New online assessment for government job

applicants

http://www.govexec.comBy: Emily LongApril 20, 2011

As Presented By: Maximilian Tokarsky

• New online tool developed by The Office of

Personnel Management (OPM) to replace KSAs. What are KSAs?

• Testing tools for applicants to 12 job types: Security adminstrators, human resource managers,

administrative assistants, accountants, budget analysts, contracting officers, information technology workers.

• Tests job specific competencies: Problem solving, math reasoning, reading

comprehension, decision-making skills.

ASSESS

Used to streamline federal hiring process Intended to increase timeliness and focus on

quality Agriculture Department Farm Service Agency

in Kansas City, Mo. First to pilot Defense, Health, Human Services, Justice, and

Veteran Affairs to follow OPM will collect feedback from applicants and

hiring managers to evaluate assessments and ensure scoring

1 year pilot phase

No two versions of the online, unproctored

exams are identical. Thousands of questions and scenarios are

already available and more are in development.

The goal is to spread ASSESS to other agencies

OPM hopes to develop specialized tests for nurses, engineers, etc.

Test’s uniqueness and future

Increase in the importance of test taking

skills? Hiring a test score and not a person? Decrease in the importance of writing skills? Sacrifice depth for efficiency? Can we teach to the test? Can the test be

compromised?

Implications