---> About psychometric testing ---> Introduction to psychometric testing ---> Disadvantages of psychometric testing


About psychometric testing
•	Introduction to psychometric testing

		What is psychometric testing
		Different types of psychometric tests
		Advantages of psychometric testing
		Disadvantages of psychometric testing
		Qualifications needed to use psychometric tests

•	FAQs
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Disadvantages of psychometric testing

The following are significant dangers associated with psychometric testing

Dispite what has been said in previous sections, there are numerous tests and questionnaires on the market which purport to be 'psychometric instruments' but which are not. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for untrained people to distinguish these from good psychometric instruments. In many cases, these tests and questionnaires have been put together by people with no background in psychometrics and they have very little actual utility and value for the purposes for which they are marketed.
Lack of correct training is also a significant danger in the use of psychometric testing. Although there exists in the UK a training qualification system developed by the British Psychological Society, it is not uncommon for tests to be used by people who are not adequately trained to use them. Indeed, even attendance at a recognised training course is no guarantee that a person will at all times use tests and questionnaires correctly since some instruments, particularly personality questionnaires, require considerable experience and the possibility of misinterpretation or inappropriate interpretation of results is ever-present.
Another important danger with psychometric testing is the use of personality questionnaires to try to assess a person's ability or skill in a particular area. For example, if a person scores highly on a personality dimension called 'Leadership', this does not mean that he or she will actually possess a high level of leadership skill. Rather it means that the person has the basic personality characteristics that are commonly found amongst effective leaders and, with sufficient experience and given the development of certain necessary skills, has the potential to become an effective leader. Unfortunately however, scores on scales such as this are often taken to imply that the person already has all the necessary skills and is already capable of performing at a high level in the area in question.