| Formal Assessment
Most formal assessment instruments fall into one of five categories:
Aptitude and Ability Tests
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These instruments attempt to measure your overall ability, including general intelligence, achievement, aptitude, and reading ability. Some are administered individually and can only be given by a certified psychologist. Others are given to groups.
Some examples of aptitude and ability tests include the Adult Basic Learning Examination (ABLE) and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).
Interest Inventories
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Standardized interest inventories help individuals identify their preferences for particular activities. Suggestions are then made regarding the occupations or occupational clusters that most closely match one's interests.
Some suggested career interest inventories to utilize for career assessment are the Self-Directed Search, Career Assessment Inventory (CAI), Career Occupational Preference System (COPS), Harrington O'Shea Career Decision Making System (CDM), Strong Interest Inventory (SII), and the American College Testing Unisex (UniACT) instrument. There are a number of assessment services on the Internet to help you.
Values Assessments
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Values clarification helps individuals identify priorities, and it encompasses any activity that promotes self-examination. Values are indicated in goals, attitudes, interests, feelings, activities, behavior, and even problems. Relating values to work decisions and choices helps people determine their reasons for wanting to work, the characteristics of occupations that are appealing to them, and their career goals.
Some examples of values assessments are the Work Values Inventory, the Career Values Card Sort, and the Operational Work Values Questionnaire.
Career Development Assessments
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Career Development Assessment instruments gauge where a person may be in the career decision-making and development process, predisposition toward career change, stylistic approach, and other factors.
Some examples of career development assessments include the Adult Concerns Inventory, the Assessment of Career Decision Making, the Career Decision Scales, the Career Development Inventory, the Career Maturity Inventory, the Career Path Strategy, and the Career Skills Assessment Program.
Personality/Management Style Inventories
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Personality/Management Style Inventories assess the emotional, social, and motivational aspects of an individual.
Examples of personality/management style inventories include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), the BEST Behavior Profile, the California Personality Inventory (CPI), the Personal Style Indicator, and Finding Your Own Behavioral Style. | 
