Subj : Re: Aptitude tests "not test well" (was: Software Job Market Myths) To : comp.programming,comp.software-eng From : blmblm Date : Fri Aug 19 2005 03:07 pm In article <7M6Ne.30362$Tf5.3981@newsread1.mlpsca01.us.to.verio.net>, wrote: >blmblm@myrealbox.com wrote: >>In article , >>Robert Maas, see http://tinyurl.com/uh3t wrote: >>>> From: blm...@myrealbox.com >>>> >if I were designing an application form, I would >>>> >not bother to put an age field on there, or even a DOB field, despite my >>>> >earlier point about it being a useful indicator. And that's because I >>>> >wouldn't bother putting a former employer section or a qualification >>>> >section on the form. Instead, I'd put in an aptitude test. >>> >>>> it seems to me that it would screen out people who don't "test well", >>>> i.e., people who aren't very good at demonstrating their abilities >>>> under a particular kind of pressure that doesn't seem entirely relevant >>>> to what you'd want them to do on the job. >>> >>>IIRC that kind of pressure mostly applies when contestants are >>>called into a room at a particular time with a standardized test >>>with a limited amount of time to finish the test. If the test were >>>instead given over the Web [ snip ] >>Yes, but it raises an addition, possibly more important, concern: >> >>If the test is given over the Web, I can't think of any way for >>the tester to have any confidence that the answers being given are >>coming from the person being tested himself/herself. The scenario >>you describes seems to make it very easy for the person being tested >>to cheat in any number of ways that would be difficult or impossible >>to detect (hiring someone to take the test, asking others for help, >>etc.). An ethical person would not do this, but not everyone's >>ethics are above reproach, no? > >The purpose of such a test (IMO) is to simulate the work environment, >within which people might be reasonably expected to consult other >employees, the Web, etc., to solve certain types of problems. Good point. Still, I think there might be resources available to the sufficiently unethical test-taker that might not be available, or feasible, in a work situation -- e.g., just paying someone else to take the test. I guess if one were hired based on the results of the test, one could then continue to fake it by paying the actual test-taker to help with hard problems, but it seems like that might get expensive, or might be problematical with regard to disclosing confidential information, or something. [ snip ] -- | B. L. Massingill | ObDisclaimer: I don't speak for my employers; they return the favor. .