Psychometric Training Singapore BPS Level A and B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing
PsyAsia International has announced new dates for our Psychometric Assessment at Work Course in Singapore.
PsyAsia has been running this course in Singapore and Hong Kong since 2002 and has collected many impressive delegate reviews. We were the first company to bring regular public BPS Level A and B training to Singapore and today we retain the only resident facilitators for this training!
The course is run by a British Psychological Society award-winning resident and registered business psychologist with a PhD earned through work with validation of Psychometric Tests in Asia. For more details of the course and facilitator and to register online, please click here.
The Singapore Psychometric Assessment at Work course will run over the following dates:
BPS Level A:
12-14 May 2010 or 9-11 June 2010
BPS Level B:
14-16 June 2010
Psychometric Test Administration only:
12 May or 9 June / or Live Online Training 30 March-01 April 5pm-6.20pm each day.
The dates are arranged as above to enable our delegates to choose whether to complete the whole course at once (9-11 June and 14-16 June) or to complete Level A first, then have a break before moving on to Level B (12-14 May and then 14-16 June). In addition, delegates may choose to only attend 5 days of the course and instead to attend our online Test Administration Training (see above), removing the need for attendance on 12 May or 9 June. Delegates will still need to be prepared to be assessed on Test Admin and Test Scoring once they attend! Please contact us before registering if you wish to choose this option.
Note: our March 2010 course in Singapore was fully booked (and in fact oversubscribed with a waiting list) 3 weeks before the course. Please ensure therefore that you register early. Early registration has additional benefits which include full access to this course’s area of our innovative online learning center where you can download training videos/courses, interact with other delegates, join in the forum and online chat and benefit from optional online live training with your facilitator even before the face-to-face training commences!
The day immediately following Level B is conversion training for the Saville Consulting Wave®. Level B delegates may register for this training at 50% off the regular fee by selecting that option during the booking process. In addition, anybody who registers for our BPS Level A/B Training before March 18 can join any other PsyAsia course at a 30% discount off the regular fee – please contact us for a special discount code if you wish to use this offer!
Interested in taking this course in HONG KONG?
For the next intake of students for our Psychometric Assessment at Work / BPS Level A and B course in Hong Kong, PsyAsia International is surveying interested individuals to provide us feedback on your preferred dates. Our survey is really simple with just 4 questions and will take you 30 seconds to complete. We’ll be sure to get back to you with the final confirmed dates if you leave your email address at the end of the survey. Click here to take survey
Buying Online and Paper-Based Psychometric Tests from Registered Psychologists rather than non-psychologist distributors
One of the first things clients will want to know when choosing who to work with when ordering psychometric tests is “why should I choose xyz company”?
As the field of psychometrics continues to grow, overseas publishers are working hard to make inroads into local markets. Clients should therefore be wary of the expertise (or lack of it) in organisations that are distributing tests.
We firmly believe that those in the best place to distribute psychometric tests are those who have a background in personality psychology and/or organisational psychology. In fact this premise was shared by many reputable test publishers until relatively recently.
Greed and motivation to expand market share have taken over in many cases and some test publishers have delegated test distribution to non-psychologists or those with short-course qualifications in this area.
The downsides of this are tremendous. Not only does it threaten the very integrity of the test and the industry, but it brings into the fore concerns regarding malpractice and the like.
Registered Organisational Psychologists are registered with government bodies. They therefore report to these bodies on issues involving competence. In addition to their 6-10 years of training in psychology (i.e. as much as a medical doctor!), they are bound to undergo continuous professional development and must submit proof of this on an annual basis. This means they need to attend high-level conferences, read peer-reviewed professional and academic journals and more.
Non-psychologists of course are not subject to any of the aforementioned. In fact, many clients who have come over to us from such distributors have entertained us with stories of gross negligence and incompetence of these “salespeople” who lack expertise and passion for the subject matter. A couple of examples follow:
1. A client told us how when they contacted “******** Assessments” in Hong Kong and asked for more information on how the test has 95% predictive accuracy (as published on their website). They were told that this related to 2 things.
Firstly that the test has a sophisticated lie detection system and so is very accurate. A psychologist will tell you this has nothing to do with predictive accuracy! Predictive accuracy (or validity) is about using the test scores to predict work performance or something similar.
This same client was then told:
“The second form of predictive accuracy is construct validation which relates to the job prediction score”.
Again, a psychologist would point out that this salesperson is getting confused. Construct validity and predictive validity are two different forms of validity. Most importantly though, no psychometric test is 95% predictive! Psychologists know that and if they claim any different they would be reported to their board and struck off!
Unfortunately, at no time was this client provided with hard-data or evidence that this test (which is based on a theory that has not been peer-reviewed and has not been independently tested in Asia or Australia) actually predicts meaningful workplace behaviours and performance.
2. Another client told us how they contacted a non-psychologist distributor of another test brand in Singapore. They asked for information about impact of dyslexia on aptitude test scores and also wanted to know about the comparison between certain tests within that brand and those of the competition.
This distributor had no idea there and then, and said he would need to go away and find out. A psychologist would not need to do this. Unless the client is asking about an obscure test, Psychologists are trained to have the answers.
As we know, there are many things to consider when choosing the right psychometric test. Issues such as reliability, validity, norm groups, standard error of measurement, cost versus validity (ROI), report options, online assessment options and so on. This short article has added to that list and suggested that the background and currency of the people in the distributorship are also important.
To cast doubt aside, it is best to work with distributors who have demonstrated their passion in psychology and psychometrics through years of training in the subject along with years of experience. Choose those holding full registration as psychologists with government/professional bodies who must undergo professional development on a continual basis.
Purchasing psychometric tests from non-psychologists may not achieve your desired goals. It may well equate to the partially-sighted leading the blind!
Psychometric Tests – Translation Bias
Types of Bias in Psychometric Test Translation
With the demand and need for psychological tests increasing in various different cultures and countries, there has been much greater awareness regarding some of the issues that are associated with the development or adaptation of tests to be used in contexts and situations that may be different from which the test was developed for. This article focuses on one of the key aspects of translating tests, the types of bias that can occur.
When utilizing the test in a new cultural group, it is not quite as simple as directly translating the test, administering it and then comparing the results for its validity. There are a number of issues that need to be considered such as whether the area assessed with the test applies to the new culture or whether is may be biased towards that group and whether what is assessed by the test also has similar behavioral indicators? These are just some of the potential areas where bias can be found in the translation of tests and affect the validity of the test being utilized in the new context.
Van der Vijer & Hambleton (1996) differentiates between three distinct types of bias that may affect the validity of tests that have been adapted for different cultural contexts and these are construct bias, method bias and item bias.
Construct bias occurs when the construct (e.g. personality) that is measured by the test displays significant differences between the original culture for which it was developed and the new culture where it is going to be utilized. These differences can occur in the way that the construct was formulated and developed as well as in the relevant behaviors that are associated with the construct. It is critical to examine whether the underlying theory of the test is subject to construct bias and this can be examined through the studies examining the construct and its associated behaviors in the context that it will be utilized in. If there are significant differences found in these studies, it may indicative that there is construct bias. Major revisions may be required to overcome this bias. If not, the validity of the test will be affected.
Method bias refers to factors or issues related to the administration of the test that may affect the validity of the test. Examples of areas that method bias can occur include social desirability, acquiescence response styles, the conditions in which the test was conducted and the motivation of the respondents. Across cultures, there potentially can be differences that can occur in these areas and these can affect the way that the respondents answer the items in the test. This potentially may lead to differences between found that can be erroneously attributed to cultural differences when in fact, these differences are the result of differences in the administration procedures. As a result, it is threat to the validity of tests that have been adapted for use in new cultures. Test developers also not only need to focus on the adaptation of the test itself but also need to be aware of issues regarding the implementation of the test in a new context.
Item bias is another source of bias that can occur in the translation of tests and these refer to biases that occur with the items in the test. This is usually the result of either poor translation choices for items or due to culturally inappropriate translations. For example, the phrase “kick the bucket” is essentially a phrase that referring to passing away in the Western context and is commonly known by most people in that culture; unfortunately, this phrase would have no meaning for people from cultures without any prior experience with that phrase. In this manner, a literal translation of that phrase would be a poor translation as it does not convey the correct meaning of the item. The items in the test need to be culturally equivalent, where the meaning of the items needs to be correctly translated so as to maintain the validity of the test in the new cultural context.
These are some of the biases that may occur during the translation of tests. Test developers will need to be aware of the sources of bias and take the appropriate measures to avoid these biases.
References:
Van der Vijer, F. and Hambleton, R. K. (1996). Translating tests: some practical guidelines. European Psychologist, 1, 89-99.
Psychometric Training in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China
If you are serious about using psychometric tests properly then we recommend joining PsyAsia International’s Psychometric Assessment at Work Course which leads to a certificate of competence in Occupational Testing Level A and Level B from the British Psychological Society. The Course is run publically in Singapore and Hong Kong or in-house anywhere.
More details about BPS Level A and B in Singapore and Hong Kong
Online Psychometric Training – Worldwide
Alternatively, you might be interested in introductory Online Psychometric Test Training presented live by a registered psychologist. PsyAsia is offering a special fee of just US$12 for anybody who registers for the February online psychometric training course!
More details about online psychometric test training
Training in Psychometric Test Administration – Online for just US$12
Introduction
PsyAsia International is pleased to announce an exceptional offer for those interested in learning psychometric test administration from the comfort of their office or home.
Why only US$12?
Some months ago PsyAsia International was chosen to become part of the panel of beta-testers for a new online training software. The beta program will end next month as the software is almost ready to go live. In view of this PsyAsia is now ready to use the software as our final stage in the beta program with our valued clients. For this reason, rather than charging the regular fee for our online psychometric test administration training course, we are offering similar training for just a US$12 registration fee.
Your facilitator
PsyAsia International is well known for professional and competent training in Psychometrics. This course will be no different. It will be facilitated live by award-winning psychologist Dr. Graham Tyler.
Course Outline
This is a first-level introductory course in psychometric test administration. The course will prepare attendees to become more competent in administering psychometric tests.
-What is a psychometric test
-Types of psychometric tests
-Requirements of good tests
-Psychometric Principles
-Reliability
-Validity
-Running a psychometric test session
-Candidate questions and deviance
-Scoring and norming of tests
-Ethical test use
More offers
Those who register for this online course, pay the US$12fee and attend all 3 one hour sessions may also register for our 1-day BPS Test Administration Certificate Course in February in Singapore or March in Hong Kong at a 15% discount. Alternatively, you may choose to attend only the afternoon of the above training (which is mainly practical assessments) and pay only 50% of the published course fee. You will need to pay the BPS Assessment fee at the current rate if you wish to be assessed for the BPS certificate. A PsyAsia certificate will be presented to all attendees at the real-life course. Discount codes will be sent to eligible persons after the final training session.
Registration Process
Registration is simple! Click on the link below. Complete the short registration form and ensure that you provide your work email address (free accounts such as yahoo/gmail/hotmail etc will be rejected). Within one working day of completing the form you will receive an email from Paypal with a request for your US$12 payment. Click on the link in the email and pay using your credit card at the paypal site. Within one working day of your payment we will approve your registration and send you a link to download some files that we will use during the training and complete a pre-course quiz. The email will also contain a link for you to log-into each training session. Please pay the registration fee as soon as you can to avoid losing your place. Places are available on a first-paid/first-confirmed basis!!
How the training works
You will need a computer with a reasonable internet connection along with a microphone/headphone set. The training will be transmitted to your computer in slide form and live demo of various systems and websites related to psychometrics. The facilitator will use a mic to teach you. You will also have the opportunity to share with other attendees and ask questions either by way of your microphone or text chat.
Terms and Conditions
The training is open to anybody worldwide who is able to attend on all 3 days between 5pm and 6pm Singapore/Hong Kong time and who can satisfy ALL of the following:
1. Register with accurate data and a work email account
2. Pay the US$12 registration fee
3. Have a computer with an internet connection/headset and mic. However, you may choose to telephone in rather than use a mic/headphone. In this case you must be happy calling a number in USA, New Zealand or Australia. The number will be provided with your registration.
4. Must not be already trained in test administration or BPS Level A – this is because we want to give this opportunity to those who want to learn something new rather than those who may be more interested in finding out how our system works!
5. Must not be a competitor
BPS Level A & B Training in Hong Kong: New Dates
To complement our BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing Training in Singapore, PsyAsia International has announced new dates for the same psychometric training course in Hong Kong. PsyAsia has been running this course in Singapore and Hong Kong since 2002 and has collected many impressive delegate reviews. The course is run by a British Psychological Society award-winning resident and registered business psychologist with a PhD earned through work with validation of Psychometric Tests in Asia. For more details of the course and facilitator and to register online, please click here.
The Hong Kong Psychometric Assessment at Work course will run over the following dates:
Level A: 9-11 March 2010
Level B: 16-18 March 2010
Psychometric Test Administration only: 9 March 2010
The Singapore Psychometric Assessment at Work course will run over the following dates:
Level A: 27-29 January 2010 or 24-26 February 2010
Level B: 1-3 March 2010
Psychometric Test Administration only: 27 January 2010 or 24 February 2010
Delegates may opt to join Level A in Singapore and Level B in Hong Kong if they wish at no additional cost but should contact us before booking in order to ensure availability.
The day immediately following Level B is conversion training for the Saville Consulting Wave®. Level B delegates may register for this training at 50% off the regular fee by selecting that option during the booking process.
BPS Level A & B Singapore
British Psychological Society Level A & B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing in Singapore
This intensive professional course provides training in psychometric assessment in the Singapore workplace, leading to the fulfilment of requirements for The British Psychological Society (BPS) Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing – Levels A & B. After successful completion of the course, delegates are qualified to order, administer, score, interpret and feedback on a complete range of ability, aptitude and personality questionnaires (including tests that PsyAsia does not offer). They will also be able to apply for the British Psychological Society’s Certificates which means the holder will be recognised internationally as having trained to the highest levels in the practical application of psychometric tests.
Key Learning Objectives for BPS Level A in Singapore
Delegates will be able to:
• Register with all UK test publishers and purchase tests.
• Understand the range and types of tests available.
• Know when to use tests, and importantly – when not to.
• Decide which tests are appropriate for a particular situation.
• Conduct a job analysis and identify the assessment requirements.
• Have an appreciation of other assessment methods.
• Administer, score and interpret aptitude tests.
• Make informed decisions using test data.
• Provide quality feedback to clients and candidates.
• Integrate tests into a wider recruitment or assessment process.
• Have a sound grasp of statistical concepts used in testing.
• Appreciate the importance of test reliability and validity.
Key Learning Objectives for BPS Level B in Singapore
Delegates will be able to:
• Increase their awareness and understanding of individual differences between people.
• Integrate the use of personality assessments into selection and development activities.
• Decide which questionnaires are appropriate for particular situations.
• Administer, score and interpret personality data.
• Provide professional selection feedback to both candidates and recruiting customers.
• Coach individuals to develop using personality information.
• Use personality questionnaire information to support structured interviewing.
• Critically assess the value of different tools for specific purposes.
• Identify and reject inflated claims of validity – so-called ‘Barnum’ or ‘horoscope’ effects.
• Relate personality factors to organisations’ core competencies.
• Design and write selection reports for recruiting clients / managers.
• Design and write development reports to aid self-awareness of clients / managers.
• Maintain appropriate records and data for audit, research and feedback purposes.
• Demonstrate professional Best Practice and compliance with employment legislation.
No Exams!
The Level A and B syllabus is currently under consideration of change by the BPS. Although final decisions still remain to be made, the syllabus will definitely change during 2010 and it looks almost certain that an exam will become a compulsory requirement of the course. At the current time it is up to individual course providers to decide how to assess their delegates; some may use exams whilst others use workbooks and other assessments. At the current time, there is no exam requirement for our Level A and B training; we find that our delegates prefer this. Now is the time to register for our course then before the 2010 changes (probably around July) mean that you must sit an exam to become qualified for the BPS qualification!
Facilitator
This course is facilitated by PsyAsia International’s resident director, Dr. Graham Tyler. Dr. Tyler is well known in Asia for his expertise and work in psychometrics. His PhD was by way of a double-scholarship award from the Australian Government and focussed on psychometric assessment, personality and performance at work in Asia. Dr. Tyler is a fully Registered Organisational Psychologist, a Chartered Scientist, a consultant/trainer to numerous Singapore Government departments and Fortune 500 companies and a university lecturer. He is a published author in Singapore-based publications (Straits Times, Human Capital Plus, Human Resources) and peer-reviewed journals such as the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, the BPS Selection and Development Review and The Occupational Psychologist. He is a reviewer for scientific journals and conferences and a supervisor for Intern Psychologists on behalf of Australian and local Universities. Dr. Tyler was the first to bring regular training leading to the British Psychological Society’s Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing to Singapore in 2002 having introduced them to Dubai prior to that. His work with Psychometric Tests has received recognition from the British Psychological Society with an award for Scientific Contribution to Psychology. Plentiful reviews of Dr. Tyler’s training style can be seen at the course webpage.
Additional Benefits of the BPS Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing Course in Singapore
The course facilitator and our psychologist consultants are based locally; hence even when the course ends they will be nearby to offer ongoing support. Given that we are not a training reseller, we don’t need to ship in overseas facilitators. As a result, we can be flexible in terms of our course offerings. Delegates can choose which parts of the course to sit and when – no need to attend all 6 days at once! You may attend Level A in January or February. You can even attend our 2-day Identity Accreditation Course or study our Online Test Administration Course and have those count towards your Level A/B! Finally, because we are local there is no need to send your follow-up work overseas for marking. You can essentially finish Level B as soon as you are ready – and don’t hang around for your results – we guarantee to mark your work within 10 days although most is marked within 2-3 days of receipt – you can check our online performance review for recent dates!
Furthermore, we are not a test publisher, our training is unbiased and we introduce many tests (both good and bad) to delegates. In addition to this, for those delegates who wish to study and be accredited in numerous tests, we offer 50% discount off our Saville Consulting Wave® one-day training which follows Level B and FREE Apollo Profile Distance Learning Training to all delegates. That’s not all! In addition to the SG$1200 of materials we give you on the course (which include an online test system with starter credits), all delegates will receive a 30% discount on any Identity Personality Assessment products purchased within 1 month of their qualification and a 10% discount on all other non-discounted products which we offer. There’s even more, but we’ll save some surprises for the course!
More details
