Psychometrics: selection and assessment
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This course explores the key psychological ideas behind selection and recruitment policy and practice. You’ll consider the major tools and techniques of selection (and their applications in a global market), and compare their underlying assumptions, identifying advantages and disadvantages for a range of stakeholders, including individual candidates, human resources professionals, employing organisations, and wider society. You’ll review current advances in theory and practice and assess changes, such as the use of the internet in attracting and testing applicants, and their potential impact.
This course cannot be studied on a stand-alone basis and the social science qualifications to which it counts are in the process of being withdrawn. It is not available to new students.
Course facts
A postgraduate course.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | D842 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 1 Computer-marked assignment (CMA) |
| Examination |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown.
What you will study
It is designed for students who want to learn about applied psychology in an organisational setting, and is suitable for those interested in occupational psychology or human resources management. It begins by looking at selection and assessment as an organisational tool designed to connect strategy and policy. During the course key tools utilised in selection and assessment will be examined, including: application forms, biographical data, references, interviews, psychometric tests (personality and ability), work samples and assessment centres. For each of these tools, its reliability, validity, history and development will be discussed in order to identify underlying assumptions and ideas. In addition new issues, such as the use of the internet in attracting and testing applicants, will be considered. The course explores the impact of the globalisation of human resources practices and asks whether there is such a thing as a global employee who can be selected from anywhere, to work anywhere.
The materials are designed to include both the theoretical underpinning and practical examples of the tools and their applications. An audio CD contains interviews with test developers, exploring the issues of designing tests within a global context; and also interviews with seven leading practitioners, discussing the different applications of psychometric tools. Psychometric test examples will also be provided.
Vocational relevance
The course has been developed to combine theory and practice. It will provide you with up-to-date information on new developments within the field. The course book and study guide, including a statistical refresher, can also prepare you to complete the theory-based competencies necessary to gain British Psychological Society psychometric testing qualifications (Levels A & B).
An additional external face to face course presented by a leading test development organisation is available to enable you to gain the practical competencies required for the British Psychological Society psychometric testing qualifications. This course, for which there is a separate fee payable, lasts five days in total and is designed to be completed within two years of beginning D842. It complements D842 by providing you with an opportunity to develop and practice the skills of test administration, interpretation and feedback for both ability and personality tests. If you successfully complete this additional study you will be able to register with the British Psychological Society as a psychometric test user.
Entry
The minimum entry requirement is a recognised UK honours degree or its equivalent.
Although the honours degree can be in any subject, you are unlikely to be prepared for this module if you have not had a prior academic grounding in the social sciences or psychology. This is because your postgraduate studies will assume you are familiar with social scientific or psychological language and concepts, and the characteristic ways in which social scientists and psychologists construct arguments, use theory and handle evidence.
Before you start your postgraduate studies it is expected that you will have the ability to:
- write accurately, clearly and concisely
- read large quantities of text quickly, accurately and critically
- classify evidence precisely, and assess its value and reliability
- argue logically, consistently and sceptically
- marshal evidence to support a logical argument.
All our postgraduate modules are taught in English, so your spoken and written English must be of an appropriate standard for postgraduate study. If you’re not sure whether your English skills are good enough, there is some help and guidance on our website.
Although a brief refresher is offered, it is important that you are competent in basic statistical concepts and techniques, including: frequency distribution; mean, mode, median and standard deviations; standard error of measurement; percentiles and z-scores; and correlations. To continue to the later practical components it will be necessary for you to demonstrate your competence in these areas.
Before taking this course, it is expected that you will have already studied the postgraduate foundation course for the qualification you are studying towards, one of D821, D822 or D820 (all now discontinued). Please refer to the relevant qualification description.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, or whether your subject knowledge and study skills are adequate for study at this level, please contact the Learner Support Team, Postgraduate Studies in Social Sciences (telephone +44(0)113 234 1225, or email).
Preparatory work
If you would like to undertake some preparatory reading, we suggest you read relevant chapters in:
Peter Warr (2002) Psychology at Work, 5th edition, Penguin.
Qualifications
If you are planning on studying towards any of these qualifications, please carefully check the descriptions of the qualifications you are considering to ensure that you have sufficient time to complete your studies, as our psychology and social sciences qualifications are now only available for a limited time.
D842 is an optional module in our:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Social Sciences (C24)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Psychological Studies (E34)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Research Methods (E11)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Social Sciences (D41)
- MSc in Forensic Psychology and Criminology (F49)
- MSc in Human Resource Management (F40)
- MSc in Psychological Research Methods (F20)
- MSc in Psychology (F15)
- MA in Social Sciences (F09)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this module can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. All the activities and assessments have been carefully designed and we will try to provide alternatives where possible, but some severe restrictions may remain. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to study using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting your needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course book, other printed materials, audio CD.
You will need
A CD player and a calculator.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Your tutor may not be local, so contact will be by correspondence, email or telephone. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete all of it. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Professional recognition
This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body, the British Psychological Society, as it follows their Masters in Occupational Psychology syllabus for assessment and selection, and competencies in the psychometric levels A & B testing qualification.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the final course start date in November 2012.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Course facts
A postgraduate course.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | D842 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | Postgraduate |
| SCQF level | 11 |
| FHEQ level | 7 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 1 Computer-marked assignment (CMA) |
| Examination |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credits
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Student Reviews
This course was very different from any of the other courses I have studied to get the BSc and then ...
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We are delighted that you were able to use this course to obtain the further BPS level A and B ...
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This course is ok, though there are many small irritating errors in the course handbook. A background knowledge of HR ...
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The external examiner has consistently praised this course for the excellent level of education it achieves, linking theory and practice ...
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Your questions
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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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