An individual's underlying potential for acquiring skills is called:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Aptitude

Option (1) Aptitude — Correct. Aptitude refers to an individual’s underlying potential for acquiring skills. Aptitude tests predict what a person can do if given proper training: someone with high mechanical aptitude can be trained to do well as an engineer.

Option (2) Interest — Incorrect. Interest is a person’s preference for engaging in one or more specific activities relative to others. It tells us what a person likes to do, not how far she/he can be trained.

Option (3) Personality — Incorrect. Personality refers to the relatively enduring characteristics that make a person distinct from others, such as being dominant or submissive, outgoing or withdrawn. It describes what a person is like, not a potential for skills.

Option (4) Values — Incorrect. Values are enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour, which set standards for guiding one’s actions and judging others. They concern what a person thinks is right, not skills.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 29-05-2023 (Slot 1).

NCERT (2025-26): “Assessment of Psychological Attributes … 2. Aptitude refers to an individual’s underlying potential for acquiring skills. Aptitude tests are used to predict what an individual will be able to do if given proper environment and training. A person with high mechanical aptitude can profit from appropriate training and can do well as an engineer. Similarly, a person having high language aptitude can be trained to be a good writer.…

…3. Interest is an individual’s preference for engaging in one or more specific activities relative to others. Assessment of interests of students may help to decide what subjects or courses they can pursue comfortably and with pleasure. Knowledge of interests helps us in making choices that promote life satisfaction and performance on jobs.
4. Personality refers to relatively enduring characteristics of a person that make her or him distinct from others. Personality tests try to assess an individual’s unique characteristics, e.g. whether one is dominant or submissive, outgoing or withdrawn, moody or emotionally stable, etc. Personality assessment helps us to explain an individual’s behaviour and predict how she/he will behave in future.
5. Values are enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour. A person having a value sets a standard for guiding her/his actions in life and also for judging others. In value assessment, we try to determine the dominant values of a person (e.g., political, religious, social or economic).”

An individual's underlying potential for acquiring skills is called:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Aptitude

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 29-05-2023 (Slot 1).

…3. Interest is an individual’s preference for engaging in one or more specific activities relative to others. Assessment of interests of students may help to decide what subjects or courses they can pursue comfortably and with pleasure. Knowledge of interests helps us in making choices that promote life satisfaction and performance on jobs.
4. Personality refers to relatively enduring characteristics of a person that make her or him distinct from others. Personality tests try to assess an individual’s unique characteristics, e.g. whether one is dominant or submissive, outgoing or withdrawn, moody or emotionally stable, etc. Personality assessment helps us to explain an individual’s behaviour and predict how she/he will behave in future.
5. Values are enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour. A person having a value sets a standard for guiding her/his actions in life and also for judging others. In value assessment, we try to determine the dominant values of a person (e.g., political, religious, social or economic).”