CRI
Frequently Asked Questions
Testing and Assessments
Is the Achiever a test?
No. Tests have a singular scoring system or a pass/fail rating. However, the Achiever is an
assessment and assesses people in a variety of areas, not concluding a single score, but rather
various scores from each area assessed.
Is the Achiever Assessment legal?
Yes. The EEOC has reviewed the assessment and the validation thereto and made the
statement, in writing, concluding that there is nothing discriminatory about an employer’s use
of the instrument.
What about the OFCCP?
Investigators from the OFCCP have reviewed the instrument and its validation, in the course
of their investigation of prime contractors and stated that the validation meets or exceeds
OFCCP requirements.
Has there ever been a finding or settlement out of court against any employer for using the
Achiever assessment?
On numerous occasions, the FDIC has audited banks using the Achiever assessment system.
In each case, the system has always passed with flying colors. The same is true with the
OFCC audits of federal contractor clients. The Dallas district office of the EEOC and other
EEOC offices across the country are acquainted with Candidate Resources' assessment
systems. To date, there has never been an adverse finding against any employer for using the
Achiever system, nor any out-of-court settlement.
How many years has the Achiever been used in America?
Although it has been updated and revalidated numerous times, it has been in use in America
and around the world for 54 years.
How is the Achiever different from other tests or assessments?
When Dr. John L. Shirley, Dr. James Moore of Purdue, and Dr. Raymond Cattell (father of
the 16 personality factors) validated the Achiever. It was the first job related assessment in
America that assessed not only Mental Aptitudes, but Behavioral Traits as well. The
validation process used at that time was Construct Validation. Dr. Shirley also copyrighted
the instrument and since then the copyright has been updated and refiled. Thus, CRI controls
the copyright to assessments in America and in that one assessment that contains both Mental
Aptitudes and Behaviors. When an assessment contains both in America, there is a financial
trail back to CRI.
What does the Achiever measure?
The Achiever measures six Mental Aptitudes and ten Personality Dimensions
Are any aptitudes or dimensions considered more important that others?
Yes. Some come together to raise a red flag about considering hiring the person at all,
whether they fit the job or not. It raises concern when scores are in the lower range of the
following dimensions:
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A score of a 1-2 in Energy would reflect an individual who is highly stressed and tense
as a result of physical, work, financial, or personal, etc. stressors and may not be able to
stay focused on job performance.
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A score of a 1-2 in Flexibility would demonstrate an individual whose mental makeup
basically says “anything goes”. Thus this individual can typically rationalize any kind
of behavior and may also lack the discipline to follow rules, guidelines, and morals.
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A score of a 1-2 in Emotional Development is a major concern, especially if the
individual is over the age of 18, since this score represents ego development. In the case
of a low score in this dimension from an individual older than 18, the concern would be
directed toward whether the individual has sufficiently developed the ego to personally
believe they can do the job and do it well.
A score of a 1-2 in Mental Toughness exhibits that the individual lacks mental stamina. We all
survive in a world of problems and issues, financial, personal, family related. Just driving to
work is oftentimes highly stressful. This measurement indicates the mental toughness of the
person to go through their job and life and ability to deal with the issues they are confronted
with.
What scoring system is used on the Achiever?
The Stanine system is depicted by a line broken into 9 parts with equal distribution as
compared to the Bell Curve.
What is the distribution of the Achiever vs. the Bell Curve?
23% of the population score in the 1-3 range, 54% score in the 4-6 range, and 23% score in
the 7-9 range.
What is a benchmark?
A benchmark pattern represents the range of scores on The Achiever of the requirements for
successful performance in a particular job category. By utilizing a benchmark, an employer
can “see” how an individual who has been tested with The Achiever compares to the
requirements for success in the job category under consideration. Comparison of an
individual’s scores on The Achiever to a benchmark provides concrete data as to a person’s
likelihood for success on the job based on The Achiever results, and ensures that use of The
Achiever is job related.
How is a benchmark derived?
A benchmark can be derived in three ways:
1. By assessing people meeting and exceeding their objectives in the job for one
employer
2. By assessing people in the same job category in similar company who are meeting and
exceeding their job objectives.
3. By utilizing CRI’s online system to derive a benchmark based on a job description.
Are there specific measurements, aptitudes, or behaviors that are most important for a
job?
Yes, they are as follows:
 Mental Acuity
 Drive, i.e. Energy
 Flexibility, i.e. Integrity
 Ego, i.e. Emotional Development
 Dominance, i.e. Assertiveness
 Stamina, i.e. Mental Toughness
 Motivation
Are there certain Mental Aptitudes and/or Behavioral Traits that are more applicable to
sales?
Yes. The critical sales traits are:
 Mental Acuity- to understand the product line, aligns the product with the
prospect/customer needs, and understand/recommend solutions for their needs
 Flexibility- integrity, ability to adhere to a set of morals, guidelines, or rules
 Communications- the ability to meet and deal with people
 Assertiveness- the ability for the salesperson to ask for the order and/or close the sale
 Mental Toughness- the psychological toughness to deal with issues, obstacles, and
people
Secondary Importance:
 Drive/Energy- to proactively make things happen
 Ego/Emotional Development- the confidence to believe in oneself
 Motivation- most salespeople are motivated by commission or incentives
What is a brief description of each Aptitude and Behavior measured by the Achiever or, its
sister version, the Sales Achiever?
Six Mental Aptitudes:
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Mental Acuity - learning comprehension, judgment, reasoning and problem-solving
ability
Business Terms - knowledge of basic business terms
Memory Recall - knowledge of current events as they relate to the job
Vocabulary - general English vocabulary skills
Numerical Perception - ability to handle numerically related tasks quickly and
accurately
Mechanical Interest - measures interest in the mechanical area
Ten Personality Traits:
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Energy - energy, drive, tension and stress levels
Flexibility - integrity, reliability, dependability and work ethics
Organization - personal orientation to plan and utilize time wisely
Communication - innate ability to meet and interact with people
Emotional Development - ego, self-esteem, self-confidence and ability to handle
pressure
Assertiveness - strength and determination to get one's way
Competitiveness - team orientation versus individualistic competitiveness
Mental Toughness - psychological stamina to deal with life and job problems
Questioning/Probing - instinct to question and probe rather than accepting things at
face value
Motivation - security-motivated or recognition, incentive and commission oriented
The Achiever also contains two validity scales to assess the accuracy of The Achiever report:
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Distortion - frankness of the respondent as related to the statistical validity of the
personality dimensions
 Equivocation - consistent decision-making of the respondent as it relates to the
accuracy of the personality dimensions measured
Why should an employer use the Achiever?
Basically there are two reasons: (1) The Achiever, or Sales Achiever, will often point out
critical areas that you missed during an interview and when they are further explored and
validated indicate that the employer really doesn’t want to hire the candidate in question, and
bring in a new set of problems from this individual into the workplace. (2) Scientifically and
objectively the Achiever compares the person to the requirements of the job and gives the
employer information that may have not been apparent in an interview situation, which are at
best false much of the time.