CBST Scoring and Evaluation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which CBST sub-score section specifically measures a candidate's ability to work with numbers and arithmetic?
- Verbal Reasoning
- Spatial Ability
- Math/Arithmetic (Correct answer)
- Language Usage
Correct answer: Math/Arithmetic
The Math/Arithmetic section of the CBST evaluates numerical computation and basic quantitative skills.
Question 2: A CBST score report shows a candidate's Verbal score is higher than their Math score. How should an employer interpret this?
- The candidate cheated on the verbal section
- The candidate may be stronger in language tasks than numerical tasks (Correct answer)
- The candidate's overall score is invalid
- The candidate should only apply for verbal-heavy jobs
Correct answer: The candidate may be stronger in language tasks than numerical tasks
Sub-score differences reveal relative strengths and weaknesses that employers can match to job requirements.
Question 3: What does it mean when the CBST score report flags a result as 'Caution: Unusual Response Pattern'?
- The candidate scored too high for the role
- The response pattern suggests the test may not accurately reflect the candidate's true ability (Correct answer)
- The candidate took longer than average to complete the test
- The candidate skipped more than half the questions
Correct answer: The response pattern suggests the test may not accurately reflect the candidate's true ability
An unusual response pattern flag indicates the data may be unreliable due to random guessing or inconsistent engagement.
Question 4: Why do CBST score ranges matter more than exact scores when making hiring decisions?
- Because exact scores are kept confidential from employers
- Because all cognitive tests have some measurement error and ranges acknowledge this uncertainty (Correct answer)
- Because scores are randomly assigned within a range
- Because ranges simplify payroll calculations
Correct answer: Because all cognitive tests have some measurement error and ranges acknowledge this uncertainty
All assessments carry measurement error, so a score range better reflects the true ability estimate than a single point.
Question 5: A company uses CBST scores for three different job levels. Which approach best aligns the test with job requirements?
- Use the same cutoff score for all three levels
- Set different percentile cutoffs for each job level based on role complexity (Correct answer)
- Ignore CBST scores for the highest-level roles
- Average the three cutoffs into one universal score
Correct answer: Set different percentile cutoffs for each job level based on role complexity
Setting different cutoffs by role complexity ensures the assessment is job-relevant and legally defensible.
Question 6: How often does Criteria Corp re-norm the CBST to keep scores current?
- Never — the original norm group is used permanently
- Periodically, to ensure scores reflect current applicant populations (Correct answer)
- Every week based on new test-takers
- Only when requested by individual employers
Correct answer: Periodically, to ensure scores reflect current applicant populations
Periodic re-norming ensures that percentile scores remain accurate as workforce demographics and skills change over time.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a CBST 'composite score'?
- The score on the hardest section only
- A combined score that aggregates performance across all CBST sections (Correct answer)
- The average score of all candidates at a company
- The score before time penalties are applied
Correct answer: A combined score that aggregates performance across all CBST sections
A composite score combines performance across the verbal and math sections into a single overall ability estimate.
CBST Scoring and Evaluation 3
Which CBST sub-score section specifically measures a candidate's ability to work with numbers and arithmetic?