Psychometric Assessment: Validity and Reliability

Psychometric assessment plays a fundamental role in modern industrial society as it is essentially used to assess the skill sets and abilities of people in a hired position or those seeking achievement or promotion. Due to the wide range of purposes it fulfils, reliable psychometric assessment is one of the most important aspects in human resources management with its application across multiple industries. It is pervasively misunderstood in the workplace that even its application is often highly controversial. This paper seeks to provide a better appreciation of the reliability and validity of psychometric assessment by exploring the science behind this assessment practice. Psychometric assessment is a scientific approach to ensure reliable measurement in predicting job performance, identifying abilities and testing for knowledge for a specific position and task. The assessment is designed to measure a specific characteristic that is important for success in the job. The assessment is then used to either assist a decision maker in making a decision and identifying the characteristics of an applicant.

1. The Need for Validity :

The purpose of validation is to establish the degree to which a test measures what it purports to measure. Confidence in the reliability of the test is dependent on how well it measures what it is supposed to measure. The purpose of validation should also be stated and testing should be conducted using experts and or trained professionals in the field being tested. It is a process that should be followed by all professionals who are using psychometric testing in their daily work. The validation process may also involve the development of new measures and or the use of existing measures.

2. The Need for Reliability:

The purpose of reliability is to establish the degree to which a test yields consistent results when measured and scored by different scorers. High reliability ensures that the scores of people taking a test are consistent, a result which is necessary for decision making based on those scores. Reliability is the extent to which a test produces consistent results and therefore a high reliability score translates to stable and consistent results. It is the extent to which a test accurately measures the desired characteristic. Reliability must also be standardized across studies so that the results of different studies can be compared.

3. An overview of the science behind Psychometric Assessment:

Psychometric assessment is a scientific approach to ensure reliable measurement in predicting job performance, identifying abilities and testing for knowledge for a specific position and task. The assessment is designed to measure a specific characteristic that is important for success in the job. The assessment is then used to either assist a decision maker in making a decision and identifying the characteristics of an applicant. The most important feature of psychometric assessment is the application of sound measurement principles with its aim to obtain valid and reliable results according to procedures allowing objective predictions of job performance.

4. Intelligence Testing:

Intelligence testing is used by organizations to aid in the selection of workers for jobs and for the development of curricula. Its purpose is to measure an individual’s ability to perform cognitively demanding tasks. Intelligence is the ability to comprehend, learn, adapt and solve problems using acquired knowledge. It is also referred to as mental ability, this measure of mental capacity has been used for many years and is one of the most common and important uses of psychological testing. Intelligence is a very broad construct with multiple facets, not all of these facets can be assessed by a single instrument. Intelligence tests measure individual differences in basic abilities and skills that are believed to be important for both educational success and job performance.

5. Psychological Testing :

Psychological tests are used to measure human behaviour and performance. They can be used to assess cognitive abilities, personality, interests and aptitudes. Psychological tests are designed to provide information about the test taker which can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used for assessment of job performance, job selection and development, promotion, training and education. The usefulness of the information derived from a test depends on the accuracy with which it can be interpreted, this depends on its clarity in relation to the intended purpose of using the test. Psychological testing is used in industry to develop skills, competence and personality traits that will enable workers to perform effectively at work and consequently enhance organizational productivity.

6. Personality Measurement :

Personality tests measure certain traits in individuals which indicate a level of consistency in behaviour and values. These tests are used to predict the likelihood of success in specific job or career areas. Personality tests also aim to identify possible employment problems and emotional conflicts that might arise due to inability to work effectively with others. They can be used with managers as well as with employees and can also be used by human resources professionals for development purposes. Personality assessments may also be combined with other forms of assessment such as aptitude and intelligence testing. It is important to note that there is an overlap of the concepts of personality and intelligence as well as they are often used interchangeably. 

7. Cognitive Testing :

Cognitive testing measures cognitive abilities that are thought to be important for job performance, career development and advancement. The tests are used to determine the level of cognitive ability in a worker and his degree of skill in understanding information and processing it. Cognitive skills can be assessed by performing a variety of tasks, some of which will be new to the worker and also require him to understand and interpret information so that appropriate decisions can be made. It is important to note that the use of cognitive testing is limited because there are many factors other than cognitive ability that determine performance.

8. Work sample tests:

Work sample tests are used to measure the skill level of the worker in performing a task that is similar to the one he would be performing at work. These tests are ideal for measuring how effectively someone will perform a task they would be required to undertake in their job. It is important to note that these tasks should be as close as possible to those performed on the job and as realistic in terms of content and complexity. These tasks should also be combined with other forms of assessment such as aptitude and personality testing in order for accuracy of results to be improved.

Mercer | Mettl is an online platform for psychometric assessments. It is built with the purpose of providing organizations with a modern, easy to use and highly secure assessment platform. It is also used by individual applicants to manage their career.