Johnson O’Connor vs. the Highlands Ability Battery: Cost, Format, and What’s Included

If you have spent any time researching aptitude testing, you have almost certainly landed on the same two names: the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation and the Highlands Ability Battery. Both are serious, research-based aptitude batteries. Both measure your natural abilities with timed work samples rather than asking you to describe yourself. And they are connected: the Highlands Battery was built on Johnson O’Connor’s pioneering aptitude research.

So the real question is not which one is legitimate — both are. It is which one fits your situation: where you take it, what it costs, and what happens after you get your results. This page compares them on those practical terms. (The Oxford Program offers the Highlands Ability Battery, so that is the side we know first-hand — we have tried to be fair to both.)

At a Glance

Shared Roots, Different Delivery

Johnson O’Connor began measuring aptitudes nearly a century ago, and his research foundation still administers its battery the traditional way: you travel to one of their testing centers and take the work samples in person. The Highlands Ability Battery grew out of that same research tradition and measures a similar set of natural abilities — but it is administered online and is delivered through licensed consultants and affiliates, who interpret the results with you.

That delivery difference drives most of the practical differences people actually decide on:

• Where you take it. Johnson O’Connor testing happens in person at one of their testing centers — which means an appointment, a trip, and often a wait. The Highlands Battery is taken online, at home, in sittings you control.
• What it costs. $950 for Johnson O’Connor testing alone, before travel. The full Oxford Career Change Program — the Battery, interpreted, plus coaching and a 30-day money-back guarantee — is $497 for adults. For students, the Oxford program pairs the Battery with two further assessments and counseling for $550.
• What happens after. A set of aptitude scores is a starting point, not an answer. In the Oxford Program, your results are interpreted by a licensed Highlands affiliate and folded into a structured process for deciding what to do next — you are not handed raw data and wished good luck.
• How soon you start. Testing-center appointments book out, sometimes weeks ahead. You can begin the Highlands Battery this week.

What Neither Test Does

It is worth being clear about what an aptitude battery is. It measures how you are wired — the abilities that come naturally to you and the kinds of tasks that will feel energizing or draining over a career. It does not, by itself, name your next job. Turning measured abilities into a direction still takes interpretation, exploration, and honest reflection about your interests, values, and circumstances. That is true whichever battery you choose, and it is why we built programs around the Highlands Battery rather than selling the test on its own. If you are earlier in the process, our overview of how to figure out what to do with your life walks through the full sequence.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Johnson O’Connor if you specifically want the Foundation’s in-person testing experience, you live within easy reach of one of their centers, and the higher cost and travel are not obstacles. It is a respected institution with a long track record.

Choose the Highlands Ability Battery if you want the same style of objective aptitude measurement without the trip, at a substantially lower total cost, with a consultant interpreting the results and helping you act on them. Adults usually start with our Highlands Ability Battery page or the Career Change Program; parents researching for a high school or college student should see the student version of the comparison, where the Battery is combined with interest and personality assessments.

Common Questions

Is the Highlands Ability Battery the same test as Johnson O’Connor?

No. They are separate instruments from separate organizations. They share a research heritage — the Highlands Battery was built on Johnson O’Connor’s aptitude research — and both measure natural abilities through timed work samples rather than self-report questionnaires.

How much does Johnson O’Connor testing cost?

$950 for the testing, plus whatever travel to a testing center costs you. Highlands Ability Battery pricing through consultants typically runs $450–$600 for the Battery alone; the Oxford programs include it at $497 (adults) and $550 (students) with interpretation and counseling on top.

Can I take an aptitude test online instead of in person?

Yes — the Highlands Ability Battery is administered online and taken at home. Johnson O’Connor testing is in-person only, at their testing centers.

Not sure aptitude testing is your next step? Start with the free Career Fit Test — about five minutes, and it screens for signs that your current career no longer fits your strengths, interests, and values. If the screen says your career fits you poorly, a full aptitude battery is how you find out what would fit better.

Prices and formats as of October 2026; please check each provider for current details. The Oxford Program offers the Highlands Ability Battery and is not affiliated with the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation.