MAJOR CONTEXT OF Educational Testing

Occupational Testing

CURRENT TEST USAGE Clinical and Counselling

Psychology
APPLICATION OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST
Continually expanding areas which need assessment
Wide variety of psychological test available
Major emphasis of testing procedures is in :
1.Educational setup
2.Occupational setup
3.Clinical & Counselling setup
 1. Educational setting
Binet tests (IQ and intelligence test)
 School instructions
 Outstandingly slow or fast learners
 Educational and occupational counseling of college students
 Development of psychological tests in response to need to identify mentally retarded/
mentally challenge or disable individuals
 Applicants for professional schools
 Intelligence test, special aptitude, multiple aptitude and all personality test found in
repertoire of educational counselor.
 They include instruments designed for prediction and classification within specific
educational setting.
 USAGE
APTITUDE TEST
APTITUDE TEST: these tests reflect the overall
performance of multiple experiences in daily living. They
measure the affect of learning under uncontrolled and
unknown conditions.
Aptitude test serve to predict performance of an
individual, as to how he/she will perform for your
organization
Aptitude test forecast the quality of person’s achievement
in new situation or organization.
It gives you a complete picture of what that individual
can do at present time.
They are designed to evaluate a person's ability to learn a
skill or subject. That's what aptitude is - natural skill,
talent, or capacity to learn.
An aptitude test, therefore, is not testing what you have
learned or how well you have responded to education or
training. It's not even an evaluation of intelligence or
intellectual capacity. It is a measurement of a person's
ability to learn a specific subject.
ACHIEVEMENT TEST
ACHIEVEMENT TEST: Designed to measure affect
of a specific program/training. They measure the affect
of standardized set of experiences such as course of
computer programming, learning Arabic etc. they
measure learning under partially known and
controlled conditions.
Achievement tests are employed as tool in evaluation
and improvement of teaching
Achievement test provide terminal evaluation of
persons performance on completion of training.
While aptitude is the potential to learn,
achievement is learning itself.
Example :
Standardized tests like the SAT II (Subject Tests) are
achievement tests, meant to determine whether
students achieved a certain level of education and
mastery of subjects before moving on to college.
 EDUCATIONAL SETTING
CONSTRUCTION VS CHOICE

School examination usually include either oral testing or written

testing.
In both these conditions two specific format of questioning are
employed

Essay Questions
construction
ESSAY QUESTIONS: It covers all free
response questions; including lengthy as
well as short answers. Questions
requiring solution for a mathematical
problem also come in this category
Objective Questions
Choice
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS: these
questions allow choice of a correct
answer out of alternative provided for
each question. Examples include
true/false, matching and MCQ’S
 2:CLINICAL & COUNSELING
PSYCHOLOGY
Psychological Assessment
Neuropsychological Assessment
Identifying Specific Learning
Disabilities
Behavioral assessment
Use in individual Counseling
Emotional well-being
Effective interpersonal relations
Self-understanding and personal
development
Research work aided by psychological
assessment
Studies on individual differences
Organization of personality traits
Measurement of group differences
Identification of biological and cultural
factors associated with behavioral
differences
Life-span changes within the individual
Outcomes of psychotherapy
3: OCCUPATIONAL TESTING
Commonly employed to help in making
occupational decisions, such as selection and
Selection and classification of classification of personnel.
industrial personnel
Occupational testing if done through non
Hiring standardized instruments lead to ineffective
placement of employees.
Job assignment
Validation of employment tests is very significant.
Transfer
Some tests employ simulation to produce
Promotion functions performed on the job.
Termination Assessment center technique is used largely to
Interviewing evaluate managerial or administrative
personnel.This technique uses situational tests.
Induction of military personnel
REFERAL
QUESTION
 ACADEMIC/ EDUCATIONAL
CONTEXT
Learning difficulties
Measuring intellectual strengths and weaknesses
Assessing behavioral problems
Creating an educational plan (IEPs-individualized educational plans)
Observe or gather information regarding teacher-child relationship
Two phase assessment;
1. Assessing the nature and quality of child’s learning environment
2. Comprehensive battery;

 Biomedical history, psycho neurological test, intellectual abilities, adaptive

skills, academic skills
 Adaptive abilities;
 Social skills, adequate motivation, & ability to control impulses
 I/O SETTING
Cognitive abilities
Personality characteristics
Interests
Values/attitudes
Psychological assessment is used to match a person's
capacities and qualifying characteristics to a job within an
organization
Personality Tests:
Assess innate predispositions and tendencies to behave in similar ways in
different situations
Some personality types can predict certain behaviors that may be important
in certain jobs and organizations
Personality tests can assess the Big Five personality dimensions of
 extroversion
 Neuroticism- emotional stability
 Agreeableness
 openness to experience
 conscientiousness

Understanding personality types can be valuable in determining appropriate

candidates for specific jobs
For example, in a position that requires sales and constant communication
with people, finding someone who leaned toward extroversion might be more
accommodating for the organization's goals
Emotional intelligence Tests:
Measures the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions appropriately
Theoretically, a well-developed emotional intelligence enables specific social skills
and may influence how people affect others
In an organizational setting, this type of person would be beneficial in a
supervisory or managerial position
Furthermore, people who receive high scores on these tests are likely to be skilled
at interpreting, understanding, and using emotions appropriately
They are competent in social or emotional conflicts, they express their feelings
well, and do not hesitate to deal with emotional situations
Evidence on various emotional intelligence tests suggests this test can predict job
performance, especially when trying to determine leadership characteristics
Integrity Test
Designed to identify levels of integrity
In an organizational setting, it may predict which
employees will be dishonest or engage in behavior
deviant to the notion of a positive workforce
Theoretically, the test can predict cheating, sabotage,
theft, and unethical behavior
One integrity test called the personality integrity test
measures personality traits that have been associated with
undermining behavior
Research suggests integrity tests can predict such
behavior and job performance and may do a better job of
predicting absence, general counterproductive behavior,
and job performance