This guide was developed to help managers and human resource (HR) professionals use assessment practices that are the right choices for reaching their organizations' HR goals. It provides information about assessment practices so that managers and HR professionals can evaluate and select assessment tools and procedures that maximize chances for…

The relationship between general cognitive ability and both training and job performance is reviewed. Existing scientific data show that there are large differences in training achievement and in job performance. Consequently, any good predictor of achievement or performance can yield a large gain in workforce productivity. General cognitive…

A meta-analysis examines the predictive validity of three methods for evaluating the education and experiences (E&E) of applicants for entry and full-performance level jobs, focusing on federal white-collar jobs. The following are methods of rating education and experience: (1) Point, assigning points to the duration and type of past education…

Industrial and organizational psychologists for the Department of Defense have been working for the past 10 years to develop high fidelity measures of job performance for use in validating job selection procedures and standards. Information on developing and scoring performance exercises in the Job Performance Measurement (JPM) Project is…

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…

Issues related to ability testing and affirmative action are discussed, including the fair use of tests in academic and occupational selection, the effects of testing upon the tested individual, and implications of the issues for the major participants. Types and functions of ability tests, both aptitude and achievement, are described. Studies of…

This report describes the development, standardization, and validation of two parallel forms of the Officer Selection Battery, a 2-hour, group administrable, paper and pencil test for assessing men and women applying for the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Based on an extensive job analysis, 1,400 experimental items in 12 job areas were…

As part of the United States Army's Project A, research has been conducted to develop and field test a battery of experimental tests to complement the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in predicting soldiers' job performance. Project A is the United States Army's large-scale manpower effort to improve selection, classification, and…

In response to a mandate from the California State Legislature, the California Board of Corrections conducted a three-phase research study in preparation for the revision and standardization of the current state standards for hiring and training corrections personnel. The primary focus of the second phase of the project was on the development and…

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 is the sixth and final report of the National Research Council's Committee on the Performance of Military Personnel on the Joint-Service Job Performance Measurement/Enlistment Standards (JPM) Project, a project designed to develop measures of performance for entry-level military jobs so that enlistment standards could be linked to performance…

The expansion of The West African Examination Council's (WAEC) Test Development and Research Office (TEDRO), from January 1969 through August 1973, is described. The development of TEDRO as an institution was of primary importance; the continuation of test development and educational services was the other major goal during this period of time.…

In response to a mandate from the California State Legislature, the California Board of Corrections conducted a three-phase research study in preparation for the revision and standardization of the current state standards for hiring and training corrections personnel. The primary focus of the second phase of the project was on the development and…

Following a workshop on "Innovations in Employment Testing that Improve Validity and Reduce Adverse Impact," the City of Louisville (Kentucky) implemented a strategy to develop a comprehensive testing and recruiting program for police recruits. To improve candidate expectations and preparation, the following activities were undertaken:…

Lessons derived from the Job Performance Measurement (JPM) Project, which is overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management and Personnel, for educational assessment are explored. The JPM Project was initiated to develop high fidelity measures of performance on the job that can be used to evaluate personnel…