Yesterday I was watching a program from the UK which fights for consumer rights. A segment of the program was reporting on a sofa that was not fit for purpose and this led my mind back to psychometrics.  We’re always looking for easy ways to define some of the more technical aspects of psychometrics and this was a good example!

The sofa looked absolutely fine. In fact, it was beautiful leather and looked very expensive.  To relate this back to psychometric testing we could say it had FACE VALIDITY. The sofa looked as if it would do the job it is supposed to do (on the face of it).  Likewise, a test, be it personality or aptitude, which looks like it will do the job it is supposed to do is said to have face validity.  We assess face validity simply by looking at the test. However, face validity is not very important in the grand scheme of things! It’s important for candidate buy-in of course. If you are given a test as part of a selection process and that test doesn’t seem relevant to the job you won’t be happy with the process and may not take it or the company too seriously!!

The sofa, despite looking great, had some major problems.  The first time its owner sat on it, it fell apart. There were lots of flaws in the design and so on. Likewise, some of us may have experienced similar examples with second-hand cars. They may look excellent on the face of it, but then they break down on the way home!  In other words, the sofa or the car are not FIT FOR PURPOSE. This is a major problem.  You use psychometric tests to help discriminate between candidates and to help you select the best. If there is something fundamentally wrong with the design of the test that causes any problems, then the test will not be fit for purpose. It will not be valid, even if it has face validity.

It’s for this reason that it’s not a good idea to ask a test supplier for a free trial to “validate the test” as some of our clients ask! Often this is similar to a second-hand car buyer looking at the paintwork on the car and ignoring the mechanics because they know little about them.

If you are interested in learning how to evaluate the “mechanics” of the many psychometric tests out there and knowing how to choose good from bad based on critical information, please consider attending either our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore and Hong Kong or joining our live online or distance learning in psychometrics. Full details here: http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_training.php

In this session we will explore the following:

1. The relationship between reliability and validity in psychometric assessment
2. How psychometric test administrators can impact the reliability of tests

Psychometric Test Reliability

When choosing a reputable test, whether it be aptitude or personality, one of the properties of the test you will need to look for is reliability. We’ll consider reliability in appropriate detail in a later section of the course.  For now, think of reliability as consistency.  In order to have absolute confidence in our test scores we need them to be consistent.  However, we can’t test and retest our candidates in the real world. Despite this, reputable test publishers would already have done this for you. This would have been carried out under optimal conditions.  So, now you know that you are using a reliable test (one that produces consistent scores), it’s your task as the test administrator to ensure that the test remains a reliable test.

Why is reliability so important?

Whenever you assess something, you expect the score you get to be reliable. For example, if you assess your weight using bathroom scales, you expect the reading you get to be consistent across at least the short term. If you weigh yourself over 2 consecutive days and get significantly different readings you know something is wrong with the scales!  The same is true of psychometric tests. The publisher first ensures that the test scores will be consistent over time and then you, as the administrator, need to ensure that your actions do not make the test less reliable.

Not only do we want and expect test results to remain reliable over time, but we also know that reliability is a precursor to validity. It sets an upper limit on the test’s validity. In other words, if your test is not reliable then it is not valid. Confusing?  Let’s use the weighing scales example again…

Let’s suppose a medical doctor does some research which shows that those who weight more than 120kg are significantly more likely to suffer a heart attack.  His research shows that weight is a valid indicator for predicting the heart attack.  The scales are fit for the purpose of predicting a heart attack.  Validity is all about being fit for purpose.  Now if those scales are not reliable, they will provide inconsistent data over the time of the research program.  In this case would you have confidence in the doctor’s findings? Of course not!

So, to apply this to psychometric tests let’s take an aptitude test. We’ve carried out research which confirms that a new numerical reasoning test can predict the performance of accountants. Those who score better on the test are rated as better accountants.  This is validity. The test is fit for the purpose of predicting accountant performance.  You will hopefully have full confidence in this finding if you know the test is reliable.  If however you expect the test is coming up with inconsistent scores for your candidates, it is unreliable, and, as in the scales example above, you will not have confidence in the test’s prediction of accountant performance. This is why reliability is a precursor to validity.

And why is all of this so important for this course?  It’s because you as the test administrator can enhance or reduce the reliability of the test by how you administer it in the first place.  Let’s now take a look at what factors you can and can’t influence in terms of reliability.

How psychometric test administrators can impact the reliability of tests

Factors Affecting Psychometric Test Reliability (C)2010 PsyAsia International: No Copying

Take a look at the graphic on the left. It shows different factors which can impact the reliability of psychometric tests. This applies to both aptitude tests and personality assessments.

Factors within the test

Generally, a test administrator is not responsible for this. The test publisher must design tests that will be highly reliable. Factors within the test means that the questions chosen must be accessible to all groups for whom the test is intended. If a subsection finds some questions difficult based on their group membership (i.e. non-native-English speaking groups may not understand a colloquialism used in a test question), then the test will be less reliable for that group. Although the publisher needs to ensure a reliable test, not all test publishers are reputable or know what they are doing! This is why the person who purchases the test needs to know how to evaluate it. We’ll show you later how to evaluate the test in greater detail.  Know for now that you do not evaluate a test or validate it by trialling it on yourself or your colleague as many untrained users think!

Factors within the respondent

Whilst the test administrator cannot control all the possible factors within a respondent, you can do your best to ensure you control for a much as possible.  It’s a good idea to think here about how you would like to be treated if you were undergoing a psychometric assessment for the first time. You’d probably like a friendly invitation letter explaining what is going to happen and why. You’d like to know that your data and results will remain confidential and only shared with decision-makers and only for the purpose that you’re undertaking the test. You’d also like to know what you need to bring with you and if possible, a few example questions as approved by the test publisher might help to set your mind at rest.  Finally it would be good to have a number to call should you have any special needs that you wish to convey to the administrators before the day.  So, when you arrive at the test centre you already know what is going to happen and why, you won’t be overly concerned, you’ll have all the right things with you (e.g., reading glasses) and you’ll know how long the session is going to last. If it’s a personality test you’ll be more likely to be open and honest because you know your results won’t go further than the selection or development committee and won’t be used for reasons beyond the reason you’ve already been given.

Ultimately here you are attempting to control for mood and expectations. Ideally you don’t want these to vary between candidates in order to give everybody the same start line.  On the actual day of the test you will go over all of these things again with the candidates in the room to ensure that they are all clear on what will happen and why.  Again, this sets the scene and mood, demonstrates your organisation’s “humanness” in the assessment process and provides candidates with an opportunity to ask questions.  Furthermore, on the day you will need to ensure that you administer the test instructions word for word and then administer the test exactly as intended by the test publisher. Doing all of this enhances consistency and thus increases reliability.  This is essential as we saw before because reliability is the precursor to validity.

Factors within the environment

How well would you be able to complete an aptitude test in a noisy room?  Or how about  room that’s freezing from too much air conditioning or too hot due to broken air conditioning?  Likewise, you need to ensure that the test environment is conducive to candidate performance each and every time.  This applies to personality assessment too. Although there is no right or wrong, your candidate will certainly feel more able to make an effort and respond accurately if you provide them with the right environment!  So, some time before the session you’ll need to check the room, make sure temperature controls work. On the day, switch them on in good time before the test so that by the time candidates arrive the room is just right.  Place a sign on the door to ensure you are not disturbed during the testing session and be sure to silence all phones in the room.  Candidates should of course have phones switched off too.  Ensure that once the session is over, all candidates leave at the same time so that they do not disturb others.  If a candidate really must make a restroom visit, they should be accompanied by an administrator and only one candidate at a time should go. Ensure that upon leaving and rejoining the room the candidate does not disturb others.
(Note: also a good idea to check there is no planned construction nearby and there are no fire drills scheduled on the day of testing. Do this before sending out your invitation to the candidate!)

Summary

By referring to these guidelines you’ll help to ensure that psychometric tests used by your organisation remain as reliable as the publisher intends them to be. By using short-cuts and not following the guidelines you’ll threaten the reliability and therefore the validity of the tests.  If you threaten a test’s validity it becomes unfit for purpose which means your company is wasting its money buying psychometric tools!

Interested in learning more about psychometric testing for HRM? Keep reading – your next free session is not far away! To ensure you don’t miss a single instalment, we suggest you follow-us on twitter as each new post will be announced there. You may also like to join our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore or Hong Kong – these range from simple introductory courses through to Certification Courses such as the BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. Not in Singapore or Hong Kong? No problem – we also offer both recorded and live online training in psychometrics! For full details please see here or email us.

DO NOT COPY OR SAVE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR COMPUTER.
THIS ARTICLE IS CLEARED FOR PUBLISHING ON PSYCHOLOGY1 GROUP SITES ONLY. IT REMAINS COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF PSYASIA INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO PUBLISH IT ON ANY OTHER SITE. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO COPY/PASTE THIS ARTICLE OR TO SAVE IT TO YOUR LOCAL DRIVE. YOU ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO READ IT ONLINE AT OUR WEBSITE. VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS WILL RESULT IN BANNING OF OFFENDING IPS AND LEGAL ACTION FOR THOSE WHO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WHETHER IT BE WITH OR WITHOUT A REFERENCE TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR.

PsyAsia’s range of early-bird and group booking discounts for our October Psychometric Training Courses in Singapore will expire in just 7 days!  If you intend coming on our October training for BPS Level A, BPS Level B (including Identity and Apollo Personality Questionnaire accreditation), Saville Consulting Wave or BPS Test Administration, please do ensure that you register by 30 July. All discounts will expire in our systems and cannot be reinstated!  Please view all course dates at http://dates.psyasia.com.

Remember, PsyAsia International is Asia’s Independent Leader in Psychometric Tests and Training. We only sell the world’s best psychometric tests, our courses are run by resident  fully registered psychologists and we offer blended e-learning with our face-to-face training for all BPS certification courses.

If you have any queries about our psychometric courses, do please get in touch – an easy way to get an instant response is to use the LIVE CHAT facility on our website. Alternatively, please email us.

Finally, don’t forget that we’ve arranged a session for anyone interested in Singapore Level A and B training to meet with the facilitator online. He will show you course slides and workbooks and answer any questions you may have. This session runs on Tuesday 27th July at 5pm Singapore/Hong Kong time. Click here to register.

Online Psychometric Testing Mini-Course: Session 3

In this session we will explore the following:

1. Why psychometric tests are used and how they are useful. We will do this by referring mainly to alternative methods of assessment.

The short answer to the first part of the above question is that psychometric tests are used because (assuming they are well designed tests) they are a reliable and valid means of assessing people. We will discuss in a future session exactly what is mean by reliability and validity when applied to psychometrics.

Let’s consider a few alternatives to psychometric tests and highlight this issue further. 

Unstructured Interviews

Most candidates who apply for a job will expect to have an interview at some stage of the process and indeed, most organisations will work an interview into the process. However, how useful is this interview for predicting performance on the job?  This depends a lot on the training of those who will be interviewing. Many people who conduct interviews have never been trained. Perhaps one day a boss asked them to go and interview a candidate for a job and it continued from there. They may have years of experience but experience and competence are not the same. Most people who interview use what is known as the traditional interview. It is also sometimes called an unstructured interview. The idea is that this is a time to meet with and get to know the job applicant. Often the interviewer is thinking things such as:

“Let’s see if he has a firm handshake.”

“Let’s see if he looks me in the eye.”

“I’ll ask him what he does in his spare time.”

The problem is that none of the answers to these questions will predict performance at work. So what if I have a limp handshake? Donald Trump (very successful property tycoon) does not even like to shake hands – he’s worried about germs! Imagine him at a job interview.  The shake would be very limp if at all.  In some cultures it’s rude to look people in the eye – so we cannot go assuming that those who avoid eye contact will not be good performers or that they are dishonest or hiding something. As for spare time, what about somebody who puts together model cars or aeroplanes on the weekend, does it mean that will be a good designer or engineer. No, this may simply be a low level weekend interest and not something that would keep them entertained as a career. Not to mention the fact that in some parts of the world it’s actually illegal to ask about people’s hobbies in a job selection process!

The point to grasp then is that often the people conducting interviews have little or no training and are running unstructured interviews that have little relevance to job performance and therefore lack both reliability and validity.  However, the suggestion is not that we remove interviews totally!

Structured Interviews

Research has shown that interviews have good reliability and validity when run in a particular way by those who have undergone thorough training. These are called structured interviews. The idea here is to align the interview questions to the competencies required of the candidate to be successful in the job. Then the interviewer asks the same or very similar questions to each candidate based on job requirements. Behavioural interviews are one type of structured interview. The questions are designed to elicit a high level of evidence that the candidate has displayed the behaviour associated with competent performance over repeated occasions in the past. Another type of structured interview is Situational interviewing – here the candidate is asked what they would do in certain situations. Situational interviews are generally less valid than Behavioural interviews. The biggest problem with getting HR and Consultants to run structured interviews is the need for training. PsyAsia used to run a 2-day course in behavioural interviewing, but our clients in Asia told us that would require too much time out of the workplace. We thus reduced this to a one-day course (see our behaviour-based interviewing course here if interested) but whilst this satisfies the big decision makers it really only serves as an introduction to interviewing. There needs to be more communication and understanding between HR and those who hold the purse-strings in Asia if we are to increase competence in this area!

Psychometric Tests and Structured Interviews

So thus far, we pointed out that interviews can be reliable and valid but that can only happen if the interviewers have been appropriately trained and where using structured interviews; preferably a behavioural interview.  Those using psychometric tools also need to be appropriately trained in order to ensure they remain reliable and valid tools. Assuming training and competence requirements are met for both tests and interviews, why use tests? 

Psychometric tests are able to cover a lot more ground in far less time. Aptitude tests give us an indication of numerical, verbal and spatial skills in 18 minutes if using modern tests like the Saville Consulting Aptitude range.  There’s no way we could discover this information in even a one-hour interview!  Personality assessments can sample and assess personality traits relevant to performance on the job. The average completion time for good personality assessments is 30-40 minutes. There also a few good faster tools available which take around 20 minutes. The amount of information gleaned in this short period of time is a credit to the developers of psychometric tests. However, with particular regard to personality testing, it is necessary to confirm the profile with behavioural evidence from the candidate. So, whilst the profile may suggest somebody who really enjoys multi-tasking, this becomes a basis for an interview question (assuming this is required by the job).

In essence then, psychometric tests are useful because they provide so much more information than an interview can provide in a much shorter period of time. They have been designed by experts using modern statistical techniques aligned with modern personality research and theory. However, psychometric tests are only part of the story and a well designed interview using competent interviewers will add incremental validity to the assessment process. The interview will serve to confirm (or refute) the psychometric profile and provide rich behavioural evidence (that cannot be recorded by psychometric tests) that the person can perform at the level required by the person specification.

Other Methods of Assessment

So far we’ve only looked at different types of interview as an alternative or as complimentary to the assessment process. How about other methods of assessment?

Application forms
We all need to complete one of these to show our intention to apply for a job. Realistically though they are there for this reason alone. They serve as a record of information which the organisation deems important to hold on the individual. Current application forms hold no value as selection tools with the exception perhaps of educational and experiential background. This can be changed by designing application forms that elicit only job relevant responses and preparing a scoring system for the from even before sending it out.

CV/Resume
Candidates like to send their CV/Resume because many people have these on file and it’s easy to quickly update it and print it off on a per-job basis. However, again these are not particularly useful in selection. Research shows that decision-makers are often seduced by smart graphics as well as vocab which sells the applicant by over-inflating their achievements. It’s also possible to lie in a CV, although research has shown that most people don’t lie about their educational qualifications or experience as they know the prospective employer can check up on this. What they do tend to lie about or at least mislead about is their level of competence. We suggest that CVs are not used at any stage of the selection process.

Assessment Centres (ACs)
This is where the candidate is invited to a physical location to partake in a number of exercises with other candidates. Most ACs last a day and during that time the candidates will undergo both group and individual exercises such as presentation exercises, negotiation exercises or in-tray exercises. Assessment Centres have been shown to be highly valid and reliable methods of selection when using well trained assessors.
PsyAsia runs training in Assessment Centres and we also offer consultancy in Assessment Centre Design

References
References lack validity in the assessment process and yet organisations continue to request them! Typically a candidate will not give a potential employer the name of somebody who will give them a poor or perhaps even an honest reference. The tendency is to only offer names of those who they trust will give a great reference. On the other hand, if the current employer really wants the candidate to move on they may fake the reference, making the candidate appear almost angelic! Does this mean we should not use references in the selection process? No. It is possible to improve upon the use of references by designing work-related reference forms that elicit behavioural evidence from the previous employer that is in line with the competency requirements of the new job. However, this may lower the response rate as the referee really needs to think about actual behaviours and write them down rather than sending the standard “he’s a great guy” reference.

Graphology
Most organisations aren’t into this, but an alarmingly high percentage of French organisations are! The idea here is that various personality traits can be seen via somebody’s handwriting. Those traits can then be linked to performance at work. So for somebody that writes with very bold strokes, the graphologist may say they are ambitious. This would be good for a salesperson. However, research has shown a lack of reliability in this method. Not only do people write differently depending on their mood, their culture, their upbringing and so on, but graphologists given the same handwriting to analyse often do not agree with each other about the personality traits of the writer!  Graphology thus should not be used as a selection tool.

Phrenology
Phrenologists assume that different aspects of personality are stored in different parts of the brain and that where somebody has more of a particular characteristic, the corresponding part of the brain will be larger and hence cause protrusions on the head!  The idea would be that you measure different bumps and indentations on your candidates and then project their personality from that. Of course, this method holds no validity and brain imaging tools such as fMRI and PET scans have refuted it.

Astrology
In Asia, people use astrology to help them decide auspicious dates for business openings, functions, weddings and so on. Does it work for job applicants?  No! The idea that people born at the same time, in the same place, where the alignment of stars and planets are similar will work in the same way does not hold any weight. Don’t hire employees based on their star signs!

Psychometric Tests and other Selection Methods

As you can see, there are many ways we can assess people. However each method varies in terms of reliability and validity. Assessment Centres hold very high reliability and validity if done properly, but they are expensive, require lots of resources and skills to run and only assess 6-12 people at a time. We’ve already said that structured interviews are good but again, they take time and resources. Psychometric tools do cost money.  However the cost is offset by the number of candidates that can be assessed and the information that can be gathered in the assessment compared to other selection methods. Don’t forget, an interviewer’s time is costly. A panel interview with 3 interviewers is likely to cost around 2-3 times the fee of a psychometric test and yet will not gather as much information. Not to mention the fact that if you are using the right psychometric tool, it’s reliability and validity will already have been assessed and will be good. Whereas we tend to assume that interviews will be reliable and valid if run by trained people – this is rarely tested!

Psychometric Tests for development, coaching, careers advice and team-building

This lesson has focussed on the use of psychometric tests in candidate selection. However, much of what has been raised applies to the use of tests in other scenarios.  For example, in careers advice, psychometric tools allow the counsellor to offer advice which is based on a systematic assessment of the individual’s aptitude and personality alongside the information already on file such as achievements thus far, previous experience, educational qualifications and so forth. In coaching, development and team-building, psychometric tools often serve as a reliable and valid basis for the discussion. Not using these tools means the initiator starts off with far less information and is likely to be less systematic. Psychometrics enables the initiator to work from a validated model and a holistic assessment of the people being developed and not to base interventions and advice on subjective insights.

Interested in learning more about psychometric testing for HRM? Keep reading – your next free session is not far away! To ensure you don’t miss a single instalment, we suggest you follow-us on twitter as each new post will be announced there. You may also like to join our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore or Hong Kong – these range from simple introductory courses through to Certification Courses such as the BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. Not in Singapore or Hong Kong? No problem – we also offer both recorded and live online training in psychometrics! For full details please see here or email us.

DO NOT COPY OR SAVE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR COMPUTER.
THIS ARTICLE IS CLEARED FOR PUBLISHING ON PSYCHOLOGY1 GROUP SITES ONLY. IT REMAINS COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF PSYASIA INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO PUBLISH IT ON ANY OTHER SITE. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO COPY/PASTE THIS ARTICLE OR TO SAVE IT TO YOUR LOCAL DRIVE. YOU ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO READ IT ONLINE AT OUR WEBSITE. VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS WILL RESULT IN BANNING OF OFFENDING IPS AND LEGAL ACTION FOR THOSE WHO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WHETHER IT BE WITH OR WITHOUT A REFERENCE TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR.

In this session we will explore the following:

1. The different categories of psychometric tests

Different categories of psychometric tests

There are two major categories of psychometric tests:

Tests of MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE

and

Tests of TYPICAL BEHAVIOUR

Maximum Performance Tests

Tests of Maximum performance include tests that have right and wrong answers. This means aptitude tests, ability tests and attainment tests. It’s possible to break down the category of maximum performance tests further by distinguishing between Speed Tests and Power Tests.  A speed test is more common in occupational testing. It is a test that has a time limit.  The idea is that most candidates will not complete all questions by the end of the allotted time. Candidates will trade off speed with accuracy. It is quite conceivable however that candidates would do somewhat better if they were allowed more time.  On the contrary, power tests are not timed. The idea here is that you either know the subject matter or you don’t and that even if you were given more time your score would be unlikely to improve.  As an example, I know nothing about quantum physics.  If you sit me in a room and ask me to sit a test on this topic I won’t do well – I’ll do badly and I’ll do badly irrespective of how long you give me to complete the test!

So, what is the difference between the main types of maximum performance tests?

Aptitude Tests
These assessments are future looking. They ask if the candidate has the aptitude to do something in the future, perhaps after a period of education or experience. If I want to know if my graduate respondent will make a good leader I may ask him to sit a number of aptitude tests. I am quite certain that the recent graduate will not be able to be a leader right now. But that is not what I am asking.  I need to know if after a few years of on-the-job experience and leadership development training this person has the aptitude to be a successful leader. An example of an aptitude test would be Saville Consulting’s Swift Analysis Aptitude Test or their Customer Aptitudes Test.

Ability Tests
In the aptitude example above I noted that I know my recent graduate will not make a good leader now. Ability tests are about the “here and now”. They tell us what the candidate is able to do now. Ability tests appear at the top of the hierarchy in maximum performance assessment. An example of an ability test would be the General Ability Test (GAT) or the Graduate and Managerial Assessment (GMAT).

Attainment Tests
These are the tests that you are probably more familiar with. The tests we sit during our schooling and university years are attainment tests.  The question is: following this period of learning, how much does the person now know? So, GCSE tests, A’Levels, University Degrees, Pilot Licence Tests, Piano Tests and so on are all examples of attainment tests.

However, just as you are beginning to think this isn’t too difficult to understand, let me add a thought for you!  It is possible for a single test to actually be any of the above 3 categories depending on how you intend to use it! For example, if you have just completed a training course for apprentice mechanics and then give them a mechanical aptitude test in order to assess their learning, you are actually using it in a similar way to an attainment test. If you didn’t train these apprentices and you wish to see if they have the aptitude to be good mechanics and you have them sit this test, you are using it as an aptitude test.  If you are about to select a mechanic who needs to perform right now without further training you could use this same test as an ability test!

Typical Behaviour Tests

These are not really tests in the purest sense because with typical behaviour (also called typical performance) there is no right or wrong. In view of this we try to speak about questionnaires and assessments for this category instead of tests! This category includes personality assessments and interest questionnaires.

Personality Assessments
These obviously assess personality. Some personality assessments assess a few types of personality and these are called PERSONALITY TYPE assessments (for example, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator – MBTI or the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire – EPQ). Other personality assessments assess traits. A type is a collection of traits.  A trait is a relatively enduring characteristic of the person (such as extraversion or resilience) which can be used to predict behaviours. Trait tools are able to assess at a finer level and this is one reason why type tools should not be used in assessment for selection decisions despite being useful guides in development and team-building. Trait tools can be further split into 2 more categories – NARROWBAND and BROADBAND. Broadband Personality Questionnaires assess traits broadly – this means there are overall fewer traits to assess – perhaps 5 or 6 in total. An example of a broadband personality tool is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Narrowband tools assess more traits/contain more scales. They typically assess each scale with fewer questions than broadband instruments. Some narrowband assessments may have around 16 scales (e.g., the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire – 16PF) whilst others may have around double that, for example the Identity Personality Questionnaire and the Apollo Profile assess 36 and 34 scales respectively. A benefit of narrowband tools is their ability to assess at a very specific level within the person. This enables a more valid prediction of workplace performance. However, broadband personality tools have their own advantage which is that because they contain more questions per scale/trait – reliability for each scale/trait is generally higher than with narrowband tools.  We’ll discuss reliability and validity in detail later in the course.

Note: Some personality assessments were not developed specifically for workplace assessment but are nonetheless used in workplace selection and development (e.g., 16PF, MMPI) whilst other questionnaires were developed specifically to be used in workplace selection and development (e.g., Apollo, OPQ32, Hogan Personality Inventory)

Interest Questionnaires
As the name implies, these tools assess the respondent’s interest in various aspects of the working world in a structured and meaningful way and are therefore typically used in career counselling. They are also used in selection assessment to ascertain whether the candidate will comfortably fit the particular organisation they are applying to work in.  For example, if I am interested in doing structured work in a well structured organisation I may not be very happy working for an organisation which values spontaneity and creativity. Some personality assessments also report on the respondent’s interest by way of “derived scales”.  Derived scales come about by way of predicting statistically what the respondent would score in particular areas (such as interest) based on how they responded to the general personality assessment. An example of an Interest Questionnaire is the Strong Interest Inventory.  An example of a personality questionnaire that uses derived interest scales is the Identity Self-perception Questionnaire.

Interested in learning more about psychometric testing for HRM? Keep reading – your next free session is not far away! To ensure you don’t miss a single instalment, we suggest you follow-us on twitter as each new post will be announced there. You may also like to join our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore or Hong Kong – these range from simple introductory courses through to Certification Courses such as the BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. Not in Singapore or Hong Kong? No problem – we also offer both recorded and live online training in psychometrics! For full details please see here or email us.

DO NOT COPY OR SAVE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR COMPUTER.
THIS ARTICLE IS CLEARED FOR PUBLISHING ON PSYCHOLOGY1 GROUP SITES ONLY. IT REMAINS COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF PSYASIA INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO PUBLISH IT ON ANY OTHER SITE. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO COPY/PASTE THIS ARTICLE OR TO SAVE IT TO YOUR LOCAL DRIVE. YOU ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO READ IT ONLINE AT OUR WEBSITE.  VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS WILL RESULT IN BANNING OF OFFENDING IPS AND LEGAL ACTION FOR THOSE WHO REPUBLISH THIS ARTICLE WHETHER IT BE WITH OR WITHOUT A REFERENCE TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR.

20 October 2010 – 27 October 2010 (weekend excluded) (5-day option also available)

 Conrad Centennial Hotel, Singapore

 **Please register early – previous courses have been fully booked up to 8 weeks before the start date**

 Introduction

Train for BPS Level A and B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing in Singapore with the company that won an international quality award in 2010; the company which brought regular BPS Certification training to Singapore; and the company which uses a British Psychological Society Award-Winning Dr. of Psychology to facilitate the course!

This intensive professional course provides training in psychometric assessment in the workplace, leading to the fulfilment of requirements for the British Psychological Society Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing – BPS Levels A & B. After successful completion of the course, delegates are qualified to order, administer, score, interpret and feedback on a complete range of ability, aptitude and personality questionnaires. They will also be able to apply for the British Psychological Society’s Certificates which means the holder will be recognised internationally as having trained to the highest levels in the practical application of psychometric tests.

PsyAsia International is renowned by Human Resource professionals and organisational psychologists throughout Asia for being the leader in psychometric training in the region. Whilst many overuse the term “leader”, PsyAsia demonstrates their position with tangibles.  Recent innovations include moving of training to online mediums, blended learning for the BPS Level A and B and an online learning centre where delegates get immediate access to forums, chat with other delegates, virtual receptions with the facilitator and other course members, downloads of recorded training and more.

Dates:

20-22 October 2010: Level A

25-27 October 2010: Level B

Delegates may also opt to attend online training over 3 evenings instead of attending on 20 October, reducing total time away from the office to 5 days.  Furthermore, delegates may choose to undertake Level A in October and place Level B on hold until Q1 of 2011 for no additional fee.

Key Learning Objectives for Level A

Delegates will be able to:

• Register with all UK and many international test publishers to purchase tests and know what to look for and avoid in Singapore. With many poorly developed tests and non-psychologist distributors in Singapore this is crucial!
• Understand the range and types of psychometric tests available.
• Know when to use tests, and importantly – when not to.
• Decide which tests are appropriate for a particular situation, be it selection, development, coaching or team-building.
• Conduct a job analysis and identify the assessment requirements.
• Have an appreciation of other assessment methods such as assessment centres or behavioural interviews.
• Administer, score and interpret aptitude tests.
• Make informed decisions using psychometric test results.
• Provide quality feedback to clients and candidates.
• Integrate tests into a wider recruitment or assessment process.
• Have a sound grasp of statistical concepts used in testing.
• Appreciate the importance of test reliability and validity and be able to assess it.

Key Learning Objectives for Level B

Delegates will be able to:

• Increase their awareness and understanding of individual differences between people.
• Integrate the use of personality assessments into selection and development activities.
• Decide which questionnaires are appropriate for particular situations.
• Administer, score and interpret personality data.
• Provide professional selection feedback to both candidates and recruiting customers.
• Coach individuals to develop using personality information.
• Use personality questionnaire information to support structured interviewing.
• Critically assess the value of different tools for specific purposes.
• Identify and reject inflated claims of validity – so-called ‘Barnum’ or ‘horoscope’ effects.
• Relate personality factors to organisations’ core competencies.
• Design and write selection reports for recruiting clients / managers.
• Design and write development reports to aid self-awareness of clients / managers.
• Maintain appropriate records and data for audit, research and feedback purposes.
• Demonstrate professional Best Practice and compliance with employment legislation.

See the course webpage for a full day-by-day syllabus.

No Exams!

At the current time it is up to individual course providers to decide how to assess their delegates; some may use exams whilst others use workbooks and other assessments. At the current time, there is no exam requirement for our Level A and B training in Singapore; we find that our delegates prefer this. Instead we assess via a workbook and practical exercises.

Facilitator
This course is facilitated by PsyAsia International’s resident director, Dr. Graham Tyler. Dr. Tyler is well known in Asia for his expertise and work in psychometrics. His PhD was by way of a double-scholarship award from the Australian Government and focussed on psychometric assessment, personality and performance at work in Asia. Dr. Tyler is a fully Registered Organisational Psychologist, a Chartered Scientist, a consultant/trainer to numerous Singapore Government departments and Fortune 500 companies and a university lecturer. He is a published author in Singapore-based publications (Straits Times, Human Capital Plus, Human Resources) and peer-reviewed journals such as the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, the BPS Selection and Development Review and The Occupational Psychologist. He is a reviewer for scientific journals and conferences and a supervisor for Intern Psychologists on behalf of Australian and local Universities. Dr. Tyler was the first to bring regular training leading to the British Psychological Society’s Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing to Singapore in 2002 having introduced them to Dubai prior to that. His work with Psychometric Tests has received recognition from the British Psychological Society with an award for Scientific Contribution to Psychology. Plentiful delegate reviews of Dr. Tyler’s training can be seen at the course webpage.

Additional Benefits

The course facilitator and our psychologist consultants are based locally, this means that we can blend the BPS syllabus with knowledge and experience of local laws, culture and practices and that even when the course ends expert psychologists will be nearby to offer ongoing support. Given that we are not a training reseller, we don’t need to ship in overseas facilitators. As a result, we can be flexible in terms of our course offerings. Delegates can choose which parts of the course to sit and when – no need to attend all 6 days at once! You may attend Level A in October and then Level B in 2011. You can even start out by attending our 2-day Identity Accreditation Course or study our Online Test Administration Course and have those count towards your Level A/B! Finally, because we are local there is no need to send your follow-up work overseas for marking. You can essentially finish Level B as soon as you are ready – and don’t hang around for your results – we guarantee to mark your work within 10 days, although most is marked within 2-3 days of receipt – you can check our online performance review for recent dates!

Furthermore, because we are not a test publisher, our training is unbiased and we introduce many tests (both good and bad) to delegates. In addition to this, for those delegates who wish to study and be accredited in numerous tests, we offer 50% discount off our Saville Consulting Wave® one-day training which follows Level B (60% if you book before 30 July). Of course, we include Identity Questionnaire and Apollo Profile accreditation in the A/B fee as standard for all delegates. That’s not all! In addition to the SG$1200+ of materials we give you on the course (which include an online test system with starter credits), all delegates will receive a 30% discount on any Identity Personality Assessment products purchased within 1 month of their qualification and a 10% discount on all other non-discounted products which we offer.  There’s even more, but we’ll save some surprises for the course!

More details

The Psychometric Assessment at Work Course in Singapore
http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_test_training_course.php

Other Psychometric Training Courses in Singapore from PsyAsia International
http://www.psyasia.com/psychometric_training.php

Please follow the links at the web pages to register online. For any queries not addressed at the website, kindly call us on 6329 9629 or email us via http://www.psyasia.com/email

Visit the website

PsyAsia International is pleased to announce a  free, 10-week mini-course in psychometric testing. The course will be mainly text based and introduce the basics of psychometrics in 10 weekly articles. You’ll learn about what psychometrics is, where it came from, how it is useful, discrimination, reliability, validity, error and more. PsyAsia is Asia’s leading independent provider of psychometric tests and psychometric training. The course however will be invaluable to readers anywhere. It will be interesting for those in HRM or consulting roles using or considering psychometric tests as well as for those about to undergo testing.

To ensure you don’t miss a single instalment, we suggest you follow-us on twitter as each new post will be announced there.

Interested in learning more about psychometric testing for HRM? Keep reading – your first free session is only a week away! You may also like to join our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore or Hong Kong - these range from simple introductory courses through to Certification Courses such as the BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. Not in Singapore or Hong Kong? No problem – we also offer both recorded and live online training in psychometrics! For full details please see here or email us.

Online Training in Psychometric Tests

Asia-based Psychometric Test distributor PsyAsia International has announced that they will begin offering a live online training and accreditation program for the Apollo Profile from 1-4 June. The training will be run by an experienced business psychologist who is accredited with the Apollonean Institute to accredit users of this personality test.

One of the major benefits of Apollo over other personality assessments is that it compares the candidate’s scores on each of its 34 business personality scales to those who have been rated as excellent. Different comparison groups are available which means the client can compare their candidate(s) with excellent sales employees, call centre staff, supervisors, leaders and so on.  Most personality assessments compare candidates with the average person rather than excellence and hence this makes Apollo a rarity as well as a highly-valid tool.

PsyAsia International has been offering world-class training in Asia since 2002. The company only uses fully qualified and registered organisational psychologists to ensure quality and competence. This means that PsyAsia’s psychologists typically have as much training as a medical doctor, not to mention the hours of professional development they are required to undergo each year!  PsyAsia added online training to their repertoire in 2008 and followed this with their first live online training course at the end of 2009 – the Psychometric Test Administration Course.

The test administration course follows the British Psychological Society’s syllabus for their Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing and allows the attendee to request that PsyAsia also assess them for the BPS Certificate in Occupational Test Administration.  Training runs over 3 consecutive daily sessions of about 70-80 minutes, starting at 5pm Singapore/Hong Kong time which is 9am UCT/GMT. Each session is recorded and attendees can log-into PsyAsia’s online learning centre to view them as well as to chat with other attendees and post questions in the interactive forum.

The online training for the Apollo Profile will follow a similar format to the company’s Live Online Psychometric Test Administration Course. Apollo training will run over 4 consecutive daily sessions. There will be some pre-course work along with homework and a final piece of post-course work. Attendees without a background in psychometric testing will also need to complete the test administration course but there is no additional fee for this.

PsyAsia team member Cynthia Wong was asked to comment on who she thought would benefit from the training.

“Anybody who is interested in using a top-rate personality assessment such as the Apollo Profile will definitely benefit.  This assessment has numerous uses which include recruitment/selection, development, team-building and career coaching.  Moreover, those who may find it difficult or inconvenient to attend our face-to-face training in Asia now have an option to receive the same training and accreditation online.”  said Ms. Wong.

Registration is now open for the June Apollo Profile sessions.  Due to the online nature, attendees don’t need to be based in Asia. All training is conducted in English so registration is open to anybody who is able to make the time slots and credit cards are accepted. To register, simply follow the links on the course page at: http://www.psyasia.com/apollo_profile_accreditation_course.php

If you would like to find out more about the Apollo Profile, please see here: http://www.psyasia.com/personality_tests_apollo.php

You may also be interested in attending the free Apollo Profile webinar from Jim Bowden, the publisher, on 17 May.  Full details at http://webinars.psyasia.com

Apollo Profile Personality Test Webinar

BPS Certificates of Competence in
Occupational Testing – Level A and B

We are pleased to advise that the next run of training for PsyAsia International’s Psychometric Assessment at Work course which leads to fulfilment of the requirements of the British Psychological Society Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing – Level A and B will be in Singapore on the following dates:

Level A: 9-11 June

Level B: 14-16 June

PsyAsia International’s course is run by our director, award-winning registered Psychologist, Dr. Graham Tyler. PsyAsia is the only provider of this course in Asia using resident facilitators. There are no exams with the PsyAsia course either, unlike some overseas providers! In addition, PsyAsia provides all delegates with access to the online learning centre to allow them to learn through recorded learning, interactive forums and even live sessions with the facilitator before the course even begins. Our training is well respected in Singapore and throughout the region as attested by the many positive reviews through the years published at the course webpage. Given that our March Level B course was fully booked 3 weeks before it went ahead, please do register early!

REGISTER HERE

MORE INFORMATION HERE

British Psychological Society Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing in Singapore

Saville Consulting Wave® – Highest Validity per 15 minutes of test-time!

The Saville Consulting Wave was developed by the originator of the OPQ and co-founder of SHL, Professor Peter Saville as an alternative to the static assessments available in the market. Wave assesses candidate’s motives and talents within a validation-centric framework. It was validated within 100 separate businesses.

The tool uses both normative and dynamic ipsative questions and has been shown to have greater validity in predicting performance and leadership than any tool it has been compared to in research. Furthermore, the shorter version of Wave, the Focus Questionnaire has more validity per 15 minutes of test-taking time than any comparison questionnaire.

Profile jobs, run 360 performance appraisal, assess personality type for team-building, assess entrepreneurial potential and provide extensive development advice all within one framework

The performance culture framework which underlies the Saville Consulting Wave allows the tool to be used extensively for different HR applications from recruitment/selection through to performance appraisal and development.
Follow the links below for further details:

Wave Professional Styles	Performance Card Set
Wave Focus Styles	Wave Performance 360
Wave Types	Wave Development
Wave Entrepreneurial	Wave Culture
Wave Job Profiler

View some sample reports from Wave here

For the early-bird offer (25% discount), please register at http://www.psyasia.com/register
and quote WAVESEB for Singapore courses and WAVEHEB
for Hong Kong Courses. Deadline is 15 May for Singapore and 31 May for Hong
Kong.

Note – delegates on our BPS Level B course in
Singapore always get 50% discount off the Wave Conversion
course which follows their Level B training. More details at http://www.psyasia.com/bpscourses

Course Reviews from Previous Attendees

“Informative, relevant to work, knowledgeable facilitator”

Danny
Hay Group

“Good introduction to the tool and practical session was useful”

Geraldyn Fong
Managing Consultant (Psychologist)

Hudson Global Resources, Singapore

“Insightful and informative. The methodology behind the Saville
Consulting Wave Report is light years ahead of other psychometric tests yet
it is a breeze to use! The interface between motives, competencies and culture
is exactly the missing link that recruiters are looking for.”

Diana Yeo
Ministry of Defence, Singapore

“A highly practical and enjoyable approach to the application
of an extremely useful tool for selection and development – well worth the investment,
highly recommended.”

Neville Pearsall
Director HR
RMIT International University, Vietnam

Not ready for training and accreditation
but still want to use the Wave?

Then please consider PsyAsia’s Psychologist-on-Call™
service instead. Our registered psychologists will take care of the complete process for you, including a call and behavioural interview for your candidates and a feedback session with the decision-maker. More details at http://www.psyasia.com/psychologist_candidate_screening.php.