CVE Transferable Skills Assessment 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with no formal education completed 20 years of work as a plumber. Which DOT component best captures the on-the-job learning that substitutes for formal schooling?
- General Educational Development (GED) (Correct answer)
- Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP)
- Worker function level
- Physical demands rating
Correct answer: General Educational Development (GED)
GED in the DOT context reflects the general learning required and can be acquired through experience and on-the-job learning, not exclusively through formal education.
Question 2: Which of the following work conditions is classified under the DOT's 'environmental conditions' category?
- Reaching overhead
- Working in extreme cold (Correct answer)
- Making judgments under pressure
- Supervising others
Correct answer: Working in extreme cold
Extreme cold is one of the environmental conditions listed in the DOT, which address the physical surroundings in which work is performed.
Question 3: When is it appropriate to use work samples as part of a transferable skills assessment?
- Only when the client requests them
- When behavioral observation of task performance is needed to validate self-reported skills (Correct answer)
- After the labor market survey is complete
- Only for clients with cognitive disabilities
Correct answer: When behavioral observation of task performance is needed to validate self-reported skills
Work samples provide observational data on how a client actually performs tasks, which validates or challenges skills identified through interview or record review.
Question 4: A client claims proficiency in bookkeeping from prior employment. Which source provides the most objective corroboration of this skill during a TSA?
- Client self-report interview
- Job description from prior employer
- Standardized vocational test or work sample in accounting tasks (Correct answer)
- Educational transcript showing a bookkeeping course
Correct answer: Standardized vocational test or work sample in accounting tasks
A standardized test or work sample directly measures actual performance rather than relying on self-report, job descriptions, or academic records.
Question 5: In the context of a TSA for a workers' compensation case, 'loss of earning capacity' is most directly informed by:
- The number of transferable occupations identified
- The wage differential between pre-injury and post-injury occupations (Correct answer)
- The client's educational background and training history
- The date of maximum medical improvement
Correct answer: The wage differential between pre-injury and post-injury occupations
Loss of earning capacity in workers' compensation is calculated by comparing wages the client could earn in their former occupation versus wages available in identified transferable occupations.
Question 6: Which scenario would INVALIDATE a transferable skills finding for a specific occupation?
- The client has not worked in that field for three years
- The target occupation has a higher SVP than the client's previous job
- The client would prefer a different type of work
- The target occupation requires a professional license the client does not hold (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The target occupation requires a professional license the client does not hold
If a target occupation requires licensure that the client lacks and cannot reasonably obtain, that occupation cannot be considered a valid transferable option.
Question 7: The term 'sedentary work' in Social Security vocational guidelines is defined by which maximum lifting requirement?
- 5 lbs occasionally, negligible frequently
- 10 lbs occasionally, negligible frequently (Correct answer)
- 15 lbs occasionally, 5 lbs frequently
- 20 lbs occasionally, 10 lbs frequently
Correct answer: 10 lbs occasionally, negligible frequently
SSA defines sedentary work as lifting no more than 10 lbs occasionally and negligible amounts frequently, with mostly sitting.
CVE Transferable Skills Assessment 4
A client with no formal education completed 20 years of work as a plumber.
Which DOT component best captures the on-the-job learning that substitutes for formal schooling?