ERIC ED089138: Introduction to Employment Service Testing. Employment Office Training Program, Unit 41, Part B, Trainee's Handbook.

DOCOHBMT RESOHE

ED 089 138

TITLE

IHSTITOTIOH
FOB DATE
ROTE

CE 001 568

Introduction to Enployient Service Testing.
Employment Office Training Program, Onlt m. Fart B,
Trainee's Handbook.

nanpower Administration (DOL) , Washington, D.C.
73

29p.; For Fart A, Instructor's Guide, see CE 001

mo

EDHS FHICE HF-$0.75 HC-$1.85 FLOS POSTAGE

DESCRIFTORS Administrative Personnel; Aptitude Tests; ^Employment

Services; Occupational Tests; ^Study Guides;
Supervisory Training; ♦Testing; ♦Testing Programs

IDENTIFIERS ♦Onited States Employment Service

ABSTRACT

To familiarize supervisors, interviewers, and
employer relations personnel with 0. S. Employment Service (OSES)
testing, the trainee's handbook cites five training objectives. They
are.: simplify understanding of tests, describe employment service
tests, mention advantages and limitations, show how to determine need
for tests, and describe a testing program. Seventeen pages are
devoted to simple graphics and test forms to illustrate those
objectives. One page describes the requirements for a test
development study, and another discusses the OSES grading system.
Four and one-half pages comprise a review test with true-false,
multiple-choice, and f ill-in-the-blank sections. (AG)

ERLC

Inlroduction to

EMPIOTMENT

SERVICE

TESTING

Employnwnt Office Training Proflram Unit 41 Part B Tr«ln««'« Handbook

1973

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MANPOWER ADMINISTRATION

Introduction to

EAAPIOTAAENT
SB^VICE

TESTING

Employment Office Training Program Unit 41 Part B Trainee's Handt>ook

1973

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Peter J. Brennan, Secretary

MANPOWER ADMINISTRATION

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OBJECTIVES OF TRAINm

IN

EMPLOYMENT SERVICE TESTING

O Simplify Understanding of Tests

O Describe Employment Service Tests

O Mention Advantages and
Limitations

O Show How to Determine
Need for Tests

O Describe a Testing Program

1

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JOB SUCCESS

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cum OF NORMAL OmiBUTION

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
APTITUDE AND PROFICIENCY

TESTS

APTITUDE TEST

MEASURES:
POTENTIAL FOR ACQUIRING SKILL

P ROFICIENCY TEST

MEASURES:
SKILL ACQUIRED FROM EDUCATION,
TRAINING, OR EXPERIENCE

KINDS OF
PROFICIENCY TESTS

O CLERICAL SKILLS

7

KINDS OF APmUK Tm

O R^PER- AND -PENCIL

APmpE TESTS TN (XmmONAT^
CAUG> ATm/fii TEST MTm£S(0)

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INTELLIGENCE

10

APTITUDES MEASURED BY THE 14 TESTS OF THE
NONREADING APTITUDE TEST BATTERY (NATB)

Aptitudes

Tests

G

V

N

S

p

w

K

F

M

A Picture Word Matching

X

X

B Oral Vocabulary

X

X

X

C Coin Matching

X

D Design Completion

X

X

E Tool Matching

X

F 3-Diinen8ional Space

X

X

G Form Matching

X

H Coin Series

X

I Name Comparison

X

*8 Mark Making

i

X

•^9 Place (pegs)

X

no Turn (pegs)

X

m Assemble

X

^2 Disassemble

a

X

*Tests taken from the GATE

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« KNOWLEDGES

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« TRAINING TIME

15

SnKinDEVEtOnyiElff o||IUlUK ET MTTEMES

SELECTION OF CRITERION*

supervisor's ratings

BEST THIRD

MIDDLE THIRD

LOWEST THIRD

Doaks
Brown
Wolker
Meade

Jones
Williams
Turner
Sloan

Murray
Smith
James
Careji

* CRITERION » STANDARD OF JOB PROFICIENCY

16

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18

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SP-1

REQUIREMENTS FOR A TEST DEVELOPMENT STUDY

Sample: A group of more than 50 workers all performing the same job, and all of whom have completed
the training period, should be available to serve as an experimental sample. When the circumstances
make it impossible to obtain a sample of 50 or more workers, it is permissible to conduct a study on
a sample of fewer than SO but no less than 30 workers. All workers in the group should have had at
least a sixth grade education in schools in the United States or the equivalent and be at least 16
years of age. Only workers without defects of hearing, vision or impairment of the use of fingers,
hands or arms should be included in the sample, because such factors tend to invalidate test results
for research purposes. Individuals who do not meet the criteria specified above cannot be considered
as part of the group to be tested for test development purposes.

Job Analysis: Job analysis data which provide a thorough identification and description of pertinent
aspects of the job should be obtained. II a Dictionary of Occupational Titles classification exists for
the job, it should be specified. A job summary and a **Work Performed" should be prepared to
describe the job duties. It is important to make certain that the training time for the job is specified.
Information on the GATB aptitudes that appear to be significant for performance of the job duties
should also be included, and statements specifying the tasks for which the aptitudes are significant
should be made.

Measures of Job Performance: In order to compare performance on the test with performance on the
job, it is necessary to have a valid measure of each worker's ability to perform the job duties. Pro-
duction records or piece rate earnings^ if they are comparable for ail individuals in the group, very
often serve this purpose. Production records or similar data can be considered comparable for all
individuals in the group only when the production of each worker will be , determined primarily by
his own ability to perform the job. If a worker has to wait for materials, or if he works as part of a
team of workers and his rate of production is determined by the team rather than by his own ability,
the production records will not be suitable for test development purposes. Ratings of the workers
by their supervisor can be used as a measure of job performance in addition to or in the absence of
some form of production records. When such ratings are made, it is necessary to insure that they
will reflect only each worker's ability to perform the job in terms of quality and/or quantity of work
and will not be influenced by such factors as personality, cooperativeness and length of time on
the job.

Personnel Data: Information on the age, minority group status, education, cultural exposure and
length of experience on the job for each worker in the sample group must be obtained.
Selection Techniques: The procedures used by the company in hiring employees sometimes have an
effect upon the test results obtained when a research study is conducted. Therefore, it is necessary
to know the company's hiring policies with respect to educational requirements, age requirements,
and other selection factors. It is especially important to know if any tests have been used in the
selection of the workers included in the sample group. If tests have been used, the tests should be
identified, the norms or minimum scores used as a basis for screening should be s^cified, and the
approximate percentage of applicants that have not been hired because they failed to make qualifying
scores on the tests should be indicated.

19

Time: A|)proximately two and one-half hours must be aHowed for testing the group of workers. Work-
ers are usually tested on the employer*8 time. In addition, time must be allowed for conferring with
supervisors or foremen to provide them with information concerning how measures of job performance
are to be obtained, as well as the time needed for performing all activities necessary to obtain the
meMHures of job performance. A certain amount of time will also be needed to obtain personnel data
on each worker, job analysis data, and information on the selection procedures used by the company.
Testing Facilities: A well lighted and properly ventilated room, with tables, chairs and adequate
space for testing is required. Chairs with side-arm desks attached are not suitable. It is desirable
for this room to have sufficient space for testing approximately 10 to 25 workers at the same time.
Preferably this room should have no telephone, be situated so that there will be no distracting noises,
and permit the testing session to be conducted without interruption.

Confidentiality of Test Results: The test results of the employed workers in the experimental sample
will not be made available to any employer.

Use of Test Battery When Developed; Aptitude test batteries developed by the Employment Service
cannot be released to employers for their own use. Instead the test batteries are made available for
national use in the operating offices of the State Employment Services. Thus any organization can
request test-selected applicants from one of these offices.

20

GRADING SYSTEM

An examinee* 8 raw scores on USES clerical skllla testa are not
meaningful until they are compared vith some reference group. The
reference (or normatlye) group for each test Is a national sanqple of
workers emplpyed in the occupations in v^lch the skill which the test
was designed to measure is most important.

An examinee's raw test score is converted to a grade in order to
compare his performance with the norms. The grade may range from a
low of 1 to a high of 10« The grades were established as follows : The
distribution of raw scores of the employed worker normative sample was
divided into 10 segments each containing 10 percent of the scores* The
highest 10 percent of the scores were assigned the grade of ^lO'S the
second highest 10 percent of the scores were assigned the grade of "9"^
and so on^ in turn^ down to the lowest scoring 10 percent of the scores
v4iich were assigned the grade of ''I'*,

The following table Illustrates the grading system in terms of the
centile ranks corresponding to each grade.

Centlle Rank
Grade Equivalent

10

90 - 99

9 '

80-89

8

70 - 79

7

60-69

6

50 - 59

5

40 - 49

4

30 - 39

3

20 - 29

2

10 - 19

1

1-9

The simplest way of describing the meaning of an individual's grade
is in terms of the centile rank to %Aiich it corresponds. For example j
an examinee who obtains a grade of 7 would be ranked among the upper
40 percent of employed workers in the skill tested. Expressed in another
way^ his performance exceeds the performance of more than 60 percent of
workers .

21

REVIEW

I

Directions « Mark T or F In front of Mch numbered statement to Indicate
whether it le true or false, fie prepared to give the reason for each
false statement.

( ) !• Experience has shown that where appropriate tests are used,
applicants selected with the help of tests tend to be better
workers and have less turnover than workers not so selected*

( ) 2. A person who excels in one subject or occupation usually excels
in all.

( ) 3« The USES Interest Check List is not scored. Hence, it us really
not a test but an interviewing aid for the use of the counselor.

( ) 4* Aptitude tests are used to measure the skills of experienced
applicants .

( ) 5* The USES has made a blanket authorisation for all local offices
to use the Kuder Preference Record if th^ desire.

( ) 6. The main advantage of £S tests is that their relationship to

occupational success has been established. Therefore, they can
be used with some assurance that the results have si0iificance
in terms of occupations.

( ) 7. When a suitable test is available, selection may be properly
made on the basis of test results, disregarding other factors.

( ) 8. B-1002 is the original edition of the GATB, in which the answers
are written in the test booklets.

( ) 9* The NATB profile may be scored against the SATB*s as well as
the OAF*s.

( ) 10. It is permissible at the time of referral to notify an employer
by i^one or letter of the different occupations within his plant
for which the applicant was tested and met the aptitude require-
ments.

( ) 11. Throuiti the cooperation of State agencies and the MA national
office, continuing research is going on to increase the occu-
pational coverage of present tests and to develop new assessment

tools .

22

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) 12» If an wplojer wants to hire an axpericneed worker who needs

little or no training, aptitude teat results will be helpftil in
BMiklng the selection*

) 13* The tialng of USES tests is not critical as long as the examinee
is allowed enough time* It does not matter if he is given a few
extra seconds*

) 14* If an 8ATB is being considered as an aid to selection, the inter*
viewer should compare the job duties of the eaplcjer's job with
with the job description of the job for which the test was developed
to determine if thqr are sufficiently similar*

) 15* While historically specific aptitude test batteries were developed
before the GATB, sU present SATB's are now made up of two or
more parts of the GAIB* Consequently, there are no separate
SATB test booklets.

) 16* While the OAP*s were designed primarily for counseling, they are
also recommended for use in selection whenever there is no
appropriate SATB.

) 17* When an applicant is retested, an alternate fom of the test
should be used, if available, to reduce the practice effect*

} 18* In a test development study, a sample of at least ICX) workers
doing the same job is necessary*

) 19* ^ing test norms are the same regardless of whether an electric
or manual typewriter is used*

) 20* A numerical grade of 10 cn a dictation test means that the

examinee takes dictation only as well as the lower 10 percent
of %forkers in this occupation*

) 21. An individual who does poorly on the USES typing or dictation
test because of lack of recent practice may be encouraged to
gain additional training or practice and be scheduled for a
retest at a later date*

) 22* Results of typing, dictation, and spelling tests msy be given
to employers if thqr specifically request this information*

) 23* There should ordinarily bs no need for retesting with the

spelling test, since spelling skill is not af footed by short
ten practice or experience*

2J

( ) 24« Following tasting, the testing unit forwards the Test Record
Card to the interviewer or counselor who aade the referral.

( ) 25« At the discretion of the State agency and upon approval of the
Regional Manpower Administrator, USES clerical skills tests
nay be released to an eaplojer*

II

Directions , Check the best answer for each nuabered item.

1. The way in which manor traits and skills are distributed in the general
working population is called the:

( ) a. Individual aptitude profile

( ) b. Standard error of measurement

( ) o» Curve of normal distribution

( ) d. Occupational aptitude patterns

2. The USES Pretesting Orientation Exercises are designed to:

( ) a. Determine whether an applicant's educational level is suffi-
cient for taking the GATB

( ) b. Be used in place of aptitude tests

( ) e. Determine applicrnt's vocational interests

( ) d. Alley fears of applicants >dio are unfamiliar with tests by
giving them similar practice material

3« An advantage of USES aptitude tests is that theyt

( ) a. Guarantee Job success for applicants who meet the test noxvs
( ) b. Conors an applicant 's performance on the test with that of

enployed writers in a given occupation
( ) c. Mechanise selection for work or training
( ) d. Substitute for the employment interview

k. Which of the following is tnie of the BOLT?

( ) a. Uses some individual parts of the OATB.
( ) b. Measures the came aptitudes as the GATB.
( ) c. Measures an applicant's potential ability to learn a
speelfle job.

( ) d. An achievement test for measuring reading and arithmetlo
skills

24

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5f If Aptitude tetto are being oonsidered for uae in aelecting appli-
cants to fill an employer *0 Job order ^ it is important to:

( ) a. Test only if employer requests it

( ) b. Make sure applicant first meets employer's other

specifications
( ) c. Test only experienced applicants
( ) d. Test only if employer ^ves his consent

6« Aptitude G (general learning ability) is a combination of the
folloning aptitudes:

( ) a. Verbal^ numerical^ and spatial

( ) b» Clerical! spatial » and fom perception

( ) c. Finger and manual dexterity

( ) d. Numerical, form perception, and motor coordination

7* The ability to perceive pertinent detail in objects or pictorial
material and to make visual comparisons is kncwn as;

( ) a. Spatial aptitude

( ) b. Form perception

( ) c. Motor coordination

( ) d. Clerical perception

8. The degree to which an applicant possesses the aptitudes measured

by the GATB is shown by his:

( ) a. Indliridual aptitude profile

( ) b. General intelligence score

( ) c. Verbal aptitude score

( ) d. Haw score on each part of the test

9. If an SATB number has been circled in red on the back of the Test ,^ )
Appointment Form, this means that the applicant's test scores:

( ) a. Are similar to or below those of workers found to be poor

or unsatisfactory in that occupation
( ) b. Lie within the standard error of measurement and, hence,

are close to those of workers Judged to be successful in

that occupation
( ) c. Are exceptionally hl^

( ) d. Equaled or exceeded the aptitude norms established for that

SATB

25

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10. The first step in a test development study is to:

( ) a. Make a Job analysis of the occupation to be studied
( ) Administer the GATB to a selected sample of vorkez^
( ) Select the criterion by >ihich to Judge the proficiency
of the workers

( ) c. Select the ^key aptitudes^ involved in the occupation

III

Directions . Give the infonoation called for in the blanks below:
1. USES tests are useful in the local office for three purposes:

2. The GATB has two major uses: in and as an

^ for use in •

3. The apparatus tests of the GATB measure

and ^.

4* There are several hundred SATB's, which are used primarily as aids
in selecting applicants for referral to or .

5. USES dictation tests are given at three speeds: » , and

words per minute.

6. In addltim to a general spelling test^ there are two special types
of USES tests for and spelling.

?• Clerical skills tests are connonly called tests.

8. When in doubt irtiether to administer the GATB or the NATB to a partic-
ular applicant^ the counselor resolves this questlcm by the use of the

An optional method of reporting SATB results to employers is by the
use of the .

26

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An exception to the general rule that enplcjed workers are not
tested for purposes of pronotlon or transfer is when

27