High-stakes testing in employment, credentialing, and higher education - Prospects in a post-affirmative-action world

Cognitively loaded tests of knowledge, skill, and ability often contribute to decisions regarding education, jobs, licensure, or certification. Users of such tests often face difficult choices when trying to optimize both the performance and ethnic diversity of chosen individuals. The authors descri be the nature of this quandary, review research on different strategies to address it, and recommend using selection materials that assess the full ra nge of relevant attributes using a format that minimizes verbal content as much as is consistent with the outcome one is trying to achieve. They also recommend the use of test preparation, face-valid assessments, and the cons ideration of relevant job or life experiences. Regardless of the strategy a dopted, it is unreasonable to expect that one can maximize both the perform ance and ethnic diversity of selected individuals.