types

Welcome to our Intelligence Strengths Test.

This test also assesses the following seven intelligence strengths:

  1. Self-Growth / Self-Growth Intelligence
  2. Emotional / Emotional Intelligence
  3. Logical Reasoning / Logical Intelligence
  4. Kinesthetic / Kinesthetic Intelligence
  5. Spatial Reasoning / Spatial Reasoning Intelligence
  6. Numerical Reasoning / Numerical Reasoning Intelligence
  7. Verbal Reasoning / Verbal Reasoning Intelligence

Intelligence Types 

You can take the Intelligence Strengths Test here.

Or read on.

My Strengths Intelligence Aptitude Test Introduction

There are many different types of intelligence. The My Strengths Intelligence Aptitude Test is an easy way to find out which are your intelligence strengths. There are many types of intelligence, including creative intelligence and musical aptitude. The My Strengths Intelligence Aptitude Test assesses the following seven intelligence aptitudes:

My Strengths Intelligence Aptitude Test Scales

Self-Growth Aptitude / Self-Growth Intelligence

Emotional Aptitude / Emotional Intelligence

Logical Reasoning Aptitude / Logical Intelligence

Kinesthetic Aptitude / Kinesthetic Intelligence

Spatial Reasoning Aptitude / Spatial Reasoning Intelligence

Numerical Reasoning Aptitude / Numerical Reasoning Intelligence

Verbal Reasoning Aptitude / Verbal Reasoning Intelligence

My Strengths Intelligence Aptitude Test

Answer Yes or No to the questions below:

My favourite things at school were…

(a) learning new things

(b) making new friends

(c) science

(d) sports

(e) art and design

(f) maths

(g) English

In my spare time I…

(a) read self-help books

(b) spend time with other people

(c) play strategy computer games

(d) making things

(e) enjoy DVDs and the cinema

(f) read the financial press

(g) read newspapers and magazines

I value:

(a) self-growth

(b) listening and counseling friends

(c) thinking things through logically

(d) spending my spare time outdoors

(e) interpreting diagrams rather than text

(f) keeping track of household expenses

(g) writing things down

I am known for…

(a) achieving whatever I put my mind to

(b) my excellent coordination

(c) producing lists

(d) being active and on the move

(e) my sense of direction

(f) being good at mental arithmetic

(g) my love of books

I enjoy …

(a) my personal development

(b) parties and social functions

(c) doing practical tasks

(d) keeping fit

(e) drawing and sketching

(f) making financial calculations

(g) reading and writing

I excel at:

(a) setting my own goals

(b) understanding other people’s emotions

(c) logical problems and puzzles

(d) sports

(e) reading maps

(f) doing maths

(g) crosswords and Scrabble

Intelligence Strengths Test Feedback

Here is the link for completing your Intelligence Strengths Test.

Are your answers mainly (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g)?      You will find that you have several Intelligence Strengths. Here is a quick summary of what characterizes mainly (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g).

Intelligence Strengths Test

(a)’s mainly – Self-Growth Aptitude / Self-Growth Intelligence

Highly independent, these people are also very independent in their thinking and actions. For example, many entrepreneurs have the strength of Self-Growth intelligence. Typically prefer to solve their own problems – valuing as they do, spending time to think on their own. Acutely aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, such people have plenty of self-motivation to achieve their personal goals and enjoy using challenges for self- development.

Intelligence Types 

(b)’s mainly – Emotional Aptitude / Emotional Intelligence

Individuals with an emotional aptitude understand what makes other people “tick” and appreciate others’ emotions, motivations and attitudes. Excellent listeners and strong communicators, such emotionally intelligent individuals enjoy spending time with other people. Excellent networkers, such people like to be around others as much as possible in order to talk and to share thoughts/feelings.

(c)’s mainly – Logical Reasoning Aptitude / Logical Intelligence

Logically intelligent individuals prefer to think things through logically, going through the information step by step in the correct order.

Intelligence Strengths Test

(d)’s mainly – Kinesthetic Aptitude / Kinesthetic Intelligence

Typically, those individuals with a kinesthetic aptitude have excellent control of their limbs and body. They often, therefore, enjoy sporting activities and being outdoors generally – anything active that requires their superior control of movement. They, therefore, prefer to be physically involved in tasks – to get stuck in.

(e)’s mainly – Spatial Reasoning Aptitude / Spatial Reasoning Intelligence

People with spatial reasoning intelligence are good at visualizing issues in their heads – as well as understanding maps and diagrams. Their preference is to visualize the inter-connecting components of problems in their head.

Intelligence Types

(f)’s mainly – Numerical Reasoning Aptitude / Numerical Reasoning Intelligence

Valuing numbers and numerical reasoning, those people with a numerical reasoning aptitude like to manipulate numbers and are quicker at doing mental arithmetic in their heads. For example, accountants and bankers often like working with numbers because of the structure and the order found in data and financial records.

(g)’s mainly – Verbal Reasoning Aptitude

Being gifted with verbal intelligence is shown through spoken and written communication. Such fluent speakers also enjoy reading the work of others and indulging in wordplay/word games.

Learning to Read

Reading is such a fundamental starting block for any learning. It is the main channel for learning in most schools or educational settings and a necessity for future academic achievement in mainstream education.

Children are however not always ready for the world of reading by the time they go to school. The reason for this is as important as the solution. Some of these reasons or causes for why they may not be susceptible to the world of reading are exactly what you need to identify in order to find the best solutions.

A younger sibling might feel intimidated by the reading ability of the older. Best solutions would include reading separately with the younger sibling to build their confidence.

Advice about Learning to Read

  • A child may not be developmentally ready for reading. Ways to help with this is to
    • Make sure your child knows their sounds. This can be tricky as English is not a phonetical language. Find games, whether on screen or paper to help them learn the rules. Teach Your Monster To Read has been a favourite for us.
    • Start off with pictures, discussing the story told by these and developing a curiosity for the story and expressing themselves in language.
    • Follow your child’s reading with your finger to give them a point to focus on.
    • Find stories that interest them. Whether they are into dinosaurs or princesses. Topics that interest them is the key.

Always remember not to put pressure on your child to start reading. We all do things in our own time, but a negative feeling towards reading can last a lifetime. Instead, focus on creating a love for reading by reading them stories from a young age. When they are ready they will want to carry on finding the stories they love. Children will more readily follow what you do, so also make sure to show them that you make time to read your own books.

21st Century Skills