KSA Legal Compliance & Ethical Assessment Practices 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A KSA assessor is asked to develop a test for a job that does not yet exist. Which validation strategy is MOST appropriate in this situation?
- Concurrent validation using current employees
- Synthetic validity using job component information (Correct answer)
- Predictive validation using future applicants
- Face validity ratings from subject-matter experts
Correct answer: Synthetic validity using job component information
Synthetic validity builds validity evidence by linking component KSAs to known valid measures, making it feasible when a job doesn't yet have incumbents to study.
Question 2: The executive order requiring federal contractors to take affirmative action regarding race, color, religion, sex, and national origin is:
- Executive Order 11246 (Correct answer)
- Executive Order 13985
- Executive Order 11375
- Executive Order 13087
Correct answer: Executive Order 11246
Executive Order 11246, signed in 1965, requires federal contractors to take affirmative action and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
Question 3: Which of the following assessment scenarios BEST illustrates a violation of the ethical principle of 'do no harm' (non-maleficence)?
- Using a validated test with a moderate adverse impact ratio
- Sharing individual scores with supervisors without candidate consent (Correct answer)
- Setting a cut score that reduces hiring rates slightly
- Using a cognitive ability test without first establishing face validity
Correct answer: Sharing individual scores with supervisors without candidate consent
Sharing confidential assessment results without consent causes direct harm to the candidate's privacy and trust, violating non-maleficence.
Question 4: Under OFCCP regulations, which document must federal contractors develop to analyze and address any underutilization of women and minorities?
- Adverse impact report
- Affirmative Action Program (AAP) (Correct answer)
- EEO-1 form
- Disparate treatment audit
Correct answer: Affirmative Action Program (AAP)
OFCCP requires covered federal contractors to develop and maintain a written Affirmative Action Program (AAP) that identifies underutilization and establishes placement goals.
Question 5: A KSA assessor uses a norm-referenced test but the norms were established 15 years ago with a different population. The most significant ethical concern is:
- The test may have outdated format design
- Score interpretations may be inaccurate due to norm obsolescence (Correct answer)
- The copyright may have expired
- Reliability coefficients change over time
Correct answer: Score interpretations may be inaccurate due to norm obsolescence
Outdated norms from a different population can render score interpretations invalid, leading to inaccurate and potentially harmful selection decisions.
Question 6: When adverse impact is found in a multi-hurdle selection process, UGESP requires that the adverse impact analysis be conducted:
- Only at the final selection stage
- At each individual step and for the overall process (Correct answer)
- Only when a protected class member files a complaint
- On a rolling 5-year basis
Correct answer: At each individual step and for the overall process
UGESP mandates adverse impact analysis at each stage of a multi-hurdle process and for the total process, because earlier hurdles may mask or amplify disparities.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'bona fide occupational qualification' (BFOQ) defense in the context of KSA assessment?
- A test score that meets the minimum threshold for federal certification
- A characteristic normally prohibited from consideration that is essential to performing the job (Correct answer)
- A job requirement waived for candidates from protected groups
- An employer's right to use any selection tool without validation
Correct answer: A characteristic normally prohibited from consideration that is essential to performing the job
BFOQ allows employers to use otherwise prohibited characteristics (e.g., sex, religion) when they are genuinely necessary to perform the core functions of the job.
KSA Legal Compliance & Ethical Assessment Practices 5
A KSA assessor is asked to develop a test for a job that does not yet exist.
Which validation strategy is MOST appropriate in this situation?