Competency Category:

19.2 – Follow Administration Procedures Specified by Test Publisher

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) assess clients to inform interventions. CDPs administer assessment and evaluation instruments, following recognized testing practices and complying with test publisher recommendations. CDPs who administer tests should be familiar with associated legal, technical, and professional considerations. Test administrators should meet the qualifications required by the test publisher.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

  • P1. Provide relevant information to client prior to session, e.g. rights and responsibilities, purpose, content, format,test-taking strategies, scoring criteria, reporting, confidentiality
  • P2. Obtain informed consent for the assessment or evaluation
  • P3. Prepare for assessment and evaluation session:
    • Identify suitable location, e.g. accessible, quiet, comfortable with minimal distractions
    • Implement approved accommodations for test takers with disabilities, e.g. extended testing time, extra breaks,different test forms
    • Explain testing software or equipment to client, as applicable
  • P4. Administer assessment and evaluation tools in compliance with test instructions
  • P5. Observe testing session to identify test taker behaviour(s) that could comprise integrity of test results, e.g.
    signs of anxiety, signs of deteriorating health, not following instructions
  • P6. Take appropriate action to correct behaviour
  • P7. Record all environmental, health, emotional or other incidents that have occurred during the testing session that
    may impact test validity
  • P8. Collect all test materials
  • P9. Report any breaches of security, e.g. missing test materials, cheating
  • P10. Secure test materials
  • P11. Protect confidentiality of test information

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

  • K1. Testing principles and ethical use of tests
  • K2. Legal rights of test takers
  • K3. Confidentiality of test materials and test information

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

None

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

None

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), 2014.

Test in Print IX. Buros Centre for Testing. Nancy Anderson, Jennifer E. Schuleter, Janet F. Carlson, and Kurt F. Geisinger, 2016.

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A career development professional requires a minimum experience of administrating 10 different assessment tools in varying testing conditions.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None