Have you ever been approached by a Car Manufacturer to buy a Driving Licence? I guess not. And it’s clear why not… the manufacturer might be tempted to undersell the skills and knowledge required, in order to get you through the test more easily. They might try and issue a licence so that you are tied in to driving only their own brand of cars, and no others. Indian driving habits aside, just imagine how difficult it would be to choose a car when it’s a choice for life!

Likewise, to be a professional accountant, lawyer, doctor, one cannot get a licence from a commercial firm of accountants, lawyers or hospital. We accept that Professional Qualifications are issued by independent Professional bodies.

And yet, when it comes to one of the most important professions in business – assessing of people (called ‘Occupational Testing’) – why is it that we feel that having a vendor based qualification alone is sufficient?

How often have I seen a ‘certificate issued by x, y or z commercial publisher of tests’ as proof of competence. These certificates are, for sure, helpful as an indication of product knowledge:  a person would be expected to know how the product is designed, how it should/should not be used, what are it’s strengths/weaknesses etc. However, this is like saying that because I know about a single car, I know how to drive Formula 1. The certificate holder would not be able to provide independent advice on various products. You would be sold only the product known by the certificate holder, even if it’s not what you need.

There are two globally recognised professional bodies in the field of Occupational Testing : APA (American Psychological Association) and EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists Associations, which incorporates the British Psychological Society). Both have professional standards. EFPA offers professional training. Neither sells tests.

Sadly we do not yet have such a body in India, but the training and services of EFPA are accessible. http://ptc.bps.org.uk/. As a verified provider in India, we are passionate about increasing professionalism in this area.

If you are a potential buyer of assessment tools, learn how to distinguish different products, so you do not get ‘sold’ by the shiniest ‘marketing speak’. Insist on getting your advice from a professional with ‘EFPA Level 1 & 2’ certification and check out their name entry on the RQTU (Register of Qualified Test Users) here http://ptc.bps.org.uk/register-qualifications-test-use-rqtu

In other words, stay independent!