There are various forms of test administration available. Research suggests that the form of administration does not have a detrimental effect on test outcome. You may be asked to complete a test in paper format, simply reading questions from a question booklet and marking your response on the answer sheet provided. Alternatively, you may be asked to log-in to a secure website and complete an assessment. Irrespective of the style of administration, all candidates are provided with clear, standardised instructions and ample opportunity to ask questions and clarify ambiguities. During the actual testing session, talking/asking questions is not permitted, this is in order to maintain a quality working environment for all involved. If you are taking the test on your own, possibly at home or in your office, please keep to this code by ensuring that you commence your test when you do not expect interruptions, remembering to silence the telephone and other similar distractions.
Archive for January, 2009
How are tests administered?
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009How can I access more information on a particular test?
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009The British Psychological Society offer a review of UK-published psychometric tests. The review is fairly technical and requires some expert knowledge in order to fully understand it. Many tests provide information online at dedicated websites. Additionally, you may always ask the person that has asked you to complete the test for further information.
Why use a Psychological Test?
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009Psychological tests, along with other relevant information (resume or employer references etc.), allow us to make accurate predictions about how well you are likely to fit into a given job or career area, your likely performance in that position and your potential training and development needs. They assist the decision-maker and you by helping to ensure that the right person is selected for a position, that you will enjoy the work and that any significant development needs are addressed appropriately.
What is a Psychological Test?
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009A psychological test is a well-founded method of assessing your ability or personality. Many years of research have demonstrated the utility of these tests in workplace prediction of job performance. Ability tests have right and wrong answers and generally are designed so that candidates are not able to answer all questions; so, do your best, but do not be too concerned if you are unable to complete the whole test. Personality assessments are simply measures of your personality, so do not have right and wrong answers, you just need to be honest when completing these assessments. Personality assessments generally have inbuilt measures of response style, meaning that it is possible to tell if you have not paid attention to the questions or if you have been dishonest in your responses.
Is performance appraisal futile in an economic downturn?
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009Performance appraisal is a method which is used by many organisations to evaluate the performance of an employee. A review of an employee’s performance is carried out either through rating scales, feedback or documentation and this provides the opportunity for communication to occur. Reading through some popular management articles in magazines and on the internet, some writers suggest that performance appraisal during an economic downturn is futile. They suggest that employees are lucky to have a job and that is the focus of the appraisal interview. This view is contrary to anecdotal and scientific evidence because research has shown that reviewing performance, if done properly, will lead to improved performance and willingness for the employee to remain with the organisation.
By reviewing an employee’s performance at regular intervals, the organisation is able to evaluate which areas of development or training are needed for an employee. Performance appraisal will also help the organisation assess what they can do in order to assist an employee reach their maximum capacity in performance. For example, if an employee is not performing well in a certain area, such as presentation skills, it might be because the organisation has not provided the employee with the opportunity to practise this skill. The organisation can assist the employee in their performance by providing them with the opportunity to perhaps carry out more presentations, or they can provide some developmental advice, such as practise speaking during meetings.
Performance appraisal is also about ensuring that the employee is on track. By setting goals which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and setting a time frame for their realisation (SMART goals), organisations can improve and monitor the performance of employees. Ensuring that employees feel valued and that the organisation cares for their performance by recognising achievements, will at least sustain current performance and can result in increased performance. Performance appraisal is important for making the organisation attractive to current employees as well as future employees.
Economic downturns come and go. As they end, more jobs become available and employees will be provided with more job opportunities. At that point in the future, it might be difficult to retain employees. Performance appraisal systems can help to prevent employees from leaving the organisation unnecessarily.
In summary, performance appraisal systems are not futile in any economic situation. They allow organisations to effectively monitor employee’s developmental needs, they are able to assist employees reach their maximum performance and set appropriate targets and goals for them. All organisations want employees to perform well, and this can be done effectively by carrying out performance appraisals.
My candidate wants to know why we use Psychometric Tests – what should I say?
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009Psychometric tests are used for several reasons. By using a psychometric test you are ensuring that the quality of the test is good. A psychometric test is developed based on facts and figures. It is designed to produce a quantitative assessment of psychological attributes. All good psychometric tests are administered, scored and interpreted in a standardised manner. This ensures that all participants are treated in the same way and effective comparisons between candidate scores can be carried out. By using a psychometric test you will increase the reliability and validity of your assessment process. The tests are used to provide organisations with a better understanding of a candidate’s job performance. They can be used in areas such as selection, development and training. Established psychometric tests (e.g. Identity self-perception questionnaire or Swift Analysis Aptitude) can be used to predict job performance. Psychometric tests ensure objectivity, standardisation and minimize discrimination. Tests are used to assist in making vital decisions within organisations; therefore it is important that they provide a realistic insight to candidate’s job performance.
In responding to your candidate’s question you’ll probably want to keep things simple. So, we suggest you say something like “Psychometric Tests have been shown to predict good performers in our organisation. Using these assessments increases the reliability, validity and fairness of our assessment procedure. However, we never make a decision on the basis of test results alone. We will take into account all information we hold about you.”
For more information regarding psychometric tests offered by PsyAsia, please visit the following link:
http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_tests.htm
My organisation uses unqualified psychometric test administrators, what should I do?
Friday, January 9th, 2009In order to administer any test you should be appropriately qualified or trained. Knowledge about appropriate test administration is crucial to gaining the most out of the test. You should immediately try to stop or report the testing practise to your organisation or the test developer. It is not fair to the candidate being tested or to the organisation and is unethical as candidates might not be treated fairly. The information gathered from the tests administered should also be questioned and even discarded. Appropriate instructions might not have been followed, vital information may have been missed and an in-depth knowledge about the background of the testing procedure, and meeting several other administration issues might have been overlooked.
Informing the test administrator immediately and requesting them to stop administration is the first step to take. It is important to provide unqualified test administers with information on how to get qualified and trained. PsyAsia offers a psychometric test administration course which qualifies individuals to be competent in psychometric test administration. For information regarding training and qualification please visit the following link: http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_test_administration_training_course.htm
Does PsyAsia offer training in psychometric test administration?
Friday, January 9th, 2009Yes. PsyAsia offers clients with the best training courses for psychometric test administration.
Individuals are provided with the opportunity to attend a one-day training course which offers them with the essential tools needed in order to competently practise the use of ability and personality assessments. By attending this course candidates are provided with the opportunity to meet with our highly experienced registered organisational psychologists.
Due to increasing demand for the training, PsyAsia has also developed an online training course. This is an interactive and engaging course, which delegates are able to complete anywhere in the world.
All the training courses meet the stringent syllabus requirements of the British Psychological Society. For more details regarding how to sign up for the course and for any further information regarding the psychometric test administration course please visit the following website: http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_test_administration_training_course.htm
I have a test administration certificate from PsyAsia or BPS etc. Am I qualified to give candidates feedback on their test results?
Friday, January 9th, 2009No, the test administration certificate provides you with the opportunity to only administer tests. In order to provide candidates with feedback of the results, further training needs to be undertaken. Feedback to candidates needs to be very carefully considered as it is one of the most important aspects of testing for the candidate. Furthermore, the feedback session gives the user an opportunity to corroborate the test results with behavioral evidence. This is a wasted opportunity if not done competently.
In order to learn from the best in the field and have practise in interpreting the tests, you will need to attend the psychometric assessment at work course. This intensive course provides you with the knowledge and skills to interpret and provide feedback on a range of ability, aptitude and personality questionnaires. The opportunity to apply for an international qualification from the British Psychological Society will also be provided.
For more information regarding this course please visit the following link: http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_assessment_at_work_course.htm
Is there a checklist available for things I should cover in test administration outside of the publishers instructions?
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Yes, during the test administration process, there are a few things which you should consider:
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Firstly it is necessary to create some rapport with the candidate. Develop a good rapport by asking the candidate about “how they are doing?” or “if they found the location of the testing room alright?”. This makes the candidate feel more at ease and reduces their anxiety level.
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Explain to the respondent your role in the process (introduce yourself).
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Introduce the candidate to the testing session by outlining the procedure (either for selection or development).
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Provide information as to what the session will entail and what to expect.
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Explain to the candidate why testing is being done and how the test results will be used.
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Provide a brief description of the tests.
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State the length of time for the testing session.
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Ensure your candidate that all the information will remain confidential.
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Provide candidates with information regarding any future interactions after the testing session (e.g. feedback session).
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Go over any house rules such as the fire procedure, where the toilets are, to switch of mobile phones and other factors which you consider relevant.
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Invitie any questions or queries candidates might have. This allows the candidate to be more relaxed as they know what to expect, they are more comfortable during the session.
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Other things which you should consider involve ensuring that you avoid using any technical terms which might confuse the candidate. Ensure that the room layout is appropriate for testing and make sure there are sufficient materials.
For more information regarding the specific information needed in order to become a good test administrator, feel free to attend PsyAsia’s one day test administration course. You will be able to practise some of the skills needed in order to prepare, introduce and conclude an entire session. Alternatively, look for the Online Psychometric Test Administration course at our Online Learning Centre.
Details of the public course can be viewed at the following link: http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_test_administration_training_course.htm
