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Subject:Summary of Testing Disc. From:Ron Miller <RSMH -at- AOL -dot- COM> Date:Sat, 4 Mar 1995 09:44:13 -0500
I am truly amazed by the number of responses my little diatribe triggered.
In short, it seems that managers are frustrated by an inability to separate
the wheat from the chafe (the good writers from the "poseurs"), and therefore
look to tests as a way to weed out incompetents, rather than test for
competence of individual writers.
Most writers, however, hate the idea of tests, and generally find the process
degrading, insulting, and ultimately inconclusive. Many writers, in fact, say
they refuse to take such tests.
Another whole group brought up legal issues around testing. The consensus
here is that these tests, unless developed under strict scientific scrutiny,
would not hold up in a court of law, and possilby subject the employer to
legal action.
Interesting, all in all, and I want to thank everyone who offered their
opinion on this subject.