These are designed to measure what the applicant can do on the job currently, i.e., whether the testee actually knows what he or she claims to know. A typing test shows typing proficiency, a shorthand test measures the testee’s ability to take dictation and transcribe, etc. Such proficiency tests are also known as work sampling tests.
Work sampling is a selection test wherein the job applicant’s ability to do a small portion of the job is tested. These tests are of two types; Motor, involving physical manipulation of things (e.g., trade tests for carpenters, plumbers, electricians) or Verbal, involving problem situations that are primarily languageoriented or people-oriented (e.g., situational tests for supervisory jobs).
Since work samples are miniature replicas of actual job requirements, they are difficult to fake. They offer concrete evidence of the proficiency of an applicant as against his ability to do the job. However, work-sample tests are not cost effective, as each candidate has to be tested individually.
It is not easy to develop work samples for each job. Moreover, it is not applicable to all levels of the organisation. For managerial jobs it is often not possible to develop a work sample test that can take one of all the full range of managerial abilities.