The 3D of Good Recruitment Test

E-governance has changed the way Government has extended services to citizens. The emphasis on providing more services to stakeholders have resulted in the need to expand resources, most important among them being Human Resources. Government recruitment has always been top priority in the agenda for job seekers and hence recruitment tests have been of very high stakes.

The need to maintain fairness, security, transparency and inclusivity has emerged as key priorities that define the quality of a test. Attention to scientific principles of testing – its Design, Development and Delivery – is must to achieving these key priorities. While we have seen millions of tests being administered in India, a large number of these tests do not follow the key principles and hence fall prey to legal and reputational hassles.

Test Design and its Development is an important facet of any test. Many tests do not pay attention to key attributes – its reliability and validity. A large number of recruitment tests are good to assess the knowledge of candidates while it should actually measure their ability to apply that knowledge. The reason is that the tests are not build to measure basic competencies that are desired in the candidate to perform well in a job that he or she will fill. Use of academic qualification tests for recruitment to leading PSUs or government departments is a clear example of this. Tests that are not reliable or valid does not give a fair chance for candidates to perform and qualify the recruitment test while they might be a deserving for the job thereby compromising on principle of fairness.

Delivery of test has taken a lot of prominence in recruitment decisions of Government bodies. The number of candidates appearing for tests and its spread has made test administration a complex activity. The increasing cases of exam fraud and the legal implications arising from RTI queries has added a new dimension to this complexity.

Recruitment bodies today have the option to choose from various delivery model – each that offer different benefits. Paper based exams continue to be the most common form of recruitment exam today. The role of technology in a paper based exam has increased manifold over the years. Use of technology in specific functions – application processing, candidate authentication and result processing has made paper based exams offer greater accuracy and speed. Moreover, the ability to administer paper based exams almost anywhere in the country makes it highly inclusive. Computer based exam is yet another trend that is capturing the attention of decision makers for obvious benefits it offer – security, transparency and speed. While the possibility of administering these forms of exams are proven, decision makers should take the right decision keeping the stakes – job role, test taker, key priorities – in mind.

Good exam is not just an e-Governance project. It is the right blend of scientific testing, leveraging right technology and stress on flawless delivery. The emphasis on 3D – Design, Development and Delivery – are quintessential attributes in offering fairness, security and transparency in exams while still making it inclusive.