CODESP Pre-Employment Assessment and Testing 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of reliability is estimated by administering the same test to the same group on two separate occasions and correlating the scores?
- Internal consistency reliability
- Inter-rater reliability
- Test-retest reliability (Correct answer)
- Parallel forms reliability
Correct answer: Test-retest reliability
Test-retest reliability measures score stability over time by correlating two administrations of the same test to the same individuals.
Question 2: The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers conducting background checks through a consumer reporting agency to:
- Obtain a court order before requesting the report
- Provide written disclosure and obtain written authorization from the applicant (Correct answer)
- Submit findings to the Department of Labor
- Complete the check within 48 hours of a job offer
Correct answer: Provide written disclosure and obtain written authorization from the applicant
FCRA mandates that employers give applicants a clear disclosure document and obtain written consent before ordering a background check from a consumer reporting agency.
Question 3: In the context of pre-employment testing, 'differential item functioning' (DIF) analysis is used to:
- Calculate the cost per hire for each selection method
- Identify test items that perform differently across demographic groups after controlling for ability level (Correct answer)
- Rank candidates by total score
- Determine whether a test is timed appropriately
Correct answer: Identify test items that perform differently across demographic groups after controlling for ability level
DIF analysis detects items that favor one group over another among examinees of equal ability, indicating potential item bias that should be reviewed.
Question 4: A city fire department requires all applicants to pass a physical ability test (PAT). To minimize legal risk, the PAT should be designed to:
- Maximize the physical challenge to screen out weaker candidates
- Simulate the critical physical demands identified through job analysis (Correct answer)
- Use national norms rather than local job requirements
- Be identical to tests used by neighboring jurisdictions
Correct answer: Simulate the critical physical demands identified through job analysis
Physical ability tests must be grounded in job analysis that identifies critical physical tasks, ensuring the test measures job-relevant demands rather than arbitrary fitness levels.
Question 5: Which concept refers to the proportion of future employees who would be successful if selected using a given assessment?
- Base rate
- Selection ratio
- Positive predictive value (success rate) (Correct answer)
- Criterion-related validity
Correct answer: Positive predictive value (success rate)
Positive predictive value (success rate) is the proportion of selected candidates who turn out to be successful performers, reflecting the practical accuracy of the selection decision.
Question 6: An employer uses a 'multiple hurdles' selection approach, which means:
- All assessments are combined into a single composite score
- Candidates must pass each successive assessment to continue in the process (Correct answer)
- The hiring manager has multiple veto options
- Applicants can retake failed assessments unlimited times
Correct answer: Candidates must pass each successive assessment to continue in the process
In a multiple hurdles model, candidates must meet a minimum threshold on each successive assessment stage before advancing, ensuring only candidates who clear every requirement proceed.
Question 7: When a selection test is described as having 'incremental validity,' it means the test:
- Is more difficult than competing assessments
- Adds predictive accuracy beyond what is provided by existing selection tools (Correct answer)
- Was validated on an incrementally larger sample
- Produces scores that increase with candidate experience
Correct answer: Adds predictive accuracy beyond what is provided by existing selection tools
Incremental validity demonstrates that a new predictor adds statistically significant improvement in predicting job performance over and above predictors already in use.
CODESP Pre-Employment Assessment and Testing 4
Which type of reliability is estimated by administering the same test to the same group on two separate occasions and correlating the scores?