In This Article
- What is the Caliper Profile?
- Types of test items
- Fakability
- Validity
- Reliability
- Reading level
- Norm groups and processing responses
- Experimental questions
- Shortened assessment options
What is the Caliper Profile?
The Caliper Profile is an assessment that evaluates personality traits, motivations, and behaviors related to job performance. The assessment contains 98 questions (excluding experimental items) and measures 21 personality traits and one type of cognitive ability. It is taken untimed, but most individuals complete the Caliper Profile in 60-75 minutes.
Types of test items
The Caliper Profile assessment contains three main types of questions: Forced Choice, Likert, and Abstract Reasoning.
Forced Choice: The bulk of the questions on the Caliper Profile are in a forced-choice format. This means the individual is given a set of behavioral statements and asked to choose which one best describes them and which one least describes them. By combining all of the individual's responses, we can score them on each of our 22 traits.
Likert: These questions also measure personality traits. Likert items ask individuals to rate their agreement with statements on a scale from one to seven.
Abstract Reasoning: These questions present logical challenges, such as number patterns and shape analogies. These questions measure fluid intelligence. They are the only items on the assessment that have correct and incorrect answers.
Forced Choice: The bulk of the questions on the Caliper Profile are in a forced-choice format. This means the individual is given a set of behavioral statements and asked to choose which one best describes them and which one least describes them. By combining all of the individual's responses, we can score them on each of our 22 traits.
Likert: These questions also measure personality traits. Likert items ask individuals to rate their agreement with statements on a scale from one to seven.
Abstract Reasoning: These questions present logical challenges, such as number patterns and shape analogies. These questions measure fluid intelligence. They are the only items on the assessment that have correct and incorrect answers.
Fakability
Individuals naturally prefer to be viewed favorably by others, especially when they are being evaluated for a new job or opportunity. The Caliper Profile is designed carefully to resist deliberate manipulation of trait and job fit scores. This ensures that the results reflect the person’s real personality and ability. Research has demonstrated that forced-choice items, which make up the majority of the Caliper Profile, reduce fakability. The length of the assessment and the norming of scores to local culture further support its resistance to faking.
Validity
Caliper performs regular scientific analysis to ensure the predictive strength of its assessments. These studies ensure the constructs we measure are relevant to the world of work and that the results successfully predict work behavior. For more detailed explanation and statistics on the face validity, construct validity, and criterion validity of the Caliper Profile, please request a copy of our Technical Manual.
Reliability
Reliability is the degree to which the assessment is consistent in its scores or measurements. Caliper tests new questions extensively to ensure assessment items work together to measure the same trait; this is known as internal reliability. We also measure our test-retest reliability - the consistency of an individual’s scores when the assessment is taken on two different occasions. For detailed statistics and research, please request a copy of our Technical Manual.
Reading level
The Caliper Profile has been evaluated by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level reading analysis and scored between U.S. grade levels of 6 to 8. The Caliper Profile is meant to be easily comprehended by test takers.
Norm groups and processing responses
A norm group is a sample of assessment takers who are representative of the population for whom the assessment is intended. Caliper uses norm groups to synthesize raw responses on the assessment into culturally relevant percentile scores.
Experimental questions
Experimental sets of questions are also included in the Caliper Profile. Responses to these newly developed items are rigorously evaluated to ensure content validity before incorporation into the Caliper Profile. The experimental section of the Caliper Profile is an integral part of the continuous process of maintaining and improving the assessment’s validity and reliability. Regular updates to the Caliper Profile are conducted to reduce fakability, mitigate the effects of public distribution of the assessment, and keep current with research.
Shortened assessment options
In cases where a short seat time is critical, an abbreviated form of the Caliper Profile called the Caliper Predictor Plus is available. This assessment takes approximately 25 minutes to complete. Unlike the full Caliper Profile, the Predictor Plus does not assess Abstract Reasoning. For this reason, outputs from the Predictor Plus are limited to those job models, competencies, or behaviors that do not require Abstract Reasoning to predict performance.
For a detailed scientific explanation of Caliper’s assessments, please request a copy of our Technical Manual. You can also reach out to your Talogy Account Team with any additional questions.