Examines the role of government agencies, professional standards, and federal and state legislation in: (1) determining the quality of ability tests; (2) resolving imbalances and conflicts among participants in the testing process; and (3) defining fairness and due process. (Author/GC)

Examines five themes in "Testing for Competence Rather than for "Intelligence" (D. C. McClelland, "American Psychologist," 1973), and reviews relevant literature. Despite wide acceptance of McClelland's views, other evidence that does not show that competency testing surpasses cognitive ability testing in predicting…

Because of a congruity of developments in the knowledge base concerning tests, external political factors, and legal factors, responsible use of employment tests could be on the verge of widespread acceptability. However, the possibility also exists that tests will once again become the scapegoat for "bad news." This review of the legal…