Refreshing Your Testing Toolkit
What’s New? What’s Revised? What are You Missing?
Presented by:
Dr. Deirdre Pickerell, CHRP, GCDFi
Life Strategies Ltd.
Setting the
Scene
Getting
Started
Refreshing
My Testing
Toolkit
Agenda
SETTING
THE SCENE
A Pan-Canadian Perspective
Little overlap between what is taught vs. used
Evidence of a “one size fits all” approach
Most commonly used for career exploration and planning
Tool effectiveness impacted selection decisions
Rich mixture of informal and standardized assessments
Interest assessment widely used for career decision-making
FLMM-CDSWG, 2009
Influences on Testing Choices
Proposal requests (RFPs)
Mandates and contracts
Familiarity and habit
Budget
Qualifications
Marketing
Canadian Standards / Guidelines:
Area of Specialization—S1 Assessment
Knowledge
• Describe assessment instruments and methods
Skill
Competencies
• Identify appropriate standardized career
assessments and informal assessment methods
• Explore appropriate instruments and
procedures with clients
• Use standardized career assessments
• Review and evaluate results with clients
Assessment . . .
Processes
Models
Tools/Tests
Types of Assessment Tools/Tests
Informal
•
•
•
•
Checklists
Games
Fantasies
Forced-choice
activities
• Card sorts
• Structured interviews
Formal
•
•
•
•
•
•
Needs
Interests
Skills
Aptitude/Achievement
Work Values
Personal Style
Emerging Approaches to Assessment Tools
Assessment tools are not “magic bullets”
They are useful for …
• Gathering data
• Providing some (not all) pieces of the puzzle
• Exploration vs. prediction
Best practices include engaging the test-taker in
• Choosing what to assess
• Interpreting the results
• Converting test results into goals and action
GETTING STARTED
Before You Start
Test?
No Test?
Testing Considerations
Location
Distraction
Level
Security /
Supervision
Client
Accommodation
Computers
Requirements
Budget and
Mandate
Timeline
• Onsite / Offsite/ Online
• Public vs. private space
• Group vs. individual
• Proctoring
• Physical / Language
• Online / Computer scored
• Consumable vs. Non-consumable
• Funder/employer preferred / program goal
• Administration and scoring
• Interpretation
Qualification Levels
C Level
B Level
A Level
• Unrestricted
• Anyone can
purchase / use
• University training
in tests and
measurements
• Specific training
• Advanced training
/ supervision
• PhD / Registered
Psychologist
Assessment Framework
Reproduced with permission from Career Pathways 2nd Ed.
(Amundson & Poehnell, 2008)
Do You Know What’s Available?
Ask others
• What are your colleagues using? Why?
Look online
• What is available through test publishers?
Bookmark helpful resources
• Publisher websites
• Buros’ Mental Measurements Yearbook
• http://buros.org/mental-measurements-yearbook
Test Publishers
Example:
Research Psychologist Press (Sigma)
 Ashland Interest Assessment
 Career Directions Inventory
 Employee Screening Questionnaire2
 Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire
 Jackson Career Explorer
 Jackson Vocational Interest Survey
 Leadership Skills Profile - Development Report
 Multidimensional Emotional Intelligence Assessment
 Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised
 Personnel Assessment Form
 SIGMA Survey for Police Officers
 Six Factor Personality Questionnaire
REFRESHING MY TESTING TOOLKIT
Considerations…
There are countless assessment tools available
This presentation introduces just a few
• To illustrate a range of test formats and content
• To whet your appetite for further exploration
These are not recommendations or “best picks”
• Many good assessments are not included here
• Some of these assessments may not fit your clients
• A “one size fits all” approach is not recommended
Assessing Skills
Card Sorts
• Motivated Skills (Dick Knowdell)
• SkillScan
Aptitude / General • Multi-Aptitude Battery (MAB)
Intelligence
Achievement /
Grade Level
Emotional
Intelligence
• Wide Range Achievement Test
(WRAT4)
• BarOn Eqi
• MEIA
Motivated Skills Cards
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• Motivated Skills
• Richard L. Knowdell
• n.d.
• Level A
• Card Sort
• Online
• 54
• Workbook / Worksheet also available
Source:
http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/knowdell-card-sorts-153/
SkillScan
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• SkillScan
• Lesah Beckhusen
• 2009
• Level A
• Card Sort
• Online
• Professional: 64
• Advanced: 60
Source:
http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/skillscan-card-sorts-151/
Transferable Skills Scale
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• TSS
• John Liptak & Laurence Shatkin
• 2011
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• 96
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/jist-assessments150/transferable-skills-scale-tss-10-2425.html
Others
Aptitude
Achievement
Emotional
Intelligence
Multi-Aptitude
Battery-II
Wide Range
Achievement Test
Emotional
Quotient
Inventory 2.0
Kaufman Brief
Intelligence Test
Kaufman Test of
Educational
Achievement
Multi-Dimensional
Emotional
Intelligence
Assessment
Assessing Interests
Holland Self-Directed Search (SDS)
Career Decision-Making System (CDMS)
Career Exploration Inventory (CEI)
Career Directions Inventory (CDI)
Ashland Interest Inventory (AII)
Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS)
Holland Self-Directed Search
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• SDS
• John Holland
• 1994 (4th ed., Canadian)
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 217
Source: http://www.self-directed-search.com/
Career Decision-Making System
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• CDMS
• Arthur J. O'Shea & Rich Feller
• 2008 (Canadian ed.)
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• 120
Source:
http://www.pearsonassess.ca/en/programs/00/63/36/p006336.html?prodCategor
y=psychological-vocational
Career Exploration Inventory (5th ed)
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• CEI
• John J. Liptak
• 2015
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• 128
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/jist-assessments150/career-exploration-inventory-cei-the-5th-edition-11-824.html
Career Directions Inventory
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• CDI
• Douglas N. Jackson
• 2000
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 100
Source: http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/assessments/cdi.asp
Ashland Interest Assessment
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• AIA
• Douglas N. Jackson & Connie W. Marshall
• 1997
• A Level
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 144
Source:
http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/assessments/aia.asp
Jackson Vocational Interest Survey
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• JVIS
• Douglas N. Jackson
• 1999
• A Level
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 289
Source:
http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/assessments/jvis.asp
Strong Interest Inventory
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• SII
• E. K. Strong Jr.
• 2012
• B Level
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 291
Source: http://www.psychometrics.com/en-us/assessments/stronginterest-inventory.htm
Assessing Values
Card Sorts
• Planning on Purpose Cards
• Career Values Cards
Surveys
• Work Motivation Scale
• Career Values Scale
Informal
• Informal Work Values Checklist
• Corporate Culture Audit
Planning on Purpose Cards
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• Planning on Purpose
• Hudson Institute
• n.d.
• Level A
• Card Sort
• 66
Source: http://hudsoninstitute.com/product/planning-on-purpose-card-deck/
Career Values Cards
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• Career Values
• Richard L. Knowdell
• n.d.
• Level A
• Card Sort
• Online
• 54
• Workbook / Worksheet also available
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/knowdell-card-sorts153/?zenid=9daa536042de03fe5d703dc1e050898e
Work Motivation Scale
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• WMS
• Robert P. Brady
• 2008
• Level A
• Paper-and-Pencil
• 32
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/jist-assessments150/work-motivation-scale-wms-10-2689.html
Career Values Scale
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• CVS
• Donald MacNab, Shawn Bakker,
and George Fitzsimmons
• 2002
• Level A
• Online
• 88
Source:
https://www.psychometrics.com/en-us/assessments/career-survey.htm
Informal Work Values Checklist
Aesthetics
Belonging
Challenge
Competition
Creativity
Independence
Knowledge
Leadership
Money
People
Publicity
Quality
Stability
Source: Career Strategies for a Lifetime of Success (p. 192)
Informal Corporate Culture Audit
Artefacts
Insider
“Language”
Common
Employee
Traits
Source: Career Strategies for a Lifetime of Success (p. 154)
Assessing Personal Style
Temperament
• Personality
Dimensions
• True Colours
Personality
Type
Five Factor
Models
• Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator
(MBTI)
• Majors
Personality Type
Indicator (PTI)
• Type Focus
• NEO-FFI
• NEO PI-3
• Six Factor
Personality
Questionnaire
(SFPQ)
Other
• Work
Personality
Index
Work Personality Index
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• WPI
• Psychometrics
• 2014
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 198
Source:
http://www.psychometrics.com/en-us/assessments/work-personality.htm
Type Focus
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• Type Focus
• David J. Wood
• 1997
• Level A
• Online
• 62
Source: https://www.typefocus.com/beforelogin/why_typefocus
Career Personality Inventory
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• Career Personality Inventory
• John J. Liptak
• 2010
• Level A
• Paper-and-pencil
• 80
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/career-assessments-79/jistassessments-150/career-personality-inventory-cpi-10-3249.html
True Colours
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
• True Colours
• Don Lowry
• 1978
• Level B
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
Items
Source: https://truecolorsintl.com/
Personality Dimensions
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• PD
• Lynda McKim
• 2003
• Level B
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• Card Sort
• Traits & Characteristics Checklist
• Introversion/Extraversion Quiz
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• MBTI
• Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine C. Briggs
• 2010
• Level B
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• Step I – 93
• Step II - 144
Sources: http://www.psychometrics.com/en-us/assessments/mbti_stepi.htm and
http://www.psychometrics.com/en-us/assessments/mbti_stepii.htm
Majors Personality Type Indicator
Majors Personality Type Elements
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• MajorsPTI & MajorsPTE
• Mark S. Majors
• 2011
• Level B
• Paper-and-pencil (PTI only)
• Online
• MajorsPTI – 52
• MajorsPTE - 127
Source: http://career-lifeskills.com/majors-assessments-145/
Six Factor Personality Questionnaire
Acronym
Authors
Date of
Publication
Qualifications
Format
Items
• SFPQ
• Douglas N. Jackson, Sampo V. Paunonen,
& Paul F. Tremblay
• 2000
• Level B
• Paper-and-pencil
• Online
• 108
Source: http://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/assessments/sfpq.asp
Other Tests and Tools (JIST)
Ability Explorer
Interview Style Inventory
Assessing Barriers to Education
Job Search Attitude Inventory
Barriers to Employment Success
Job Search Knowledge Scale
Career and Life Explorer
Job Survival and Success Scale
Career Planning Scale
Military-to-Career Transition Inventory
Career Priorities Profile
Re-Employment Success Inventory
College Survival and Success Scale
Transition-to-Work Inventory
College-to-Career Transition Inventory
Work Activities Matcher
Employability Skills Inventory
Work Readiness Inventory
Other Tests and Tools
ACER Mechanical Reasoning Test
ACER Select Series
Career Beliefs Inventory
Career Factors Inventory
Exam Preparation Inventory
Five Factor Wellness Inventory
Salient Beliefs Review
Style Matters: Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Inventory
Final Thoughts
Define Your “Client”
Individual
3rd
Party
Referrer
Funder
Get Informed Consent
What is being
done?
How will it
help?
Why?
By whom?
What are the
risks?
What happens
with the
results?
What are my
options?
What happens
if I choose not
to continue?
Know What You Need
Online
•
•
•
•
Manual
Test Codes
Computer
Internet Access
Paper-and-Pencil
•
•
•
•
•
Manual
Assessment Booklets
Record Forms
Templates for Scoring
Worksheets/Workbooks
Think Before You Buy
Is the tool appropriate for my purpose?
Is it a reliable/valid measure?
Am I qualified to administer the tool?
What is the age / reading level?
How long does it take to administer?
How long does it take to score?
Make Sure You . . .
Have a goal
Consider all options
Monitor appropriateness
Consider culture, competency, comfort
Allow sufficient time
Remember
Don’t be wooed by marketing campaigns
• Do your research
• Read the manual
Don’t just rely on the status quo
• Find alternatives
• Go beyond your favourites
Take the tools yourself
Use the most recent version
• Understand the changes that occurred and why