Comprehensive List of Career Assessment Tools

Career Assessment Tools 1

Comprehensive List of Career Assessment Tools

Kristen Davidson, B.A.

Ball State University

By searching library books, reading articles, and making use of my old text-book materials, I

have been able to create a compilation of career assessment tools that would be suitable to use in

a school setting. The tools include different types of paper-based and computer-based

inventories that assess one’s ability, achievement, interest, personality, values, and career

maturity. Additionally, the chosen inventories can cater to a wide range of interests and people,

including those that might be interested in military service and children in elementary school.

By reading through all of the materials, I even discovered some inventories that I had not been

previously exposed to. By sifting through the different tools, I was able to gain an overall

useful knowledge.

1. The Self-Directed Search

The Self-Directed Search (SDS) is the tool that we will be using while interviewing our “clients,” so I was curious to discover the facts surrounding the SDS. I know from using it with my “client” that is yields Holland types and discovered through investigation that is was developed as a research instrument to validate Holland’s theory (Sharf, 2006). The SDS uses subsets such as aspirations and competencies to measure one’s similarity to the six Holland types (Miller, 1997).

The SDS is most appropriate for use with high school-aged students but there are versions adapted for middle-school students (Miller, 1997). The SDS could be used in a variety of ways. For example, the test could be offered during freshman orientation, throughout the first few weeks of school to students in study hall or at lunch, in conjunction with FAFSA/parent meetings, or during a Psychology, Home Economics, or Technology class. Additionally, guidance counselors can purchase the copyrights for the SDS so they can usually offer it to their students at no cost.

The reliability of the SDS was recently studied by O’Connel at the University of Maryland. During this study, 65 people were administered the SDS during freshman orientation and again 7-10 months later. This test-retest reliability test showed little change in code (Sharf, 2006). However, some consider the test unreliable because 25% of students who take the SDS make errors in scoring the instrument and 10% of those errors cause the students to have a different Holland code result. To solve this problem, it is encouraged that trained proctor is available to help administer and score the tests (Miller, 1997).

The validity of the SDS is defined as the degree to which a person’s expressed interests relate to their inventory results. A study which began in 1977 in order to discover if one’s Holland code eventually led to their occupation. Fortunately, it has been found that the SDS has high validity with rates ranging from 48%-64% and is comparable to other inventories in its class (Krieshok, 1987).

1. California Occupational Preference System (COPS)

This inventory is very similar to the SDS is the sense that it takes one’s results and matches them with corresponding careers. However, the way this is done is slightly different. To begin, a person would take the inventory which is 168 items and typically takes about 20 minutes. Then each person is separated into career clusters consisting of: science, technology, outdoor, business, clerical, communication, arts, and service. The inventory results are matched with one of these career clusters to give the test taker an idea of what career would suit them best (EDITS, 2010).

This test is best used with high school aged students and is considered to be used for best practice when administered once in middle school and twice in high school. It is designed to assist in the career decision making process but should not be used as the sole source of information, like any assessment tool(EDITS, 2010).

In a study done by Knapp, Knapp, and Lee (1985), the COPS assessment was found to be 60-74% reliable in the prediction of career choice/college major and assessment results. Additionally, Knapp, Knapp, & Buttafuoco (1978) found the test-retest validity of the COPS inventory to be high (EDITS, 2010).

1. Discover

After listening to an educational seminar put on by a career counselor at Ivy Tech, I became aware of this counseling assessment. If people unaffiliated with Ivy Tech would like to take the Discover assessment, the administrators have no problem handing out usernames and passwords to those people. They will give access to those who would like to take the test or for counselors who would like to encourage their students/clients to take the assessment (Discover, 2011).

The assessment consists of a series of questions which are answers on a 4-point Likert scale. The inventory takes less than half an hour and specifically assesses career-relevant interests, abilities, and job values to incorporate them into a client’s “World of Work” map. The “World of Work” map is a circular shape with 6 different clusters representing different areas of work. After incorporating all of the answers to the previous questions, the computer based inventory shows test-takers what career options would best suit them. The Discover assessment also includes a guidance portion that highlights college majors, schools and training institutions, financial aid, scholarships, military options, and information on developing successful job seeking skills (Discover, 2011).

This assessment is best with high school aged students (Osborne, 1997). Additionally, after more than 20 empirical investigations over the past 20 years, it has been found that Discover is effective, reliable, and valid. The research has shown that Discover is specifically capable in increasing one’s career decidedness and occupational certainty, career maturity, self-efficacy, and vocational identity (Discover, 2011).

1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

After studying the work of Carl Jung, Katherine and Isabel Briggs created the MBTI. This assessment attempts to understand the way that a person attends to the world. After taking the assessment one gets four letters indicating their preferences. These categories include if one focuses their attention through introversion (I) or extroversion (E), if one takes in information through sensing (S) or intuition (I), if one makes decisions through thinking (T) or feeling (F), and if one deals with the outer world through judging (J) or perceiving (P) (Wakins & Campbell, 2000).

This test is most often used for older students and adults at the college level. However, it was designed to work for a wide range of clients. Moreover, the assessment is also used in middle school settings to help teachers to know how their students learn best. That way, educators can adapt their lessons in order to best serve their students (Wakins & Campbell, 2000).

While reliability shows to be sufficient with all age/ability ranges, test-takers 20 and over have a higher reliability than younger test-takers. Additionally, higher achieving students yield a higher reliability than lower achieving students (CapraroCapraro). Lastly, many have said that the validity of the MBTI is questionable because there has never been a success shown between assessment results and occupational choices (Pittenger, 1993).

1. Drive of Your Life

Drive of Your Life is a computer-based assessment designed for students ranging

in ages from 6th-12th grade. Particularly, it is a career exploration game featuring a “virtual drive” which allows students to answer questions about themselves based on Holland’s Codes. It was designed especially for Indiana students through a grant from the Lilly Endowment (Learn More Indiana, 2007).

Last school year over 15,000 schools and 100,00 students used Drive of Your Life. It is suggested that the assessment be broken down into 7 different lessons with a total of all lessons being at around 3 hours. These 7 lessons would allow the students to take the assessment and also explore potential job fields. The assessment is free for students (Learn More Indiana, 2007).

Due to the fact that Drive of Your Life was created in 2005, there has not yet been time for the administrators to conduct a reliability/validity research survey because the students it was created for have not yet gone on to college. However, the Indiana Youth Institute is in the process of doing an evaluation to see if Drive of Your Life has a positive effect on college going rates and college success rates (K.Coffman, personal communication, April 4, 2011).

6. Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization devoted to educating young people on workforce readiness and entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Junior Achievement is designed to help students learn these skills through a set a lessons and apply entrepreneurial thinking in the workplace.

The lessons range according to age group and are taught by community volunteers. The elementary age group of lessons focuses on career exploration and when students move towards high school, they are encouraged to discover financial literacy. Finally, in high school, Junior Achievement gives students opportunities to job shadow and explore other career that might be interesting to them. Finally, Junior Achievement is free of charge for students in participating school systems (Junior Achievement, 2011).

Longitudinal studies have shown that Junior Achievement students are more likely to go to college after graduation and were more confident in their ability to complete college. Additionally, Junior Achievement students were more likely to have a positive self-concept and take responsibilities for their actions, which according to the literature, are two skills that are easily carried into adulthood for future successes (Junior Achievement, 2004).

1. Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

This paper-based aptitude test was created to replace separate Army, Navy, and Air Force batteries. This test is most suitable for high school seniors but there are gender-specific versions designed for 9-12 graders. It takes about 3 hours to take the 12 different tests included in the battery and because armed services have collaborated with programs within schools, the test is available for free (Zunker, 1990).

These 12 tests combine to produce 5 composite scores in one’s ability to deal with written materials and verbal concepts, ability to understand quantitative concepts, ability to perform clerical activities, ability to understand mechanical principles, and the ability to perform automotive and electronic shop activities. In the results section of the test, students can see potential successful sample job groupings. For instance, in regard to a certain math score jobs such as a computer operator, inventory clerk, or data processor might be listed (Zunker, 1990) .

The reliability of the test is said to be questionable because the subtests are too short. The test appears to have face validity, but adequate data is lacking to determine if the tests measure what they are supposed to measure. Overall, “sufficient data for determining the validity and reliability is not available” (Zunker, 1990).

1. Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R)

The Wide Range Achievement Test is a paper-based achievement test for measuring arithmetic, reading, and spelling. The arithmetic section can be given in approximately 10 minutes, the examiner will say a list of 46 words for the examinee to spell during the spelling section, and the reading section requires the examinee to read from a list of words that become progressively more difficult. The test is suitable for children as well as adults since different versions have been developed. However, this test is mostly used with high school-aged students and is usually free to these high school students (Zunker, 1990).

The reliability of the Wide Range Achievement Test was obtained by the split-half method based on odd-even scores. The reported coefficients are outstanding, ranging from .94 to .98. Validity for the same test was proven by comparing WRAT subtest scores with scores on several widely used intelligence and achievement tests. It was proven to be sufficient (Zunker, 1990).

The results of the test are reported in percentiles and scaled scores by age-level. This test is highly regarded because of its swiftness but also because it can be used as an educational screening tool. Specifically, it is useful for obtaining an understanding of where those with low educational achievement are lacking and excelling. This can then be used to assist in vocational planning (Zunker, 1990).

1. Survey or Interpersonal Values (SIV)

The Survey for Interpersonal Values measures six ways in how one would like to relate to other people. These six categories include how one wants to be treated with understanding through support, how one does what they feel is socially correct through conformity, how one likes to be admired through recognition, the independence level one like to work around, how one likes to do things for other people through benevolence, and how one takes on leadership of others. The inventory can be given in 20 minutes and requires the test-taker to choose the most important and least important statement out of three different statements. It is usually provided for free through an organization that an individual might be affiliated with like school (Zunker, 1990).

Reliability of the test ranges from .71 to .86. and test-retest correlations for an interval of 15 weeks range from .65-.76. Validity is demonstrated by correlations between the SIV and other inventories such as the Study of Values and is consider efficient (Zunker, 1990) .

The SIV scores are interpreted by percentile equivalents with norms available for both male and female groups. Furthermore, means and standard deviations by sex are provided for each of the six values for the normative groups in addition to samples including foreign students. The SIV is recommended for use in vocational guidance, where values can be related to occupation and in individual counseling, where results can be a stimulus for discussion (Zunker, 1990).

1. Career Maturity Inventory (CMI)

The Career Maturity Inventory is divided into two parts: attitude and

competence. Both scales are applicable to males, females, minorities, and other special groups. It can also be hand or digitally scored. The attitude scale is designed to measure how much the client is concerned with vocational choice. This section of the test is in true-false format and includes a counseling form which yields a sub-scale score in decisiveness in career decision making, involvement in career decision making, independence in career decision making, orientation to career decision making, and compromise in career decision making. The client is given 50 minutes to complete both parts of the inventory and the inventory is given for free to clients and students.

A test-retest measure of reliability with a one-year interval yielded a coefficient of .71. Additionally, content validity was established by ten expert judges. Criterion-related validity was also established by comparing scores on the attitude scale with other criteria of career maturity like Super’s indices of vocational maturity.

The CMI results provide the degree to which clients have reached career maturity. The results are provided in an easy-to-understand table format which features the 5 different sub-scale scores previously mentioned. Additionally, individual results can be evaluated in order to stimulate counseling conversations. For example, if a client marks “false” on a question regarding their ability to manage finances, the career counselor could use this information in the client sessions.

References

Capraro, R. M., & Capraro, M.M. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator score reliability across studies: A

meta-analytic reliability generalization study. Texas A&M University.

Discover, ACT, Inc., 2011. Retrieved from

EDITS Online. (2010). A brief summary of the reliability and validity of the COPSystem

assessments. Retrieved April 11, 2011 from testing-supplementals/63-newsletter-1.html

Junior Achievement (2004). The impact on students of participation in JA Worldwide: Selected

cumulative and longitudinal findings. Retrieved from long_ summary.pdf

Junior Achievement (2011). News Room: Fact Sheet. Retrieved from

about_news_fact.shtml

Knapp, R. R., Knapp, L., & Buttafuoco, P. M. (1978). Interest changes and the classification of

occupations. Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance, 11, 14–19.

Knapp, R. R., Knapp, L., & Knapp-Lee, L. (1985). Occupational interest measurement and subsequent career decisions: A predictive follow-up study of the COPSystem Interest Inventory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 32,348-354. DOI:10.1037/0022-0167.32.3.348

Krieshok, T.S. (1987). Review of the self-directed search. Journal of Counseling and

Development, 9.

Learn More Indiana. (2007). Learn more Indiana: Your college and career connection. Retrieved

from

Miller, M.J. (1997). Error rates on two forms of the self-directed search and satisfaction with

the results. Journal of Employment Counseling, 12.

Osborne, W. L., (1997), Career development, assessment, and counseling : applications of the

Donald E. Super C-DAC approach, Alexandria, Va. : American Counseling Association.

Pittenger, D. J. (1993). Measuring the MBTI and coming up short. Journal of Career Planning

and Placement.

Sharf, S.S. (2006). Applying Career Development Theory to Counseling. California: Thomson

Wadsworth.

Watkins Jr., E. C., & Campbell, V. L. (2000).Testing and Assessment in Counseling Practice.

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, London.

Zunker, V.G. (1990). Using assessment results for career development: third edition.

California, Wadsworth, Inc.