Employee Selection Tests

Human Resource Management

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Session- 9
Selection Process

Final Selection

Medical Examination

Conditional Job Offer

Evaluation of Selection Scores

Supervisor / Team Interview

Preliminary Selection

Initial Interview

Employee Testing

Screening of Application
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Basic Testing Concepts
A test is basically a sample of a person’s behavior. A test or
selection tool should be both reliable & valid.
RELIABILITY: Consistency of measurement across time and
across evaluators. Reliability refers to how stable or
repeatable a measurement is over a variety of testing
conditions. If a person takes the test again, will he or she get
a similar test score, or a much different score?
A test that yields similar scores for a person who repeats the
test is said to measure a characteristic reliably.

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MEASURING RELIABILITY
Test-Retest method: Consistency of a test taken by same set of
people at different times. The correlation is computed between time-1
& time- 2 scores. This method is suitable for traits which are fairly
stable over time.
Alternate form – Multiple forms of same instrument are used on
same individuals. If the alternative forms yield similar scores, reliability
is inferred.
Internal consistency – The average correlation of each item in the
test with each other item. A high internal consistency reliability
coefficient indicates that items in the test are very similar to each
other (homogeneous)
Inter-rater reliability – Consistency /agreement between two or
more raters.

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 VALIDITY
Validity is the evidence of ‘job-relatedness’ of a measure –
linkage between test performance and job performance.
Content Validity: The extent to which a test reflects actual
job content / desired knowledge. Whether the test is a
comprehensive sample of actual, observable, on-the-job
behaviors. Content validity is determined through job
analysis.
Construct Validity: The extent to which a test measures a
theoretical construct or trait. And that the construct is
important for successful job performance

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Criterion Validity (empirical): The extent to which a test
significantly correlates with important elements of work
behavior. It is the evidence of relevance. It involves
demonstrating statistically, a relationship between scores
on a selection procedure and job performance of a sample
of workers. It is establishing whether people with high test
scores do really perform well on the job.

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Methods of assessing criterion validity:
 Concurrent Validation: Validating selection techniques
with current employees. The test is given to current
employees and the scores are correlated with their
performance ratings on the same criterion.

 Predictive Validation: The test results of new hires

compared with their subsequent job performance scores
on the criterion. Correlations between time-1 (test) scores
and time-2 (performance) scores are computed.

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• Validity Generalization: It refers to the degree to which
evidence of a measure’s validity obtained in one situation
can be generalized to another situation without further
study. In other words it is valid in other contexts beyond the
context in which the selection method was developed.
• Expectancy Chart: A graph showing the relationship
between test scores and job performance for a group of
people
• Negligent Hiring: Hiring people with questionable
backgrounds without proper safeguards

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 EMPLOYMENT TESTS
A test is a means of obtaining a standardized sample of
behavior.

•Ability Tests: Tests that assess an individual’s ability to perform in a

specific manner. They measure a wide range of abilities from verbal
and quantitative skills to perceptual speed.
 Cognitive Ability Tests measure an individual’s thinking,
memory, reasoning, and verbal & mathematical abilities

 Physical Ability Tests measure individual’s abilities such as

strength, endurance and muscular movement, cardiovascular
fitness, psychomotor abilities etc.

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Work Sample Tests: Applicant performs simulated job tasks.
Candidates are evaluated on situations reflecting actual job
context. Such tests are used when the applicant is expected to
possess job skills that the organization does not intend to teach its
new hires.
Personality Tests: Personality tests measure traits or tendencies
to act, that are relatively stable. Personality can be measured by
self-reporting inventories and projective techniques

Self-reporting Inventories
●The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
● The California Psychological Inventory (CPI)
● Big Five ● MBTI ● 16PF

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 Projective Techniques
●The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
●The Rorschach Inkblot Test (requires trained professionals to interpret
the results)

Integrity tests: Attempt to assess moral character and honesty

In-basket Exercises: A type of work simulation consisting of a

collection of hypothetical –
 Memos
 Letters
 Faxes, emails and notes
That require responses

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 Situational Judgement Tests: Designed to assess an applicant’s
judgment regarding a situation encountered in the workplace.

Situational Testing: Tests that require examinees to respond to

situations representative of the job. Work sampling and some
assessment center tasks (such as in-baskets) fall in this category.

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Web sites offering information on Tests

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