All of the testers.

How is the dreaded aptitude tests? Günter Trost knows all the nasty traps. No wonder: In about 30 years ago, the psychologist many great tests for students and young professionals conceived. In this interview he talks about the merits and pitfalls.

 

Günter Trost was already a "test-Pope" because he in so many entrance exams in Germany contributed. With a doctorate in psychology deals since the seventies with aptitude testing. At that time he conducted research on behalf of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes for opportunities, the selection of fellows to improve. Later, he founded the ITB Consulting GmbH to customers whose numerous universities and corporations are in Germany. Lately, he is also back for the Academic Foundation worked: he developed the test, the students will each need to be applying for a scholarship.

blogs ONLINE: Mr. Trost, the
Students PISA test, the blogs, in cooperation with StudiVZ offers to have in a few weeks, several hundred thousand people participated. Surprised you the great interest?

DDP
Baccalaureate candidates: "Training improves the result is not significant"

Consolation: No, not at all. Interest in Self-Assessment - ie the fact itself to be measured - is especially for young people tremendous. They show a great willingness, their ability to examine and to show ...

blogs ONLINE: ... from which you have been more than a quarter century living. War readiness because even in the seventies as big as you started with your work and about the co-medical test, the qualifying examination for medical studies?

Consolation: Those were different times. There in the population far more reservations about testing in general - partly as a result of the'68 movement. Also in the testing policy was controversial. Many feared that a nationwide selection test was alone under secrecy aspects impracticable, so the test booklets were in secure vans, sometimes with a police, were sent.

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blogs ONLINE: Today we no longer hear much criticism, although some places or scholarships can only get, who is an aptitude test. Are the tests become better people or uncritical?

Consolation: The people have become more realistic and have realized that the tests on the fairness of the massive selection processes. They are the only instrument that is completely objective, and therefore a good corrective to some of school in which subjective factors are not preventable. As a school in the eighties were asked which tool they selected for the best hold, many have referred to the interview. Four years ago, colleagues have once again asked graduates. Now apply specialized Studierfähigkeitstests as the best choice, even before high school grade or a selection interview.

blogs ONLINE: Even if the current testing capabilities of a school can pinpoint what makes you so sure, success in studies to be able to predict?

ITB Consulting
Test Pope consolation: "Tests should never be the sole basis"

Solace: Even with the best practices, there is not one hundred percent accuracy. We do not aspire to the development of a people to 100 per cent forecast. But it has simply shown that certain tests for the study of important skills very precisely and therefore the prognosis of the academic success improve considerably.

blogs ONLINE: Can I have my test result improved by preparing me?

Trost: We should deal with the structure and the types of test familiar to no surprises to experience and thus no time to lose that one has to first make it clear what is in the individual test parts actually to be done. Beyond this "bombshell" evidence of no help. Unlike commercial test coaches believe can result due to his training did not significantly improve.

blogs ONLINE: How can it be that a short test provides better results than about one-Abi testimony, in which the observations of many teachers over several years reflected?

Consolation: school measure in the first place, as someone with the requirements of the previous section, education has to cope. That does not necessarily say something about how well the person with the specific requirements of a specific course in the future for them. Even the staff in a particular school subject is a relatively poor indicator of the success of study in the same compartment. In addition, school grades from different disciplines, schools and states only conditionally comparable. Despite these restrictions has, if the available indicators in isolation, the average grade in the school leaving certificate to have the highest predictive power with regard to the study success, but this is by the addition of proficiency tests increase considerably.

blogs ONLINE: If it tests good predictions, then they should not also be used in primary schools? Whether a child should go to the school or not, hitherto always provides for disputes between parents and teachers - and both are often wrong with their predictions.

Consolation: A test would certainly be helpful. One could examine cognitive abilities that are not so very different from the parental home are shaped. So far, the grammar school recommendations also probably heavily on communication behavior of a child determines the turn of parental influence depends. Even at this point tests can contribute to greater fairness.

blogs ONLINE: With your tests measure only certain mental abilities - but not what some social or emotional skills call. If there is not much more to it?

Consolation: Not much more, as well. Therefore, the tests will never be the sole basis, if an employer wants to recruit someone. The importance of this interdisciplinary, non-cognitive skills is now widely seen, and although more than there was 20 or 30 years.

blogs ONLINE: Such skills are considered strengths of women. Conversely, women have it harder in your tests?

Consolation: Indeed there are - even if not strong - differences in test performance between men and women. To cut women, for example, concentration and memory tasks somewhat better, however, men in quantitative tasks and the spatial imagination. If the gender-specific differences in the test for medical courses of the differences in the later grades of the two groups compared, we can see actually a slight disadvantage by the test finds - but of men.

The interview was conducted by Markus Verbeet

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