FIELD TESTING OF PROFESSIONAL APPLICANTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R002300190082-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2002
• Sequence Number: 82
• Publication Date: March 8, 1968
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2003/04/29 :CIA-RDP84-00780F
gPp?7 919W8-9 / o 7
ie1 M FM: Deputy Director for
UBJE : Field Testing of Profgaianal Applicants
l.. m andum co ntaine in paragraph 9 a rec Lion for the
approval of the deputy motor for Support.
2. In +e erase with. your request, consideration has been given to
alternative approaches to the resumption of field testing of professional
app1icezts for Agency eMloymant. This scenelion included different
(a itjons of the teat battery and alternative Lion a for esainistra.
Lion the battery. This latter was in response to yo specific suggestion
for comold ratUm of a "split battery", i.e., administration. at headquarters
of any p at the battery that ai ht be -considered controversial in any
vy.
3. Li the 't of the recent experience that lead to the present
pissing-out of eel Federal Career Development Progress (FLIP) meehaniam for
testing, the assmption me rode that field testing when resumed will,
re rdleesa of the msachaniea used, be "open" to the some that the testing
will In acknowledged an an Amy matter eltbe , not necessarily advertised
as such,
4. review reed that the awre Agency management learns about
an apglie t before its ftelsion to inceas* the a ense in time and money
of bra the iMividuml to ie aht gton f* further intee ,ews, the more
efficient the selection procodure will be. in the case of a security agency
this is, of lea even more ias ortant because of the expense of extensive
'beeuk roun4 I mleatj tions, and the risk of exposing Agenecy procedures to
candidates wbe, y not ultivAtely be selected. It was also recognized that
field testing at-Jae F type to the most efficient meates, all costs con-
sidered., of proviftng management with this foMkwVleee of candidates.
And in its stelua.tion of the test results of a ea gd dato, the equal Importance
to the msen r of the results of the non-InteiUmatual ("personality") por?
donee as as the intellectual ("cognitive") portions of the test are
evident. SMA00d., sine a candidate e s educational record testis in most cases
to coo 4 certain seem intellectual eando's ent, the test results of the
perae r' n-cogttive attributes assa> on even greater relative importance
in t1r manager's decision.
5. It is fisted that the non-co ive portions of our Professional
Applicunt Test ;may (PATH), *lab was (Fcnp) and is our standard test
for professional applicants, are not considered cc roversial and are in
.. .:ra~ir~ tr
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 Approved-For Release 2003/0 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
8U&=e TWA Testing of i essiooal Applicants
are to be considered an "lairs of privacy" in the some of "pay ho1o-
gical" or "pasyob astrie" testing as construed in the current bi.U saaseitted
by Senator & vin. In red, it be reed that when the Agency was don-
aideriag as possible to t of We bill low eueaer no test given or
monitored by ow Assessment and Evnlaetion eft was considawod to fall
within *w intent of the bill. dse 15 yea's expertowe with the PATB
reinforces %IAx cOnolueion.
6. $evertb.less, as the result of ceer review of this ]fatter, we have
damped One alt tine approaches for the resew ton of field testing;
two of those to different degrees forage art a oogaitiYe testing outside of
tea ftw ra . '.ties essentials of these twee alternatives we outlined in
the Sated t . all al taern atives all, pax sonvol Involved, applicants,
university officials ant test a istrators, vo%U be fully witting that
the test is an ncy ]fetter. Testing vW34 be c?n tad on at off-ca w
an apfrop ate, ant *ere neseaaary aruaraw~teaexece of university Officials i 14
be be obttaind. 'tare sale of Apwy tier rters eater atgr of the to
alternatives vadA be essentif an it has been i ar as their c acts
..a t . Anzl teents s testa ee'n4st rutoxe a sonee d.
T. as rdless of which at the three alts rnatives is selected for test
reaunttd it in believed that an effort ahoulA be made to di ssociste the
chosen alternative from t ba previcna l battery. 2bis tra ition can
be achieved, we believe, by a "slang off" period betve the ptbfeae-out
of the gad reffarbim at open testing. min fo ellat falu es in the
baste l 1fMId also a sist in this regard.
8. It is conclusion %bat Alternative I ?? eontiaertton of the
c 3a$ > with certain tot thuSes - is the field teat m aebaniasme
,of fir. Al terntive ZI would be the secant choice.
it is re coseefsn eed that:
a. The present ' be by 1
lbo Alta tiv e I -- -- osatinstion Of the cc901010te PAS with
cart** jolm* changes be aid for rseweptton of field testing
for proi4y l ag ants effective on oar about 1 JILW 1968.
o. Alm field taming henceforth to openly acekcopatlaedged as
such altbouat Acct aaesauort advertised.
Approved For Release 2 MOT : CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
 Approved For Release 2003104/29 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
JBT s Field Toting of Profess
Vm R. TINJRNS N.D.
Director of Medical Services
rec end*$iona contained in Pa9 are appjrov d.
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Distributions
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Approved For Release 203O41 91: CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
 Approved For Release 2003/04/29 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
Approved For Release 2003/04/29 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR002300190082-9
 COMMENT COMMENT
Meets a broad range of Requires a moderate
professional and amount of headquarters
managerial require- testing time-but does
ments. lose information which
is necessary for an
early, efficient, econom-
ical, pre-Washington
selection/placement
decision. A procedure
for testing early in. `
the headquarters visit,
would need to be firmly
established so that
information might be
available while appli-
cant is still at head-
;quarters.
A very minimum field
testing battery which
would require about
1/2 day headquarters
testing time. It loses
information in both
intellectual and non-
intellectual area and
provides only a gross
screen for deciding
only to bring (or not)
an applicant to Washing-
ton. It is less likely
to have an impact on the
selection/placement
decision because of the
timing (given at head
quarters) of the remainder
of the battery.
advertised, basis on selected campuses and/or o -campus sites, e.g., Federal Buildings.
The feasibility of such a-mechanism and its details especially an off-campus capability
need to be explored in depth with Agency cleared personnel..
IMPLEMENTATION - It is proposed that I (Present PATB (and the field phases of "split-
versions" II and III) be administered for us by n an "open", admitted but not 25
Approved For Release ii12.9;:8 146P84-00780R002300190082,9