Career & Occupational Assessment

Interest Inventories

Multiple Aptitude

Special Aptitude Tests

Career Assessments: When do we need them?

Career and occupational assessments are usually the most beneficial when taken during transition times in our lives.

During high school when considering what to do with our futures

When job searching or deciding upon college When you have vague ideas of what you would like to do but

need to crystallize your thoughts in that regard Prior to a career shift When anticipating a different direction in your career

Interest Inventories

Interest Inventories: Determine likes and dislikes from a career perspective; good at predicting job satisfaction. Types of Interest Inventories:

• Strong Vocational Interest Inventory

• Self-Directed Search (SDS)

• Career Occupational Preference System Interest

Inventory (COPS)

Strong Interest Inventory Characteristics:

One of most commonly used career inventories First developed in 1927 Latest version: Strong Interest Inventory (SII) Contains 291 items Designed for ages 16 and older Takes 35 to 40 minutes to complete Can be given as an individual assessment or group Uses 5-point Likert scale Topic areas include: occupations, subject areas, activities,

leisure activities, people, and characteristics

Strong Interest Inventory:Five Types of Interpretive Scales

General Occupational Themes: Identifies test-takers top 3 Holland Codes &

places them in hierarchical order (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, & Conventional)

On the hexagon, codes adjacent to one another share more elements in common

SII: General Occupational Themes Realistic: Persons enjoy working with equipment, machines, computer hardware, or

tools. Investigative: Persons enjoy thinking abstractly, solving problems, and investigating.

The pursuit of knowledge and manipulating ideas and symbols is enjoyable to them. Artistic: Persons like to express themselves creatively, usually through artistic forms

such as drama, art, music, and writing. Prefer unstructured activities in which they can use their imaginations and express their creativity.

Social: Persons are nurturers, helpers, and caregivers who have a high degree of concern for others. They are introspective and insightful and prefer work environments in which they can use their intuitive and caregiving skills.

Enterprising: Persons are self-confident, adventurous, bold, and enjoy working with other people. Have good persuasive skills and prefer positions of leadership. Tend to dominate conversations and enjoy work environments in which they can satisfy their need for recognition, power, and expression.

Conventional: Persons are stable, controlled, conservative, and cooperative. They prefer concrete tasks and like to follow instructions. They value the business world, clerical tasks, and tend to be good at computer programming or database operations.

Strong Basic Interest Scales

Identifies respondent’s interest in 30 broad areas, i.e., science, performing arts, marketing, teaching, and law.

Respondent is shown his/her top 5 interest areas and can view the 30 interest areas with his/her corresponding Holland Codes.

Using T-scores, individuals can compare themselves to the average scores of others of their own gender.

Strong Occupational Scales Allows individual to compare his/her interests to the

interests of others of the same gender who are satisfied with jobs.

Can compare how he/she scored on the Strong to scores of others in 244 commonly held jobs who also took the Strong.

Strong lists the 10 occupations in which the respondent is most similar & separately lists the T-scores of the client compared to others. The higher the T-score, the more similar the respondent’s interests are to those who are satisfied with their jobs.

Strong Personal Style Scales

Provides an estimate of how comfortable respondent is in certain activities, i.e., work style (alone or with others), learning environment (practical vs. academic), leadership style (taking charge vs. letting others take charge), risk taking/adventure (risk taker vs. non-risk taker), and team orientation (working on a team vs. independently).

T-scores are used to compare respondent’s scores to men, women, or a combined group.

Strong Response SummaryProvides percentage breakdown of client’s

responses across 6 interest areas.Provides total percentages of each Likert

response types, varying from “Strongly like” to “Strongly dislike.” Includes new “typicality” index which identifies

whether or not respondent is making random responses. 95% accurate - score of 16 or lower indicates inconsistent pattern of item selection.

Proven to have reliability and validity

Self-Directed Search (SDS) Self-directed, administered, scored, & interpreted test. Created by Holland

and uses his personality types. Based primarily on interests but also includes self-estimates of competencies

and ability. Once respondent receives his/her 3-letter score, he/she can cross-reference the

code with the Occupations Finder (lists 1,300 occupations by type) or with a book entitled Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes, which lists 12,000 occupational codes.

Available in 4 forms: Form R (Regular) - for high school students, college students, and adults. Form E (Easy-to-read) - 4th grade reading level for those who have

limited reading ability. Form CE (Career Explorer) - for middle school and junior high students Form CP (Career Planning) - for professional-level employees.

Administered by hard copy booklet, computer software, or on the WWW at www.self-directed-search.com

Self-Directed Search:Scoring

Scoring is completed by adding the raw scores of each of the 6 personality types, with the three highest scores, from highest to lowest - which provides the respondent’s Holland Code.

Self-Directed Search has proven reliability and validity

Career Occupational Preference System

A career measurement package that measures:

a) interests, b) abilities, and c) values. Can be used together or separately to aid in making

career decisions Three instruments:

• Career Occupational Preference System Interest Inventory

• Career Ability Placement Survey

• Career Orientation Placement & Evaluation Survey

Career Occupational Preference System: Interest Inventory

Career Occupational Preference System Inventory (COPS): Assesses interests along career clusters. Designed for those from 7th grade to adulthood 168 items based on high school & college curricula

as well as occupational information Designed to guide respondent to a number of career

areas Norms are based on high school or college samples Test takes 20-30 minutes

Career Occupational Preference System: Ability

Career Ability Placement Survey (CAPS): Measures abilities in the work environment that relate to career clusters.

• Measures abilities across 8 dimensions

• Allows respondents to identify career fields that are best suited to their abilities or career fields in which more training may be necessary

• Designed for middle school through adulthood

• Norms are available for 8th - 12th grade & college students

• Test takes approximately 50 minutes

Career Occupational Preference System: Values

Career Orientation Placement & Evaluation Survey (COPES): Assessment of values that are important in career selection and job satisfaction. Scales are based on 8 dichotomous poles (vastly

different values) keyed to career clusters Designed for middle school through adulthood Normative data are available from high school and

college students

Other Common Interest InventoriesPopular Interest Inventories:

Campbell Interest & Skill Survey• Self-report which measures interests and skills for a

variety of occupations

• For those 15 years old and older

• Primarily for college-bound/college educated SIGI 3

• Computer-based career self-assessment

• For high school and college students Career Assessment Inventory - Enhanced Version

• For career development & guidance

• For 15 years old and older

• Uses Holland Codes

Multiple Aptitude Testing

Multiple Aptitude Tests: Measure several abilities at one time and predict success in several fields. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

(ASVAB)• Measures auto & shop knowledge, mechanical

comprehension, general science, and electronics knowledge - as well as other areas

Factor Analysis & Multiple Aptitude Testing

Factor Analysis: Statistical technique that allows researchers to analyze large data sets to determine patterns & calculate which variables have a high degree of commonality Allows multiple aptitude test developers to assess

the differences & similarities in the abilities they are attempting to measure

Used to determine construct validity (Ch. 3) ASVAB & Differential Aptitude Test use factor

analysis

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery & Career Exploration

Program

ASVAB: Measures many abilities required for military and civilian jobs. Most widely used multiple aptitude test in the world Latest version, ASVAB Career Exploration Program

(CEP) consists of 2 instruments: traditional ASVAB and an interest inventory called FYI (Find Your Interests)

ASVAB ASVAB consists of 8 “power tests”

“Power tests” refers to a test that has generous time limits Test includes: General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word

Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto & Shop Information, and Mechanical Comprehension

Contains 200 items & takes almost 3 hours to complete Scores are given in verbal skills, math skills, & science and

technical skills Composite scores can be associated with job classifications in

the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

Useful for military and civil occupations

ASVAB Career Exploration Program: Find Your Interest (FYI)

FYI: Interest inventory designed to assist high school students in determining what they would like to do rather than what they can do.

Based on Holland’s RIASEC personality types Contains 90 items & takes approximately 15 minutes to

complete Uses 3-point Likert scale (like, indifferent, dislike) Important feature: For the approximately 70% of students

who do not go on to college, the FYI can offer encouragement when test takers see occupations that are in range of their interests & skills

Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) Differential Aptitude Tests: Series of tests for students in grades 7 through 12

that measure abilities across vocational skills. Takes approximately 1½ to 2 ½ hours (depending on whether taking the

full or abbreviated version) Eight separate tests: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Abstract

Reasoning, Perceptual Speed & Accuracy, Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, Spelling, & Language Usage

Includes Career Interest Inventory to determine student’s skills and interests

DAT for adults = Differential Aptitude Battery for Personnel and Career Assessment (DAT PCA)

• Measures ability & aptitude across 8 areas & is often used for hiring purposes

• Allows employers to determine current ability and aptitude for learning new skills during training

• Norm consisted of 12th grade students

Special Aptitude Testing Special Aptitude Tests measure a homogenous area of ability and

are generally used to predict success in a specific vocational area. Frequently used to screen for ability to perform a specific job

or ability to master a new skill Educational institutions use these to screen for special abilities

in art, music, plumbing, & mechanics Several special aptitude tests include: Clerical Test Battery,

Minnesota Clerical Assessment Battery, U.S. Postal Service’s 473 Battery Examination, Mechanical Aptitude Tests, Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude, Arco Mechanical Aptitude & Spatial Relations Tests, Technical Test Battery, Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehension, Music Aptitude Profile, Iowa Test of Music Literacy, Keynotes Music Evaluation Software Kit, Group Test of Musical Ability, & the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation

Special Aptitude Tests: Clerical Aptitude Clerical Aptitude Tests: Used to screen for clerical jobs.

Clerical Test Battery (CTB2) measures clerical skill across a range of abilities (verbal reasoning, numerical ability, clerical checking, spelling, typing, & filing)

• Takes 27 minutes to administer Minnesota Clerical Assessment Battery measures skills such as typing,

proofreading, filing, business vocabulary, business math, & clerical knowledge

U.S. Postal Service’s Test 473 for Major Entry-Level Jobs (473 Battery Exam) is required for most entry-level positions in U.S. Postal Service.

• Measures aptitudes in address checking, forms completion, coding, memory, and an inventory of personal experiences

• Has 398 items and examinees have just over 2 hours to complete

• Score of 70% is considered passing, but most of those hired have scores of 90% or above

Mechanical Aptitude Tests Mechanical Aptitude Tests: Measure ability to learn mechanical principles &

manipulate mechanical objects. (The ability to understand how mechanical things work.)

Mechanical Aptitude Test (MAT-3C)

• Developed to reduce the impact of gender & race on measurement of mechanical aptitude

• 36-item test that focuses on everyday things (household objects, work production, science & physics, & hand & power tools)

• 20-minute test that is self-scored Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA)

• Focuses on predicting job performance in the operation & maintenance of tools, machinery, & equipment

• 60-item test that takes 30 minutes to complete

• Attempts to remove gender & race bias

• Has a Spanish version

Artistic Aptitude Tests

Artistic Aptitude Tests: Used for art school admissions. Rating artistic ability is not easy & tests that have been

developed have questionable reliability & validity Professional art schools require applicants to submit a

portfolio

• Scoring the portfolio can be a subjective judgment which can cause problems with regard to reliability

– Having two or more raters practice rating items similar to what they will ultimately rate can improve reliability

– As the parameters of what they are rating become clearly defined (form, appeal, use of color), ratings should become more similar - increasing reliability

Musical Aptitude Tests Musical Aptitude Tests: Assess knowledge of music. Distinguishing the ability to

learn a distinct knowledge base and the ability to perform is quite difficult. Music Aptitude Profile:

• Designed for students in 4th through 12th grade

• Test takers listen to two musical excerpts and answer questions pertaining to the music

• Test measures student’s ability to assess harmony, tone, melody, tempo, balance, & style

• Test takes 2½ hours to complete Iowa Test of Music Literacy:

• Measures student’s “audiation” or the process of thinking about music in one’s mind without it actually being there (measures achievement as well as aptitude for music training)

• Examinee listens to music and is required to read sheet music and compare what he/she is reading with what is being played

Keynotes Music Evaluation Software Kit:

• Designed for classroom teachers to assess students’ musical aptitude

• Designed for ages 9 through 14

• 65-item test that is taken on a computer w/speakers & headphones

• Scores for pitch discrimination, pattern recognition, & ability to read music

Role of Helpers in Occupational & Career Assessment

Wide range of helpers provide occupational & career assessment: Middle school counselors:

• Interest Inventories High school & college counselors:

• Interest Inventories

• Multiple aptitude tests Private practice clinicians:

• Interest Inventories

• Aptitude Tests Businesses that focus on interest inventories & aptitude tests

*Helpers need to obtain the necessary training in order to administer tests accurately and interpret them wisely.

A Note of Caution

As with all testing, occupational and career assessment should not be done in a vacuum.

Choosing a career or occupation should never be based solely on taking a test.