Using Tests Effectively in the Public Sector
There are far more similarities than differences when it
comes to effective testing in the public versus private sector. Nevertheless,
there are some unique differences in employment testing for hiring and promotion
purposes in the public sector. In particular, public sector testing occurs
in a public arena, and therefore often requires greater openness regarding the
testing process and greater public availability of information regarding
individual test performance, test score use, test development, and other aspects
of the testing process.
Merit Systems
U.S. government agencies often base their hiring and
promotional practices on a merit system, which uses a competitive
examination process to assess the level or degree of qualification of
candidates. These examinations may consist of one or more tests, such as
multiple-choice tests, essays, interviews, physical ability tests, and
performance tests.
Some tests may be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. One
or more tests, however, must be scored on a more discrete basis, often
percentage scores, to permit ranking of candidates. If more than one test
is used, the scores can be weighted, and then combined to result in an overall
score.
Once candidates final numeric examination scores are
computed, they are placed on an eligible list in descending rank order
based on this score and are then considered in this order for hiring or
promotion. Different agencies use different rules for designating
those candidates who are eligible for final hiring/promotion. One of the more
common rules is to allow consideration of only the three highest scoring
candidates. Some agencies permit consideration of only the highest scoring
candidate. And, at the other extreme, some agencies apply a rule of the
list wherein any candidate on the rank ordered list may be considered.
Civil Service Examinations
The civil service examination is the primary mechanism
for selection into and promotion up through the ranks of many U.S. government
agencies. This results in agencies conducting a large number of highly
structured multi-faceted examinations. Because many individuals are
attracted to this type of employment setting, and because many agencies conduct
extensive outreach recruitment, large candidate groups are often the norm. This
situation routinely presents considerable challenges in constructing and
administering rigorous, comprehensive examinations for jobs to which hundreds or
even thousands of candidates apply.
Validation Strategy
Public agencies tend to rely on
content-oriented test construction to demonstrate the job-relatedness of
employment tests. There are several reasons for this tendency, including:
1. They follow a rigid job classification system,
with different jobs being specifically and narrowly defined. Job descriptions or
class specifications serve as a good starting point for constructing a
more content-oriented test.
2. They often prefer to hire employees fully
proficient in a given type of work when possible, making a content validation
strategy particularly applicable. Relative merit is often defined
in terms of to do the job. Defining relative merit in this manner
reflects the preference for a high level of content knowledge/skillful
performance among those hired.
3. Public sector employers may be required to
have a relatively open system that allows for public scrutiny of processes,
including candidate protest of examinations; and content-oriented tests,
which usually exhibit a high degree of face validity that makes them more
acceptable to laypersons, are less likely to attract criticism.
4. Resources are often limited among public
sector employers, so their ability to conduct more elaborate test validation
research (or even to purchase tests) is restricted. The narrowness of job
classifications also serves to deter conducting criterion-validation studies
because most jobs have too few incumbents to yield consistent results
statistically.
Employment Testing Table
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