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What are the different types of employment tests?
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Testing of a candidate is a recently developed technique in the selection procedure. 'Each individual differs from each other and these individual differences may be best judged by the different types of tests. We may classify the tests into two categories.
(A) Trade Tests.
(B) Psychological Test.
(A) Trade Tests—Trade tests are those tests which are designed to measure proficiency and skills already acquired by the candidate through training experience. These are also known as proficiency or performance tests. There are various jobs that require specialised skill such as driving, typing, stenography etc. In these jobs, the candidate is asked to demonstrate his abilities by undergoing trade test. A number of industrial organisations in India are using this test for the selection of clerical, supervision managerial and technical personnel.
(B) Psychological Tests—Psychological tests are the best judge of the psychological behaviour in selecting an employee and is superior to the traditional interview procedure. It helps the management in selecting a candidate to a technical position. Psychological tests may be further classified in the following categories:
(1) Intelligence Tests. (2) Aptitude Tests. (3) Interest Tests.
(4) Personality Tests. (5) Achievement Tests.
1. Intelligence Tests—This test generally includes verbal comprehension, word fluency, memory, inductive reasoning, number facility, speed of perception, spatial visualisation. This test is used to measure intelligence and mental ability quantitatively. In this type of test, simple questions are asked pertaining to reasoning, common sense, arithmetic, analogies, vocabulary, similarity, opposites etc. Such tests are used in the selection and classification of workers for all types of jobs.
2. Aptitude Tests—Such tests are used for measuring basic human characteristics or abilities relating to the capacity to develop proficiency on specific jobs. Aptitude tests measure the latent or potential ability to do something. This test is more valid when an applicant has had little or no experience along the lines of the job opening. It is generally applied in selecting a candidate for the clerical position. This type of test may also be used to train the workers when there is a technical change in machines and methods.
3. Interest Tests—A person who is interested in a job or task does much better than a person who is not interested in the job. Interest is a factor that contributes to success on the job. Interest tests are an inventory of likes and dislikes of people in relation to occupations, hobbies and recreational activities. Generally two types of tests are applied in this case strong vocational interest blank and Kudar Preference Record. These tests measure interest of outdoor, mechanical, computational, scientific, persuasive, artistic, literary, musical, social services etc. Such tests facilitate the employer to pace a person at a suitable job satisfying him.
4. Personality Tests—Personality refers to those traits of the individual or those aspects of his behaviour that have emotional, motivational or moral connotations such as stability, extraversion, preservance and honesty. Personality comprises the totality of individuals behaviour and emotional tendencies. Personality tests propose to discover an individual's value system, emotional maturity, relation moods etc. which generally affect his working. The importance of personality to job success is unquestionable and employers seek that the prospective candidate has a personality which completely matches with the job requirements. Such tests are conducted with the help of questionnaires. A typical questionnaire is prepared comprising a series of questions directly concerned with personality in its behavioural aspects.
(5) Achievement Tests—Whereas aptitude tests are conducted to assess the ability of the candidate to learn in future; achievement test is concerned with what one has accomplished or learnt or achieved. These tests attempt to measure how well he knows it. For example, for a post of typist, a typing test may measure his speed, accuracy and efficiency.
