General Circular No. 001349

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

Subject: Implementing The New Clerical (coast) Exam

Issue Date: April 23, 1999

We have completed an extensive study undertaken by the consulting firm, Darany & Associates, which was hired to develop a new selection battery to be used to select clerical employees for the State of Louisiana. We have received the new test and are in the process of planning its implementation, which we hope to complete by the end of the fiscal year. The new exam which we have titled the Clerical, Office and Administrative Support Test (COAST--Series 6500) will replace the General Clerical Exam (GCE--Series 4000).

The new COAST exam includes traditional cognitive tests similar to those used on the current General Clerical Exam covering the areas of Customer Service, Spelling and Reading with Understanding. Such cognitive measures have consistently been shown to be valid predictors of job success. However, in addition to these components, the new test includes a biographical inventory, or biodata instrument which contributes a non-cognitive measure to the prediction of job performance. By tapping into the past experience, preferences and attitudes of candidates, biographical inventories add to the predictive value of traditional written tests by producing a more comprehensive assessment of candidates from which to predict successful job performance.

The questions included in the Biographical Inventory ask for information about the candidate and his or her background. These kinds of questions are often asked during an oral interview as a way for employers to relate personal history, preferences and attitudes to job success. The biographical inventory in the new clerical exam attempts to do the same. Some areas sampled in the biographical inventory include organization and planning, problem solving/decision making, interpersonal effectiveness/agreeableness, work environment preferences, and attitudes about work, supervision, and work place situations. Two sample biodata questions are as follows:

Generally, in your work assignments, would you prefer:

In the course of a week, which of the following gives you the greatest satisfaction?

An interview often fails to be as effective as it could because the wrong questions are asked or different questions are asked of each candidate. The clerical exam's biographical inventory contains questions that careful research has determined to be relevant to clerical jobs used by the State of Louisiana. It has been found that successful employees tend to select some answers more often than other answers, while less successful employees tend to select different answers. The questions in a biographical inventory do not have a single correct answer. Every answers receives some credit. The number of points depends on how frequently good performers on the job chose that answer compared to poor performers on the job. The more good performers who chose an answer on average, the higher the points that answer receives.

We plan to facilitate a smooth transition from the old to the new test. The last date for administration of the General Clerical Exam will be May 27, 1999 and administration of the new COAST exam will begin Tuesday, June 1 in our Baton Rouge and New Orleans information offices. Testing in our Saturday centers will begin on June 5, 1999. Because the new exam is longer (135 questions), the time limit for all Civil Service tests will be extended from the current two hours to two and one-half hours.

Appointments from the old GCE grades and registers will be allowed until at least September 1, 1999 during which time we will be building the new COAST registers. All candidates active on GCE registers as of June 7, 1999 will be notified in writing about the implementation of the new test and told to take the new exam as soon as possible but no later than August 15, 1999 to ensure continued eligibility.

The value of the biographical inventory, when added to the contribution of traditional written cognitive tests, will increase our ability to predict successful job performance for clerical jobs. The end result will be a more skilled, productive workforce for State agencies. We are looking forward to the implementation of the Clerical, Office and Administrative Support Test and hope that you will help us spread the word to your employees and the public about the new exam.

If you have any questions, please contact Joan Haase or Max Reichert of the Examining Division at (225) 342-8536.

Sincerely,

Allen H. Reynolds

Director