1. Current Tends in Psychometric Assessment
16th September 2014
Loughborough University

2. Overview A quick recap about psychometrics Why are tests used?
Who uses tests?
Trends in testing

3. Psychometric tests
“an objective and standardised measure of a sample of behaviour”
Anastasi and Urbina (1997)
‘psycho’ = mind
‘metric’ = measurement

4. Psychometric tests administered in a standardised way
scored and interpreted in a standardised way
reliable – meaning they are accurate
valid – meaning they are appropriate for purpose
rigorously developed according to best practice standards

5. Psychometric tests

6. Types of tests & assessment
Cognitive tests – learning, reasoning, capacity (what)
Personality – style, preferences (how)
Motivation – drive, energy, engagement (why)
SJTs / simulations – judgement, practical knowledge, ‘common sense’ (what & how)

7. Cognitive tests Focus of much of today as they are the most…
widely used
widely researched
open to preparation
feared!
They cover tests of ability, aptitude and attainment

8. Types of cognitive test
Ability tests
Assess what a person is capable of doing
May assess general or specific abilities
‘g’ or general ability
Verbal ability
Numerical ability
Abstract ability

9. Types of cognitive test
Attainment tests
Assess what a person has learnt
e.g. educational qualifications, accountancy
Influenced by ability, so association
Aptitude tests
Abilities related to acquiring specific skills
Future-oriented, i.e. used to predict
In practice, often similar to ability tests

10. Personality and motivation
Self-report measures
No(?) ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers
Assess typical behaviours
Personality - distinction between ‘trait’ and ‘type’
Motivation related to drives and values – increasing emphasis, especially on fit

11. SJTs Can assess behaviours, skills, competencies
Based on understanding and responding to scenarios
Provide ‘low fidelity simulations’
Relatively distinct from other assessments

12. SJTs

13. Why are tests used? Objectivity Accuracy Validity
‘Level playing field’
Structured interviews
Astrology
Unstructured interviews
Graphology
SJTs
Ability tests
Self-assessment
0 Effectiveness
References
Personality assessments
Assessment centres

14. Popularity CIPD Resourcing and Talent (2013)
Competency-based interviews – 82%
Interviews on contents of CV / app form 71%
General ability tests – 45%
Assessment centres – 43%
Personality / aptitude questionnaires – 42%
Online tests – 22%
Based on 462 organisations across the UK

15. Popularity c80% of FTSE100 companies c70% of SMEs
Tendency for greater use in private sector than public or voluntary sectors

16. Popularity – SHL 2010
Assessed more than 5 million people in over 160 countries in the last 12 months
Worked with 10,000 customers
More than 60% of the Fortune Global 500 used SHL:
80% of Technology companies
80% of Food and Beverage companies
70% of Financial Services companies
More than 80% of the FTSE 100 used SHL, including every Telecommunications company
2014 estimated 25 – 30 million tests

17. Trends in testing More tests at all stages of recruitment
Technology is everywhere, increasing accessibility
Testing earlier on in recruitment process
Ability tests
High use
Online, unsupervised
Validation?
Item banks and adaptive testing

18. Trends in testing Personality assessment SJTs
Increasingly used as a screening tool
Bespoke versions, focus on key attributes
Can be used to derive competencies
SJTs
Typically used as an early filter
Most likely to be bespoke to organisation
Vary in terms of ‘fidelity’
Most advanced ones are ‘game-like’

19. Any questions?