The ITAB measures fluid intelligence with a proven predictive utility (validity) for technical occupations.  The ITAB is privately owned, but has gone through a series of thorough norm and validity studies with the U.S. Navy.  In a recent study it was shown that the ITAB tests have substantial incremental validity over ASVAB Selection Composites in the prediction of success in the Navy Apprentice Technical Training (ATT) program.  The Navy ATT program prepares recruits for a variety of technical vocations, including Electrician and Electrician Mate, Electonics Technician, Communications Technician, Gas Trubine Systems Technician, etc.

Recently, we completed a study with 8th graders in the State of Louisiana, which showed that the ITAB have good predictive utility for school achievements as measured with ACT EXPLORE tests, in particular for math and science. 

Most problems for which domain experts are hired depend on multiple information sources, which are often of a probabilistic nature. This certainly holds for the domain of selection and placement decisions. Decades of assessment research have shown that human experts are incapable of achieving high standards of accuracy in combining probabilistic information.

CogniMetrics Inc. has developed a unique expertise while conducting selection and classification studies for the U.S. Armed Forces. This expertise is different from the expertise of regular H.R. companies.  Regular H.R. companies may do an excellent job when an organization wants to hire one or more persons for a particular job, or for a group of very similar jobs (e.g., production personnel or construction workers).  Many large-scale selection / hiring situations in the civilian world no longer fit that description.  In those selection / hiring situations the problem is not simply to hire the best, but to maximize mean performance over multiple training programs. 

Is a selection procedure worth the investment?

CogniMetrics performs utility studies to help companies deciding whether or not psychological testing can improve a selection decision-making process and whether or not this investment is likely to pay off.

For larger institutions and corporations, custom-designed tests can be an economically sound solution to specific measurement objectives. CogniMetrics designs, develops, and validates cognition tests, based on innovative technology and the latest of psychological research, for your specific objectives.

Ippel, M.J., & Watson, S.E. (1998)
Paper presented at the Symposium "Getting UAV Research off the Ground" (co-chairs: M.J. Ippel and S.E. Watson) at the 42th Annual Meeting of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY, Chicago, Oct. 1998.

Ippel, M.J., & Watson, S.E. (2008)
Paper presented at the 50th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association, Amsterdam, Sept. 29 - Oct. 3, 2008.