KSA Job Analysis & Competency Mapping 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which job analysis method involves employees recording their own activities throughout the workday?
- Structured interview
- Work diary/log (Correct answer)
- Critical incident technique
- Position analysis questionnaire
Correct answer: Work diary/log
Work diaries or logs require incumbents to document their tasks and activities as they occur, providing real-time self-reported data.
Question 2: In competency mapping, a 'threshold competency' is best described as:
- A competency that distinguishes top performers from average performers
- The minimum competency required to perform a job adequately (Correct answer)
- A competency developed through advanced training only
- The highest level of mastery on a competency scale
Correct answer: The minimum competency required to perform a job adequately
Threshold competencies are the essential baseline characteristics needed to do a job, but they do not differentiate superior from average performance.
Question 3: The O*NET system is primarily used in job analysis to:
- Administer personality assessments to job candidates
- Provide standardized occupational information and task databases (Correct answer)
- Conduct structured behavioral interviews
- Evaluate employee performance against competency models
Correct answer: Provide standardized occupational information and task databases
O*NET is a US Department of Labor database offering standardized descriptors for hundreds of occupations, including tasks, skills, abilities, and work context.
Question 4: When using the critical incident technique (CIT), analysts collect information about:
- Average day-to-day tasks performed by most incumbents
- Specific examples of effective and ineffective job behaviors (Correct answer)
- The physical demands and environmental conditions of the job
- Salary benchmarks for comparable positions
Correct answer: Specific examples of effective and ineffective job behaviors
CIT gathers specific anecdotes of behaviors that led to notably successful or unsuccessful outcomes, identifying what differentiates performance levels.
Question 5: A job analysis that focuses on the worker's attributes required to perform tasks, rather than the tasks themselves, is called a:
- Task-oriented job analysis
- Worker-oriented job analysis (Correct answer)
- Functional job analysis
- Hierarchical task analysis
Correct answer: Worker-oriented job analysis
Worker-oriented job analysis identifies the human attributes (KSAs) needed to perform job duties, contrasting with task-oriented approaches that describe the tasks themselves.
Question 6: Content validity evidence for a selection test is most directly established by:
- Correlating test scores with supervisor performance ratings
- Demonstrating that test content mirrors important job tasks and KSAs identified in job analysis (Correct answer)
- Conducting factor analysis on test item responses
- Comparing passing rates across demographic groups
Correct answer: Demonstrating that test content mirrors important job tasks and KSAs identified in job analysis
Content validity requires demonstrating that the test systematically samples the knowledge, skills, and tasks identified as important through rigorous job analysis.
Question 7: In a competency model, 'behavioral indicators' serve the purpose of:
- Setting the minimum wage for each competency level
- Providing observable, specific examples of how a competency is demonstrated (Correct answer)
- Listing the certifications required for each job level
- Describing the organizational structure around a role
Correct answer: Providing observable, specific examples of how a competency is demonstrated
Behavioral indicators translate abstract competencies into concrete, observable actions, making assessment and development more objective and actionable.
KSA Job Analysis & Competency Mapping 2
Which job analysis method involves employees recording their own activities throughout the workday?