Test User Training

I have decided to discontinue short public Test User training with a view to advocating for better practice and reform in Test Use by:

– Delivering Masters level college modules where there is an opportunity for substantive exploration of the benefits and limitations of testing for specific purposes

– Customising Professional Development Programmes on Test Use for Guidance Counsellors, Occupational and Educational Psychologists

– Working on “In the Shadow of Galton- a review of the Psychological Testing Narrative” for publication in Autumn 2025″

Francis Galton’s 1869 opus “Hereditary Genius” is considered a great work in the psychological canon and lays out the vision for the future discipline of psychological testing. (Simonton 2003 published in The Anatomy of Impact: What Makes the Great Works of Psychology Great, edited by R. J. Sternberg). Hereditary Genius focuses on the concept of natural ability, and the idea that a “normal” or “bellshaped” curve is descriptive of individual differences in what Galton called “natural ability”. This idea of a natural distribution of traits, ability or characteristics remains the cornerstone of testing in occupational, educational and clinical psychology.

Recent criticism of how the predictive validity of psychometric testing has been exaggerated (Sackett et al 2022, 2023) provides a window for us to stand back and review how the “objective measurement” process serves us. Questions previously made from the margins, and ignored by mainstream academia must now be revisted. Has viewing people as “subjects” of psychological testing rather than “clients” passed its best by date? What is the case for and how can we best embed client engagement and agency in contextualising test data?

“In the shadow of Galton” will set out to review technical research on psychological testing, challenging excessive belief in testing, and the characteristics or traits testing purports to accurately measure. The proposed book will make the case for the utility of adopting the best practice niceties promoted in Test User training – criticising the overuse of aptitude testing in selection, and the misapplication of labels from self report personality assessment. (ref BPS Test User Standards)

There remain many other training organisations that can offer accredited BPS training. However, if you are currently in a position to advocate for and influence testing reform, then we could explore an individualised approach to the BPS training curriculum.