academic aptitude tests

n. Tests designed to measure an individual’s potential for learning. In contrast to academic
achievement tests, which examine what a student already knows, academic aptitude tests target what a student is capable of learning under the appropriate instructional conditions. As such, academic aptitude tests cover a more variable range of topics, experiences, and abilities. Since the goal of academic aptitude tests is to measure potential for knowledge acquisition, they are primarily concerned with predictive criterion validity. For example, college entrance exams (such as the American College Test) are often considered academic aptitude tests as they are designed to predict a student’s success in college as a function of his or her intellectual capacity for understanding advanced material.  - BJM