# Applied for a job



## AtalantaAsh (Sep 27, 2010)

And was not interviewed for the reason that I failed the pre-employment assessment test, which is basically a personality/risk assessment test.  I've talked to a few people about it and some say lie, some say tell the truth.  I recently took it again and low and behold failed again... not sure what I'm doing wrong and I have to wait three months to apply again... Help???  I'm not too sure what can be learned, by an employer, with such a test.  Anybody could lie to pass it and then the first day on a truck become a liability...  The test is in the format of Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Undecided, Agree, Strongly Agree... I would give examples, but signed saying I wouldn't repeat any of the questions.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 27, 2010)

There are at least two on here that I know (including me) that have both *****ed about those kind of tests on several occasions, in fact I might have *****ed about it for the same service you're talking about. I really don't understand those tests, and for the most part don't understand what they're looking for exactly. 
One of the services in OK/TX I applied for that had that made sure to say that they wanted you to tell the truth and that it would show a lie somehow. I just kinda am confused on that whole kind of thing.


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## Shishkabob (Sep 27, 2010)

And I'm the other one that complains about those tests. 

I've just decided that I'm going to have someone else take that test for me.   Honestly, the face to face interview is a better determination about who's a potential fit for an organization, and I've been offered a job from every single interview I've had to date.


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## medicRob (Sep 27, 2010)

AtalantaAsh said:


> And was not interviewed for the reason that I failed the pre-employment assessment test, which is basically a personality/risk assessment test.  I've talked to a few people about it and some say lie, some say tell the truth.  I recently took it again and low and behold failed again... not sure what I'm doing wrong and I have to wait three months to apply again... Help???  I'm not too sure what can be learned, by an employer, with such a test.  Anybody could lie to pass it and then the first day on a truck become a liability...  The test is in the format of Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Undecided, Agree, Strongly Agree... I would give examples, but signed saying I wouldn't repeat any of the questions.



You think that's bad. Try the MMPI, they have scales that measure how well you lied on the answer, and how good you faked it. The only answers on that test are, "True/False". 

The grading scales:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Multiphasic_Personality_Inventory#Current_scale_composition


Some of the scales are

F - Client Faking Bad, Infrequency
L - Lie, Client "Faking Good"
K - Defensiveness (Denial evasiveness)
Fb - Client Faking Bad (In Last Half of Test)
S - Superlative Self-Presentation (Appearing Excessively Good)
[F - k] (F minus k) = Honesty of Test Responses

and many, many more. This is the test I had to take to be accepted into Paramedic school.


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## AtalantaAsh (Sep 27, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> There are at least two on here that I know (including me) that have both *****ed about those kind of tests on several occasions, in fact I might have *****ed about it for the same service you're talking about. I really don't understand those tests, and for the most part don't understand what they're looking for exactly.
> One of the services in OK/TX I applied for that had that made sure to say that they wanted you to tell the truth and that it would show a lie somehow. I just kinda am confused on that whole kind of thing.



Yes prolly one in the same, ETMC. I know plenty of people that work there, before this test was prolly implemented that should take it.  I'm confused as well. 



Linuss said:


> And I'm the other one that complains about those tests.
> 
> I've just decided that I'm going to have someone else take that test for me.   Honestly, the face to face interview is a better determination about who's a potential fit for an organization, and I've been offered a job from every single interview I've had to date.



Honestly I'd do the same, but they'd find out lol I don't lie well at all.  I usually rock at these kind of tests and face to face interviews.



medicRob said:


> You think that's bad. Try the MMPI, they have scales that measure how well you lied on the answer, and how good you faked it. The only answers on that test are, "True/False".
> and many, many more. This is the test I had to take to be accepted into Paramedic school.



That's a bunch of BS.  Just like the lie detector tests, there's people out there that could fool a machine.


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## medicRob (Sep 27, 2010)

AtalantaAsh said:


> That's a bunch of BS.  Just like the lie detector tests, there's people out there that could fool a machine.




Think again. You'd be surprised at how accurate these tests are. They expect you to lie and they judge how well or how poorly you lie. A lie detector doesn't have $h!t on this test. The test asks questions like, 

"I have thought of having sexual relations with my mother. T/F"

"My hands are the right temperature all the time. T/F"

"My nose is in control of my face. T/F"

"I am fascinated by door knobs. T/F"


The above are ACTUAL QUESTIONS that I remember from that test when I took it for paramedic school. This isn't the type of test that says obvious things like,
"Do you like to harm animals?", etc. It also asks the same questions 3 different ways and measures consistency of your answers. I can't remember if it was 500
questions or 5,000. I remember it took about 4 hours to complete though.


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## Hal9000 (Sep 27, 2010)

medicRob said:


> Think again. You'd be surprised at how accurate these tests are. They expect you to lie and they judge how well or how poorly you lie. A lie detector doesn't have $h!t on this test. The test asks questions like,
> 
> "I have thought of having sexual relations with my mother. T/F"
> 
> ...




I imagine that the creators of that test feel pretty good about themselves.


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## medicRob (Sep 27, 2010)

Hal9000 said:


> I imagine that the creators of that test feel pretty good about themselves.



I'd say you are right, ha ha. They are way smarter than me, I know that. he he. 

Also, in case anyone was wondering.. I have a fascination with door knobs, I wanna be a race car driver, my nose is plotting against the rest of my face, and I refuse to believe in the existence of the color blue.

That is all.


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## 589661 (Sep 27, 2010)

I am curious as to the study behind these test. How does it test the acuracy of the lie, what is this type of test called? Are you really supposed to lie, and how can it assume that when some people do not, and how do you pass this test?


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## medicRob (Sep 27, 2010)

589661 said:


> I am curious as to the study behind these test. How does it test the acuracy of the lie, what is this type of test called? Are you really supposed to lie, and how can it assume that when some people do not, and how do you pass this test?



It is called the Minesota Multi-Phasic Personality Inventory. This is one of the tests they administer to serial killers. 

At the bottom of the wiki article, there are all kinds of literary references from peer-reviewed journals about the test. Take a look and read up on it if you like.

I'll copy and paste them here.



> ^ Tellegen, A., Ben-Porath, Y.S., McNulty, J.L., Arbisi, P.A., Graham, J.R., & Kaemmer, B. (2003). The MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical Scales: Development, validation, and interpretation. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
> ^ Hathaway, S. R., & McKinley, J. C. (1940). A multiphasic personality schedule(Minnesota): I. Construction of the schedule. Journal of Psychology, 10, 249-254.
> ^ Hathaway, S. R., & McKinley, J. C. (1942). A multiphasic personality schedule (Minnesota): III. The measurement of symptomatic depression. Journal of Psychology, 14, 73-84.
> ^ McKinley, J. C, & Hathaway, S. R. (1940). A multiphasic personality schedule (Minnesota): II. A differential study of hypochondriasis. Journal of Psychology, 10,255-268.
> ...


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## redbull (Sep 27, 2010)

AtalantaAsh said:


> And was not interviewed for the reason that I failed the pre-employment assessment test, which is basically a personality/risk assessment test.  I've talked to a few people about it and some say lie, some say tell the truth.  I recently took it again and low and behold failed again... not sure what I'm doing wrong and I have to wait three months to apply again... Help???  I'm not too sure what can be learned, by an employer, with such a test.  Anybody could lie to pass it and then the first day on a truck become a liability...  The test is in the format of Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Undecided, Agree, Strongly Agree... I would give examples, but signed saying I wouldn't repeat any of the questions.



They just ask you the same questions with different wording BUT you must answer it correctly (if you chose STRONGLY AGREE for one, it must be STRONGLY AGREE for the other). Of course, if it asks something negative like, "Do you like to steal" You would NOT put Strongly Agree... Common sense.


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## MMiz (Sep 28, 2010)

Moved to EMS Employment.


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