This article addresses performance testing based on criterion-referenced measurement. A brief description of performance objectives is presented, followed by a discussion of the different types of performance tests: pencil and paper, identification, simulation, and work sample. Checklists and other types of rating scales are identified. (CT)

Construction of a work sample test, the Investigator Planning Exercise (IPE), for the job of detective in the Chicago (Illinois) Police Department is described. Simulated crime scenarios, a mock crime scene, and five checklists of necessary skills (i.e., ability to summarize and communicate facts, identify inconsistencies, and determine the next…