Testing in employment: the 2009 IRS survey

This 2009 survey of employers examines their attitudes towards testing, the types of testing they use and how they administer and use tests in employment-related areas. It also compares their procedures with good practice guidelines and highlights the ways in which employers would like to improve their test use.

On this page:
How many employers use testing?
The uses to which employers put testing
Chart 1: Uses of tests in HR-related practices
Policies governing the use of psychometric tests
Chart 2: Policies developed by employers that use testing
Reasons why some employers use testing  
Reasons why other employers do not use tests
Using selection tests
Using the results of selection testing
Chart 3: How test results are used in recruitment and selection
Sources of psychological tests used by employers
How employers choose tests
Chart 4: Information used by employers when choosing tests
Equal opportunities considerations
Employers' relationship with test-takers
Chart 5: Information given to test-takers by employers
Test formats
Chart 6: Test formats used by employers
Supervision methods
Trends in employers' use of testing
Factors influencing employers' greater use of testing
Improving employers' use of tests
Chart 7: The ways in which employers would like to improve testing
Attitudes of test-users
Our research
Table 1A: Types of test used in recruitment and selection
Table 1B: Types of test used in recruitment and selection
Table 2: Sources of employers' tests
Additional resources.