Information-Communications Technology Test Development

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) has accumulated a wealth of evidence supporting its validity for predicting training and job performance; but, its content was primarily designed a few decades ago. Since then, information and communication technology (ICT) has boomed, and the Armed Services have begun to rely much more heavily on ICT, not only in the day-to-day accomplishment of work but also in military tactics. America's youth have also become more ICT-proficient. With these observations in mind, a panel of experts recently concluded that the ASVAB needs a test of ICT aptitude that can be used to select high-ICT youth and place them in military jobs with high ICT requirements. This project was funded through the MOBIS contracting vehicle and is being sponsored by the US Air Force.

The three primary activities of the project are to:

• Develop ICT test specifications based on a review of knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required by Air Force enlisted jobs, research literature, and commercially available instruments;
• Develop, review, and pilot test ICT items and assemble the test;
• Plan construct and criterion-related validation studies to examine the relations between ICT test scores and other important variables.

The final product of the contract will be two, pilot-tested, parallel forms of an ICT test and specific plans for future validation studies.