Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (CCET) - A route to the SpLD Practising Certificate for those with ATS

Friday, July 24, 2009
Introduction to Psychometrics Workshop
Real Training is proud to announce a new collaboration with the British Psychological Society's Learning Centre to deliver a workshop on psychometric testing. Designed for anyone who has ever wanted to know more about psychometrics whatever their profession, this one-day workshop will provide a lively and informative introduction to the topic. During the workshop delegates will explore:

• key features of psychometric tests and how they differ from other forms of assessment
• principles of psychometrics including reliability, validity and standardisation
• applications of psychometrics to different areas
• controversies in psychometric testing
• best practice and an explanation of the Society's approach to accrediting test user's competence.

Date and time: 9 October 2009, 10am to 4pm
Venue: BPS London office

For more information about the workshop or to book a place please visit the British Psychological Society's website: (www.bps.org.uk/learningcentre-psychometrics).

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Thursday, May 21, 2009
New distance learning option for Level A CCOT
To give you even more choice in how you study for the BPS Level A Certificate in Occupational Testing, Real Training has now launched a distance learning option to complement their existing blended learning and contact courses.

The distance learning option expands on our blended learning course. Delegates still make use of Real Training's active learning website to support the development of their knowledge, share information with fellow delegates and gain support from their tutors, but assessment of the practical elements of the course is now done remotely.

Distance learning is achieved by delegates recording videos of their test administration, scoring and feedback, instead of having these elements of the course assessed at a face-to-face practical day. Delegates also explore in-depth a test of their choosing and show their understanding of its properties and applications though a video-conferenced viva with their tutor.

Specially designed learning materials and instructions ensure that delegates are fully supported throughout all aspects of the course and as all work is completed remotely, meaning no travel is necessary, it could not be more convenient!

Achieving the Level A CCOT has never been easier or more cost effective. To find out more about the distance learning option please click here or contact us.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The ongoing war for talent
Recruitment may be down but the war for talent remains a fierce as ever. Indeed, some employers see these difficult times as an opportunity to target competitors' employees who have been made redundant. That is one of the many interesting findings from a recent survey commissioned by StepStone recruitment (see here for the full article). The survey goes on to identify the vital role that HR can play in identifying and nurturing talent. However, with the focus ever more on the bottom line, functions such as HR are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their return on investment (ROI).

Demonstrating ROI is an ongoing challenge. Though it is relatively simple to look at the bottom line or other indicators of performance at an organisational level, identifying the impact of individuals is much more of a challenge.

Consider this question: What constitutes 'success' for particular job roles in your organisation?

And now this one: How well do you measure individuals against these 'success' criteria?

These can be challenging questions, but it is just these questions that Real Training's Level A Occupational Testing course can help you to answer. The Level A course focuses not only on tests, but also on how you identify the value and benefits associated with any method you use to identify talent.

If you are interested in finding out how you can identify talent and demonstrate your return on investment, please contact us.

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Slowdown in graduate recruitment
The effects of the economic slowdown on graduate recruitment is highlighted in a recent feature by the BBC 'Half graduate recruiters cut jobs' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7882015.stm). With vacancies down 5.4 per cent and redundancies up significantly, this means a considerable reduction in many companies' workforces. Whilst such reductions are done to ensure companies' profitability and survival, they also pose often unrecognised threats to their long-term viability.

In any pool of employees, there will be a distribution of performance: some will be stars, the majority will be around average and some will perform well below average. If recruitment practices remain static, so will the distribution of performance, meaning there will be fewer stars to drive success.

As recruitment is reduced, this also has the effect of shrinking companies' talent pools. This is a long-term and potentially serious threat, as it is from these talent pools that the leaders of tomorrow are grown.

To overcome these threats, recruitment needs to get smarter. If we continue to use the same methods, we just replicate the distribution of performance in the current workforce. Here are some of our tips for tackling the recession through great recruitment:

• Review your recruitment practices to ensure they are as good as you can make them
• Identifying the right people is a science - ensure your people are trained in its methods
• Don't be afraid to invest in getting the right people in place - this is the best investment your company can make.

To find out how our psychometric test training and consultancy services can help you beat the slowdown, please contact us.

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Monday, February 9, 2009
Launch of Level A Certificate of Competence in Occupational Testing
Real Training is delighted to announce the launch of their Level A Certificate of Competence in Occupational Testing (CCOT). This course, accredited by the British Psychological Society, is the 'industry standard' for the use of ability tests in occupational settings.

Following the same model as Real Training's established Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing, Level A CCOT offers a cost-effective and flexible route to achieving competence in occupational testing. A choice of study routes is available: including blended learning, intensive face-to-face and in-house courses. There is also a 1-day Test Administration option for delegates who want to gain a qualification in the administration and scoring of tests.

Ability testing is widely used in recruitment, with upwards of 70 per cent of organisations using tests as part of their selection procedures for at least some roles. Research has also shown ability testing to be one of the single best predictors of job performance and success on work-related training courses.

The Level A CCOT qualification is widely recognised in the UK, with all the major test publishers using it as the standard to allow access to their ability test materials. In addition to the established use of ability testing in areas such as recruitment, users are also finding applications in a growing number of areas including:

• Recruitment and selection
• Individual, team and organisational development
• Careers guidance
• Coaching
• Talent management
• Outplacement

For more information about the Level A CCOT and Test Administration courses, please click here .

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