The Effective and Quick Test that Measures Cognitive Ability
by Ashley Ward & Regan Lang
Have you ever wondered whether or not your candidate’s cognitive ability matches the requirements for the job? By implementing the Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment, you can minimize this risk when hiring and ensure your candidate’s cognitive ability matches the demands of the role before hiring.
Measuring cognitive ability is scientifically proven to directly correlate to a candidate’s success in the workplace. Who wouldn’t want to predict a candidate’s potential success? Cognitive ability has been scientifically proven to predict employee success more than ibuprofen’s scientific ability to heal a headache. * Now that’s good data!
What is the Cognitive Assessment?
The PI Cognitive Assessment is a short, 12- minute, multiple-choice test that is designed to test cognitive ability. The test includes a mix of questions from three content categories; numerical, verbal, and abstract reasoning. These questions are designed to measure an individual’s capacity to learn, adapt and grasp new concepts in the workplace. The PI Cognitive Assessment is not the same as an intelligence test, but rather one that helps us understand one’s general cognitive ability. It is often recommended over other valid or measurable cognitive tests due to the amount of information collected when applied with additional Predictive Index resources.
Assessment Scoring and Reliability
Numerous studies have been done to examine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the PI Cognitive Assessment as well as its reliability, validity, and fairness. The results have shown a rather high level of reliability, validity, and fairness. Predictive Index now has over 8,000 clients across 142 countries and is trusted to deliver reliable tests with helpful information. Based on the fact this assessment is used as a single piece of evidence in recruitment and talent management decisions, the Cognitive assessment’s level of reliability is considered highly reliable in comparison to other methods.
All Predictive Index Cognitive Assessments are also statistically equivalent, which makes it possible to compare scores among different administrations. Each test is graded on a scale from 100-450 in order to ensure the ability to easily compare and contrast scores of the potential candidates. This assessment has test-retest reliability which means an individual may retake the test if given the opportunity, but it is not likely their score will increase due to the level of consistency from test to test.
This information is necessary for the workplace because it is a clear representation of their ability to absorb and process complex information. This score is going to determine whether or not they are able to complete the tasks needed for a given job. This assessment also is an indication of their ability to catch on quickly and figure things out on their own. Every position is in need of someone qualified and capable that will either meet or exceed performance expectations.
How the PI Assessments Work Together
The Predictive Index is a company that offers assessments in order to determine an individual’s behavioral drives (Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, and Formality) as well and their cognitive ability in the workplace. The PI Assessments work together in order to understand the type of person needed for a specific role or strategy by collecting “people data.”
The Predictive Index offers a Job Assessment, Behavioral Assessment, Cognitive Assessment in order to evaluate the potential individual’s behavioral and cognitive fit for the responsibilities set in the Job Assessment. The PI Cognitive Assessment is built into the Predictive Index platform and is created to provide a scientifically validated measure of general cognitive ability that you can benchmark against your target score. Without these assessments, there is a higher risk this candidate will go through the entire onboarding process, only to then realize they are not a good fit for the position.
Key Takeaways
There is ample evidence to demonstrate that the assessment is carefully constructed and is valid, reliable, and fair for workplace decision-making. Here are the key takeaways:
- The Cognitive Assessment is a 12-minute assessment with 50 questions, which effectively measures general cognitive ability in a short amount of time.
- The Cognitive Assessment shows sufficient test-retest reliability and strong internal consistency and is scored to allow you to compare individuals’ abilities.
- Construct validity evidence shows strong correlations between the PI Cognitive Assessment and other valid, reliable measures of cognitive ability.
- The PI Cognitive Assessment is a fair assessment, demonstrating minimal to no score differences based on age and gender.
Are you interested in learning how W Talent Solutions can help you with your team building and hiring process utilizing Predictive Index? To learn how to implement Predictive Index assessments into your talent program and chat with one of our team members, reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.
*Reference: Science Behind the PI Cognitive Assessment, The Predictive Index, 2019
