The Nordic Test Development Group prepared proficiency tests of English designed to provide reliable information on which to base decisions as to whether a candidate would be able to function in a job as described or whether he could be trained to do so. Two subtests used a modified cloze procedure. (Author/CFM)

Direct-observation techniques were used to analyze the occupational skills of both employed and unemployed adults. Results indicated that employed adults performed significantly better than unemployed on each of 13 job-related skills assessed. These differences were found for both job-findings and job-retention skills. (Author)

The aptitude scores of 70 physicians in various areas of practice who were tested between 1934 and 1971 were compared with aptitude battery scores obtained by the general population of Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation examinees. For each aptitude test, obtained-score distributions were produced for the time periods of pre-1941, 1941-45, and…

This paper describes in some detail Siegfreid's Process Mapping Model for describing human performance. The model's application to task analysis and the advantages of using it when constructing assessment strategies and instruments are discussed. Examples of the model's use in building portfolios, behavioral rating scales, and skill demonstration…

Focusing on assessment centers, this chapter is one of seven in a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence. Assessment centers are presented first in a historical context (their origins in personality theory), through which their evolution is traced and examined. What follows is a description of current assessment center…

A previous review of the effects of stressors on military performance shows that different stressors have different effects, the effects of stress vary with the type of skill being measured, the presence of certain stressors leads to decrements in performance, and incident-related stress accompanying these stressors can further impair performance.…

One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter presents competence assessment as it is defined in practice by selection techniques currently used by employers. The chapter begins with a discussion of the major techniques used in employee selection, focusing on the competencies employers…

This paper addresses the cross-cultural development and use of the Behavior Description Index (BDI). The development of culturally-transportable scales; cross-cultural comparisons of results for 12 Spanish, 15 Hungarian, 15 Indonesian, and U.S. managers; and the transportability of competencies as constructs are considered. A competency is an…

One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter examines the issue of certification from the perspective of the consumer of services performed by the individual possessing the credential. To provide an understanding of the current practice of competence assessment as a component of…

A general methodology approach is suggested for measurement of workforce readiness competencies in the context of overall work by the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing on the domain-independent measurement of workforce readiness skills. The methodology consists of 14 steps, from the initial selection of a…

One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter provides a review of how the courts have responded to assessment practices. The difference in the perspectives held by the users and originators of assessment procedures and those held by the courts is developed by examining key court cases…

The final chapter of a seven-section report that examined the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter explores the key patterns and commonalities that have emerged from the study of occupational competency assessment. The chapter begins with a synthesis of the state of the art of competency definition and measurement under four topic…

This introduction and overview is part of a seven-section report that investigates how individual competence is defined and assessed in the settings of education and work. Following background rationale, the first portion develops a definition of competence as "a characteristic of an individual that underlies effective work performance."…

This booklet lists and describes materials that can be used for employment counseling in Canada. The booklet is organized in two parts. The first part lists and describes counseling tools. Some of the tools listed include Moving On, the Canadian Occupational Interest Inventory, the General Aptitude Test Battery, Index to Canadian Occupations,…