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OverviewNature of WorkKnowledge AreasSkills Utilized
Job ActivitiesAbilitiesJob ConditionsWork SatisfactionEducation/Training

Ability Areas

Learn about the most important abilities for Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and Plastic. Also, find out how proficient you have to be in each ability.

Importance*More Info
1.Hearing Sensitivity72
Reaction Time72
Problem Sensitivity72
4.Auditory Attention69
5.Near Vision66
Arm-Hand Steadiness66
7.Rate Control63
Control Precision63
Selective Attention63
Information Ordering63
* Importance out of 100

Score Key
  Importance for success in this profession
  Level of proficiency needed

Ability Area Scores

Hearing Sensitivity
The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
72
54
Notice when a watch alarm goes offDiagnose what's wrong with a car engine from its soundTune an orchestra
Reaction Time
The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
72
57
Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellowThrow a switch when a red warning light goes offHit the brake when a pedestrian steps in front of the car
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
72
50
Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't workRecognize from the mood of prisoners that a prison riot is likely to occurRecognize an illness at an early stage of a disease when there are only a few symptoms
Auditory Attention
The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
69
59
Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talkingListen for your flight announcement at a busy airportListen to instructions from a coworker in a noisy saw mill
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
66
48
Read dials on the dashboard of a carRead the fine print of a legal documentDetect minor defects in a diamond
Arm-Hand Steadiness
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
66
50
Light a candleThread a needleCut facets in a diamond
Rate Control
The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
63
45
Ride a bicycle alongside a joggerKeep up with a car that changes speedShoot a duck in flight
Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
63
59
Adjust a room light with a dimmer switchAdjust farm tractor controlsDrill a tooth
Selective Attention
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
63
55
Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearbyMonitor security TV screens for intruders throughout the night shiftStudy a technical manual in a noisy boiler room
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
63
48
Put things in numerical orderFollow the correct steps to make changeAssemble a nuclear warhead