COMPLIANCE WITH EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES APPLICABLE TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND USE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS (AIUO)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00156R000300050050-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2006
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: July 23, 1979
• Content Type: MF

Approved qfi ~ n 6t'12(iW, tk -F # 3L Y56R000300050050-5
23 July 197
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Admi:.istration
VIA : Charles A. Bohrer., M.D.
Director of MedicalServices
FROM
Chief, Psychological Services Staff
Office of Medical Services
SUBJECT : Compliance with Educational Testing
Service Principles and Guidelines
.Applicable to the Administration and
Use of Psychological Tests (AIUO)
REFERENCE : Educational Testing Service Principles,
Policies and Procedural Guidelines
Re ar ing ETS Products and Services
atee 1 ebruary 1979 (Copy Attac red)
1. In the summer-of 1978, the Psychological. Services
Staff (PSS) was informed by representatiticsfrom Educational
Testing Service (ETS) that our psychological testing program
would have to be declared in full compliance with a. compre-
hensive set of principles and guidelines published initially,
in August of 1.977. The rationale for these guidelines is
explained in detail in the preface of the attached document.
Their basic purpose-is to put ETS on solid footing with
respect to Federal law pertaining to the use of psychological
-tests for personnel selection and placement purposes and hence
enable ETS to meet successfully any legal. challenge to the use
of their products and services which might be made. As you
know, PSS has a contract with ETS to administer Part I of our
Professional Test Battery (PTB) in 91 field testing centers
located throughout the United States, including one in
Hawaii. In addition to the test administration, ETS supplies
us with new items for the SO-item PTB Current Affairs Test,
20 of which are replaced with new items every three months,
thus enabling this test. to retain its validity as a
truly current world events test.. Because of our contractual
use of their services,. we are. required by FITS to comply with
their guidelines. If we fail to do this, they would in all
likelihood terminate the contractual arrangement they have
with us. (A1U0)
se 2006/12/27 - (',IA-RfPR3-nn1Fr~Rnnninnn6nncn-J
STA
 Approved For Release?2bb6112i27'` CIAtD'B=BOO R 018 00050050-5
SUBJECT: Compliance with Educational Testing Service Principles
and Gu.idelines Applicable to the Administration and
Use oi' Psychological Tests (AIUO)
2. Beginning in 1978, we initiated a series of discussions
with ETS representatives for the purpose of informing them in
detail how PTB results are used in CIA to help make personnel
hiring and placement decisions. Prior to these meetings ETS
had no information of any kind concerning the use of tests in
CIA. As we began to describe to them how the tests are used,
it was very gratifying to find ourselves already in full com-
pliance with the vast majority of their principles and guide-
lines. This reaffirmed our perception of the fundamental correct-
ness of the policies governing the use of the PTB which have beer.:
in effect since the introduction of the PTB in the mid-1950s.
In order to be able to complete the briefings, and thus demon-
strate full compliance with the few remaining guidelines, it was
necessary to have the ETS representatives cleared at the secret
level, which occurred this past spring, and on July 11 of this
year we reviewed for them the test validation research carried
.out over the years in PSS, much of which is classified at the
secret level. (LIUO)
3.' Based.on thes,e briefings, ETS has given us strong
positive assurance to the effect that they plan to formally
declare us in full compliance with their principles and guide-
lines as speller: out in the attached document. They were
tremendously impressed with the magnitude of the test valida-
tion research program carried out in PSS over the years. They
were particularly gratified to see data which show-clearly that
PTB testing has no adverse impact on the hiring and placement
of `Blacks in CIA. Following receipt of a letter which we plan
to write shortly, in which we must provide specific guidance
concerning the content of the current affairs items they write
for us.every three months, the ETS officials who administer
the contract with us will write a report for their senior
corporate officers on our compliance with the principles and
guidelines. We fully expect that report, a copy of which will
bo made available to us, to declare us in full compliance with
every point in their published guidelines. Since these guide-
lines represent clearly the most stringent and comprehensive
set of criteria available today concerning the use of psychological
tests for personnel decis von-making purposes, we feel that our
ability-to demonstrate compliance so readily fully justifies
our long-held belief that our psychological testing program is
one of the finest of its kind to be found in any contemporary
organization, in either the public )
Attachment