Undertaken at the request of the U.S. Employment Service (USES), this study assesses the validity and fairness of the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The U.S. Department of Labor is considering whether to promote the use of the GATB throughout the USES to screen many of the 19 million persons passing through the system annually in search of…

A United States Employment Service (USES) General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) plan was formulated to evaluate and develop additional job-related assessment methods. Eighteen alternative predictors were reviewed, from which biodata was selected for development. The literature indicates that biodata provides increased validity with little or no…

Examines the legitimacy of concern with the disproportionate distribution of false negatives and positives in job screening through imperfectly predictive tests. Argues that false negatives should pose problems for meritocrats concerned with individual over group rights, and that result-oriented quotas must be differentiated from screening with…

Discusses problems with the Committee on the General Aptitude Test Battery's report "Fairness in Employment Testing" (1989). Finds that, while the report is thorough, major questions remain in a number of areas, including inconsistent definitions, "false negatives," rationale for criteria, and lack of full disclosure. Endorses…