L7 Utility

Utility

Usefulness or practical value of testing to improve efficiency

Psychometric Soundness

Reliability and Validity of a test.

Costs

Disadvantages, losses, or expenses in both economic and noneconomic terms.

Benefits

Profits, gains, or advantages.

Utility Analysis

Family of techniques that entail a cost-benefit analysis designed to yield information relevant to a decision about the usefulness and/or practical value of a tool of assessment.

Taylor-Russell Table

Provide an estimate of the extent to which inclusion of a particular test in the selection system will improve selection.

Naylor-Shine Table

Entails obtaining the difference between the means of the selected and unselected groups to derive an index of what test is adding to already established procedures.

Brogden-Cronbach-Gleser Formula

Used to calculate the dollar amount of a utility gain resulting from the use of a particular selection instrument under specified conditions.

Utility Gain

An estimate of the benefit (monetary or otherwise) of using a particular test or selection method.

Cut Scores

A reference point derived as a result of a judgment and used to divide a set of data into two or more classifications, with some action to be taken or some inference ot be made on the basis of these classifications.

Relative cut score

Reference point set based on norm-related considerations rather than on the relationship of test scores to a criterion.

Fixed cut score

Set with reference to a judgment concerning a minimum level of proficiency required to be included in a particular classification.

Multiple cut scores

Use of two or more cut scores with reference to one predictor for the purpose of categorizing test takers.

Multiple Hurdle

One collective element of a multi-stage decision-making process in which the achievement of a particular cut score on one test is necessary in order to advance to the next stage of evaluation of a selection process.

Angoff Method

Judgments of experts are averaged to yield cut scores for the test.

Known Groups Method

Collection of data on the predictor of interest from groups known to possess, and not to possess, a trait, attribute, or ability of interest where a cut score is set on the test that best discriminates the two groups’ test performance

Item Response Theory-Based Methods

In order to “pass” the test, the test taker must answer items that are deemed to be above some minimum level of difficulty, which is determined by experts and serves as the cut score.

Item-mapping method

An IRT-based method of setting cut scores that is more typically used in academic applications that entails the arrangement of items in a histogram, with each column containing items deemed to be of equivalent value.

Bookmark method

An IRT-based method of setting cut scores that is more typically used in academic applications.

Method of Predictive Yield

Takes into account the number of positions to be filled, projections regarding the likelihood of offer acceptance, and the distribution of applicant scores.

Discriminant Analysis

Statistical techniques are used to shed light on the relationship between identified variables (scores on a test battery) and two or more naturally occurring groups (such as persons to be judged to be successful at a job and persons judged unsuccessful at a job).