A Not So Funny Thing Happened at the Test Site

Terry McKinney

We can't train newer staff on how to handle every possible unexpected event that could occur at a test site. However, discussing in a staff meeting some of the scenarios that follow may help prepare staff for those unexpected events. PTC/A used these scenarios in a workshop last year and they generated considerable discussion. (As in real life, there is no answer key for these situations).

You are giving a power test to 75 candidates at your central facility and have one other staff member assisting you. The room is fairly full. The time limit for the test is 90 minutes. About 10 minutes in to the test, one of the candidates appears to have a seizure and falls to the floor. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You and two other staff members are giving a power test to 120 candidates at your central facility. This test is part of promotional process and the candidates are very competitive. The room is fairly full and the testing times is two hours. About 30 minutes have passed. Suddenly one of the candidates "flips out." The individual throws his chair and kicks over the table and walks toward the front of the room. The individual is yelling obscenities and talking about how unfair the organization is to him. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are doing "check in" at the exam site and the test is scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. The test is a traditional multiple choice and fill in the blank test for a bookkeeper position. A candidate informs you that he wants the test in enlarged print due to a vision disability. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are responsible for the testing program for your organization. You discover that one of your test proctors has consistently failed to time the timed highly speeded part of a test battery. This error began six weeks ago and about 50 candidates have taken this test in this "untimed" condition. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are giving a power test to 75 candidates at your central facility and have one other staff member assisting you. The room is fairly full. The time limit for the test is 90 minutes. About 30 minutes in to the test, the fire alarm goes off. There is no sign of a fire. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You and two other staff members are giving a power test to 120 candidates at your central facility. This test is part of promotional process and the candidates are very competitive. The room is fairly full and the testing times is two hours. About 30 minutes have passed. You notice that two of the candidates appear to be whispering together and passing information back and forth. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are responsible for the testing program for your organization. You discover that one of your testing assistants has been applying the scoring formula incorrectly. This error has benefitted some candidates and has hurt others. This error began six weeks ago and about 50 candidates have been misgraded. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are alone and giving a highly speeded test to 15 candidates at a remote site. The room is fairly full and is in the interior of the building. The time limit for the test is 10 minutes. About four minutes in to the test the electricity goes off. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You are doing "check in" at the exam site and the test is scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. The test is key board skills test for a clerical position. A wheel chair user arrives to take the test. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?
You and one other staff person are administering a written examination on a Saturday morning to a group of 100 candidates. No other staff is in the building. A candidate arrives for the test accompanied by a three old child. What factors would you consider and what actions would you take?

Hope you and your staff find discussing these events interesting and useful.

Terry McKinney is the Personnel Test Analyst with the City of Phoenix. He can reached at tmckinne@ci.phoenix.az.us or 602-261-8861.