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Every assessment vendor will tell you their test is valid. But “validated” is one of the most misunderstood words in the employment testing world — and understanding what it actually means can be the difference between a hiring tool that works and one that just feels like it should.
What Validity Actually Means
Test validity is the degree to which an assessment actually measures what it claims to measure. That’s it. A valid pre-employment assessment for sales aptitude should identify candidates who will actually perform well in sales — not just candidates who score well on a test.
Importantly, validation is not a government stamp of approval. The EEOC does not validate pre-employment assessments. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance doesn’t either. Validation is a study — a body of statistical evidence — undertaken by the test publisher to demonstrate that the assessment measures what it purports to measure.
The Achiever has been validated in accordance with the procedures described in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing as referenced in Federal Register Volume 35 (August 1970). Candidate Resources, Inc. will defend the validation of the Achiever for any company using it correctly — and will provide the documentation to support that defense.
The Five Types of Validity
1. Construct Validity
Measures whether dimensions with similar names on different tests relate to one another. If two tests both claim to measure “dominance,” their results should correlate. Construct validity is the foundation that ensures the assessment is measuring real psychological traits — not just producing numbers.
2. Concurrent Validity
Tests whether the assessment distinguishes between top, middle, and bottom performers in a given job category. Real employees are grouped by performance level, their assessment scores are compiled, and benchmarks are established. This is how job-specific hiring patterns are created.
3. Predictive Validity
The gold standard. Candidates are assessed but the results are not used in the hiring decision. After six months or more on the job, the scores are correlated with actual performance. If the assessment predicted who would succeed and who would struggle — that’s predictive validity.
4. Content Validity
Applies to job function testing — typing tests, math tests, CPA exams, physical endurance assessments. The test directly replicates tasks the job requires.
5. Face Validity
Whether the test appears to be measuring the right things. This is the weakest form of validity — and the one most commonly confused with actual validation. A test that looks relevant isn’t necessarily valid. Always ask for the research.
The key question to ask any assessment vendor: “Can you provide the validity study for this assessment, and will you defend it if challenged?” If the answer is vague, that tells you everything you need to know.