Basics of Psychometrics Online Training Course

This course runs over 5 weekly sessions, starting at 5.45pm on Tuesdays. Each session lasts for 40 minutes and there is time after this for questions and discussion. The course is subsidised by PsyAsia, but there is a small fee of just US$3.50 per week. You may choose to unsubscribe at any time but will not be able to re-subscribe thereafter. Each session will be recorded and all subscribers will get free access to the video recording for up to 14 days after the session so you will never miss a session even if you cannot attend live! Uploaded/recorded training sessions will cost US$10 per session for those who do not attend live/subscribe.

Note: This course is free to any client of PsyAsia who has purchased anything at all from us in the last 6 months as a thank you for your loyalty. If this is you, please contact us for alternative registration.

Session Dates and Topics
(all sessions start at 5.45pm Hong Kong/Singapore/Malaysia time)

• Jan 5: The very basics – What are Psychometric Tests and why do we use them?
• Jan 12: Understanding Psychometric Test Reliability and Validity
• Jan 19: Principles in Administering, Scoring and Interpreting Psychometric Tests
• Jan 26: How to use results from Psychometric Tests scientifically
• Feb 2: Bringing it all together – A demonstration of the complete process from choosing tests based on requirements, preparing how to use the results, administering and generating online reports within a test system and finally using the data.

Register Here

Identity is a self-perception personality
questionnaire that measures important individual differences
between how people prefer to behave in a workplace setting.
It was developed specifically for the world of work
and is supported by robust research proving its effectiveness
for use in many areas of business and personal development.
The questionnaire is available in English, simplified
Chinese and traditional Chinese.

Developed to be the most comprehensive personality assessment
tool, Identity measures 36 Primary Scales – which
are specific areas of personality related to the world
of work. It is fully validated for making sensitive
selection decisions and found through scientific
research to be more predictive of leadership performance
than even ability tests or interviews.

Sample Cover Page

The PsyAsia logo can be replaced with your corporate
logo if you have your own Identity System. Also note
the PTC logo that confirms Identity is a quality
test registered with the British Psychological Society
Psychological Testing Centre.

Narrative Report

This report is written in second or third person depending
on whether you are using it as a feedback report for
the candidate or for the decision-maker. Text-based
narrative reports are the only type of report available
to untrained users. All other reports/graphics require
a certification.

Quick Look Page

This gives an indication as to the accuracy of the candidate’s
responses and shows you where you need to focus for
additional probing in an interview. For this fake candidate,
the report tells us we need to probe on every competency!
For other candidates you may see “Strong”
and/or “OK” in place of “Further Probing”.

Profile Chart

This is the first page of a 2-page chart which provides
the candidate’s score for each scale in Identity. Labels
and descriptions on either side assist in accurate interpretation
of each scale score.

Pre-Interview Report

This is a sample page from Identity’s Pre-Interview
Report. Personality test reports should be followed
up with a good behavioral interview. This report assists
in this process by providing example questions to ask
the candidate based on their profile.

Derived scales

Assess aspects of the person such as Jungian Type, Learning
Styles, EQ, Team Roles, Leadership Style and so on.
All of these charts come at no additional cost.

The above are just a few examples of
pages from Identity reports. Identity offers a number
of different reports: Pre-Interview, Comprehensive,
Career Focus and Candidate Feedback. Unlike other psychometric
personality tests, clients only pay once for the candidate
rather than for each report generated.

To download full sample reports, please click here

To view our Identity webpage, please click here

To view the Identity Accreditation Course outline, please
click here

Free Online Psychometric Testing System

All qualified users of Identity get a FREE online system
- so, you can set up test sessions and produce reports
whenever you want – even at night and on weekends!

View our multimedia Identity Sales Presentation

Click here to view all current public training course dates

In this session we will explore the following:

1. Computer-based scoring of psychometric tests
2. Hand-scoring of psychometric tests
3. Norming of test results
4. The link between scoring of tests and reliability

Converting raw scores to standardised scores and using representative norms will be covered in a later session.

Once a psychometric test has been properly administered, it needs to be scored. Depending on the test chosen, you may have a few options.

a. You can opt for computer-based scoring.

This would work if you had administered the test using computer software or if you had asked your candidate to complete an online test. For online tests, this option is good because it is less likely to involve scoring errors! Your candidate completes the test online and then the system immediately and automatically scores the test. There is no additional input required and hence less chance for error. This pre-supposes the publisher has used the correct scoring algorithms of course. Whilst most reputable test publishers will, we do know of one who had an error in a test battery that was not spotted until one of their distributors pointed out that his partner had done poorly on a test for which she was a subject matter expert!!

If you administer the test to your candidate using desktop software, you should be able to automatically score it in the same way as above.

b. You can opt for hand-scoring or a bureau service or keyed input followed by computer-scoring. You are most likely to use this option if you administered the test to your candidate using hard-copy test booklets and answer sheets.

Firstly, you’ll need to double-check the answer sheets to ensure that there are no irregularities. Ensure that it’s obvious which answer the respondent selected. Be careful with any “blobs” that may have appeared from ink or pencil smudges etc. If a respondent has changed their mind after selecting a response and has crossed it out, ensure that you only use the most recent response in scoring.

For hand-scoring using a scoring key, you’ll next need to align the scoring key with the answer sheet. The exact requirements will vary based on the test you are using, so ensure that you read and fully understand the instructions provided by the test publisher.

Once you have scored the responses, double-check your scoring. You then need to record the score. The score you calculate at this point is called the RAW SCORE. On its own, a raw score means nothing. If I tell you that you scored 54 on a numerical reasoning test or 75 on the extraversion scale of a personality assessment, you’ll need to ask me more questions before you truly understand your score. The most important question to ask would be how your score compared to others. The comparison of your score with others is called norming.

It is called norming because we compare a candidate’s score to a group of others (called the norm group) who completed the test in the past. To undertake this comparison, you can do it by way of a simple calculation or through the use of norm tables either developed by yourself or, more usually, supplied by the test publisher.

Norm tables allow us to use a standard vocabulary for expressing a candidate’s score in relation to others who have taken the test and it is for this reason that we call your new score a standardised score. A standardised score is simply your candidate’s raw score, compared with the norm group and expressed in terms of how the candidate scored in relation to others. We’ll consider standardised scores in more detail in a later lesson. You’ll see by now that your objective is to calculate the candidate’s standard score as this is the way to achieve maximum meaning. If you opt for paper and pencil tests and hand-scoring, the process can be lengthy. So are there other options?

We have already seen above that we can simply have the candidate complete an online test. However, you may not wish to do this if there are many candidates. This is because you will need as many computers as candidates if you are going to supervise them. If you are using an unsupervised test, the candidate can complete on their own PC, but you may be concerned about possible cheating and so on. This is why you may end up using paper and pencil tests (in a supervised environment). However, there is an alternative to arduous hand-scoring if you have used paper and pencil tests.

You can use the bureau service of your psychometric test distributor. You just need to check that the answer sheet is properly completed, clear and free from any irregularities and then send the answer sheet to the distributor by fax or scanned email. The bureau service will then score the test for you and send you a report.

Furthermore, you may have another option yet. If you have access to a computer or online test system, you can probably also enter the candidate’s responses to each question into the system and have the system produce the report. This is essentially what the bureau service above does for you. Doing it yourself should work out cheaper. Do be careful when you transpose the responses though – accuracy is far more important than speed unless you want to invalidate the whole process!!

Self-scoring answer sheets: Some psychometric tests are supplied with self-scoring answer sheets. These are much easier to use than non-self-scoring answer sheets. In this case you usually need to open up the answer sheet by tearing off some perforated card. Inside the answer sheet, the candidate’s responses will have been duplicated via carbon or similar onto a scoring card. Usually, you add up the number of responses (often black circles) that appear inside a circle. Those outside of a circle represent incorrect answers so don’t get counted. Once you’ve added up correct responses, you have your raw score. Slightly different procedures obviously apply for personality assessments and fewer personality assessments provide self-scoring answer sheets due to their scoring complexity. When using self-scoring answer sheets you need to be especially careful to ensure that the candidate presses hard on the answer sheet when completing the test. If they are light-handed their responses may not come through onto the scoring card!

Finally, let’s consider the link between psychometric test scoring and reliability/validity. As you know, the test administrator can have a huge impact upon psychometric test reliability throughout the whole process. At the scoring stage you can affect reliability simply by scoring incorrectly. This might happen because you miss the fact that a candidate crossed out their answer and changed their mind. It may also happen because you try to score fast and just don’t add up correctly. Perhaps you use the scoring key incorrectly or perhaps the scoring is so arduous (often the case for personality assessments) that you simply get lost in the scoring or incorrectly use your calculator!

Ensure therefore that you fully understand how to score the test, use the scoring key as per the publisher’s instructions, score slowly and double check or have someone else double check your scoring. If possible, use computer based scoring or self-scoring answer sheets. Incorrect scoring reduces reliability and of course that means that a valid test can become invalid and a waste of time or money!

Interested in learning more about psychometric testing for HRM? Keep reading – your next free session is not far away! To ensure you don’t miss a single instalment, we suggest you follow-us on twitter as each new post will be announced there. You may also like to join our face-to-face psychometric training courses in Singapore or Hong Kong – these range from simple introductory courses through to Certification Courses such as the BPS Level A and BPS Level B Certificates of Competence in Occupational Testing. Not in Singapore or Hong Kong? No problem – we also offer both recorded and live online training in psychometrics! For full details please see here or email us.

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The Amazing Apollo Profile

This free webinar will be facilitated by Mr. Jim Bowden, the developer of the Apollo Profile. The session will be interactive (provided attendees kit themselves out with headphones and a mic!) and Jim will present numerous interesting case studies.

The webinar will cover the following:

• Introduction: The Amazing Apollo Profile- can transform Recruitment, Staff Development, and Organisation Performance –Client example
• Apollo Questionnaire – valid/reliable/comprehensive
• Why is Apollo amazing? Apollo Advantages
• Using and interpreting of Apollo reports with anecdotes
• Recruitment – Accurate, easy, low cost – Case Study using Apollo Best Match in China for filtering 12,000 applicants for 40 Graduate level jobs
• Training and Development – Unique Apollo report PLUS downloadable solutions. Convenient, low cost, motivating
• Organisation Development. Benchmarking: Can analyse and identify current corporate strengths and weaknesses – then create high performing models/culture, identify engagement issues – case studies
• Customising: Develop models that work specifically for your organisation. If your organisation is serious about leadership through people.
• Integrate everything together with flexible multi-purpose Internet Online solutions. Use your own competencies frameworks and vocabulary – examples
• Special Offer – have to listen to Webinar to find out!

Date: Monday, May 17, 2010

 Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM SGT

 After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/522465752

The use of unproctored internet-based testing (UIT) for employee selection is quite widespread. Although this mode of testing has advantages over onsite testing, researchers and practitioners continue to be concerned about potential malfeasance (e.g., cheating and response distortion) under high-stakes conditions. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to investigate the magnitude and extent of high- and low-stakes retest effects on the scores of a UIT speeded cognitive ability test and two UIT personality measures. These data permitted inferences about the magnitude and extent of malfeasant responding. The study objectives were accomplished by implementing two within-subjects design studies ( Study 1N=296; Study 2N=318) in which test takers first completed the tests as job applicants (high-stakes) or incumbents (low-stakes) then as research participants (low-stakes). For the speeded cognitive ability measure, the pattern of test score differences was more consonant with a psychometric practice effect than a malfeasance explanation. This result is likely due to the speeded nature of the test. And for the UIT personality measures, the pattern of higher high-stakes scores compared with lower low-stakes scores is similar to those reported for proctored tests in the extant literature. Thus, our results indicate that the use of a UIT administration does not uniquely threaten personality measures in terms of elevated scores under high-stakes testing that are higher than those observed for proctored tests in the extant literature.

 Sourced from: Latest Issue of International Journal of Selection and Assessment