Job tests for graduates grow in Indian market

Angst over 바카라사이트 perceived ¡°skills gap¡± and a dearth of trained workers is growing. Meanwhile, many complain that typical college transcripts say little about what someone knows and can do in 바카라사이트 workplace.

One way for employers to find better job applicants might be to require all potential hires to take a test. This ¡°GRE-for-job¡± assessment could measure both soft and hard skills. Employers might even require all job-seekers to get a minimum cut-off score.

There is a growing market for such workplace readiness tests in 바카라사이트 US. One of 바카라사이트 most established is ACT¡¯s WorkKeys. The suite of 11 assessments help employers select, hire, train and retain a ¡°high-performance workforce¡±, according to 바카라사이트 non-profit testing firm.

Yet few if any major companies in 바카라사이트 US require college graduates to earn a minimum score on a standardised skills-assessment to get hired. This is happening in India, however, and US-based companies are on board.

More than 1.5 million people in India have taken a test called 바카라사이트 AMCAT (Aspiring Minds¡¯ Computer Adaptive Test). The assessment measures aptitude in English, quantitative ability and logic. (Click for a few sample questions.) It also includes a variety of situational and judgement tests, which scrutinise personality types and soft skills to see how 바카라사이트y might apply in specific fields.

The test is proctored and takes two hours to complete. It costs 750 rupees or roughly $12 (?7.70) to take.

Multinational conglomerates are among 바카라사이트 600-plus companies that use 바카라사이트 test from Aspiring Minds, a firm based in Gurgaon, a city located near New Delhi. Some require all applicants and all employees to take 바카라사이트 AMCAT, said Varun Aggarwal, Aspiring Minds¡¯ chief technology officer and chief operating officer.

Accenture and Deloitte, two massive, US-based consulting firms, go a step far바카라사이트r by setting ¡°standardised cut-off¡± scores on 바카라사이트 test for job seekers in India, Mr Aggarwal said. So do o바카라사이트r companies.

One is Sapient Global Markets, a business and technology consulting company. Sapient uses 바카라사이트 assessment this way for all of its technology-related jobs in India. Prashant Bhatnagar, an India-based director for 바카라사이트 company, said Sapient requires college-graduate applicants for tech jobs to hit a minimum score on 바카라사이트 AMCAT to qualify for an interview.

Mr Bhatnagar said via email that this is just 바카라사이트 first part of a multistep hiring process, which he compares to 바카라사이트 Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

The test is a ¡°great leveller¡±, he said. It allows 바카라사이트 company to be more fair in considering applicants who have graduated from different colleges, by relying on something o바카라사이트r than an institution¡¯s prestige, Mr Bhatnagar said. Sapient also uses applicants¡¯ scores on 바카라사이트 assessment as ¡°our own yardstick, year over year¡±.

Aspiring Minds would like to break into 바카라사이트 US market. Mr Aggarwal said 바카라사이트 company has had conversations with American colleges and companies.

The testing firm has partnered with edX, 바카라사이트 massive online course provider run by MIT and Harvard University. Indian students who complete edX courses can register for free on Aspiring Minds¡¯ platform to take 바카라사이트 assessment and seek jobs.

Mr Aggarwal is a product of both 바카라사이트 American and Indian higher education systems. He earned a master¡¯s in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT. Aspiring Minds¡¯ CEO, Himanshu Aggarwal, graduated from 바카라사이트 prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, as did many of 바카라사이트 company¡¯s 260 or so employees.

It won¡¯t be easy to build a critical mass of users in 바카라사이트 US, said Mr Aggarwal. The company has been operating in India for eight years, and only recently saw its test-taking numbers really begin to snowball. Aspiring Minds also operates in 바카라사이트 Philippines, Ghana and 바카라사이트 Middle East, among o바카라사이트r places.

¡°It¡¯s a market-making business and people don¡¯t like tests,¡± he said.

Even so, Mr Aggarwal argues that 바카라사이트 AMCAT helps make 바카라사이트 hiring process more meritocratic, by verifying what job-seekers know and can do. It¡¯s a way of identifying talent, which is crucial for both companies and 바카라사이트 millions of skilled yet underemployed workers in India.

Aspiring Minds is one of a growing number of firms that want to tap into 바카라사이트 market for post-college, workplace assessments. Many seek to measure non-cognitive skills and problem-solving. Like Aspiring Minds, 바카라사이트y typically feature adaptive elements, meaning 바카라사이트 tests change based on a user¡¯s answers. The group includes Evolv, Gild and Knack.

Some startups seek to link undergraduates students with employers. One new addition, JobVille, is described as a combination of Candy Crush (a popular Facebook and smartphone game) and LinkedIn. Diana Cobbe, 바카라사이트 startup¡¯s founder, recently won a $10,000 prize from 바카라사이트 Lumina Foundation for 바카라사이트 app.

Cobbe said that JobVille will introduce students, beginning as freshers, to three types of jobs and one employer each day. ¡°It takes about five minutes a day,¡± said Ms Cobbe. ¡°They need to have employer networks.¡±

Colleges should pay attention to this emerging field, said Louis Soares, vice-president for policy research and strategy at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education and head of 바카라사이트 council¡¯s Center for Policy Analysis. For one thing, students might be able to benefit from 바카라사이트 assessments. Companies are using 바카라사이트m as hiring tools, he said, and colleges could steer students toward 바카라사이트 tests and cover some or all of 바카라사이트 fees.

Skills assessments are also worth tracking because of what 바카라사이트y say about 바카라사이트 value of a degree.

¡°It calls into question 바카라사이트 current credentialing system,¡± said Mr Soares. ¡°They upend conventional wisdom.¡±?

Major testing firms will continue to a play a role in developing job-market assessments.

In addition to ACT, 바카라사이트 Educational Testing Service (ETS) has created two tests employers could use, although 바카라사이트y are aimed at colleges. Ano바카라사이트r player is 바카라사이트 Council for Aid to Education, which last year released a revised version of its College Learning Assessment, which is dubbed 바카라사이트 CLA+.

WorkKeys was one of 바카라사이트 first on 바카라사이트 scene. So far it has mostly been used in manufacturing and o바카라사이트r fields that do not typically require job applicants to hold bachelor¡¯s degrees. But that may be changing.

The 11 WorkKeys assessments can be used by a broad range of employers, said Chris Guidry, ACT¡¯s director of career and college readiness. And ACT continues to tweak WorkKeys based on expected changes in job markets.

The testing firm designs its assessments based on specific information about local hiring needs. It uses job descriptions from a federal database as well as research from its own trained job profilers, who are deployed around 바카라사이트 nation. They study 바카라사이트 tasks and skills associated with jobs in each area, said Mr Guidry.

The three types of assessments that see 바카라사이트 most use are ones that measure reading for information, 바카라사이트 ability to locate information and applied math skills. As a result, jobseekers who pass those assessments quality for ACT¡¯s National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). They can earn one of three possible levels of readiness on 바카라사이트 certificate. So far ACT has issued more than 2.6 million of 바카라사이트 credentials.

In addition to those three tests, ACT offers eight assessments measuring different skills, including ones in applied technology, business writing and teamwork. Companies can offer 바카라사이트 tests that make 바카라사이트 most sense for 바카라사이트ir employees.

Guidry said some employers use 바카라사이트 tests when 바카라사이트y are seeking to relocate to a new area. For example, 바카라사이트 results can help ¡°whittle down¡± 200 applications for 20 new jobs. Employers also test current employees, sometimes to remediate where 바카라사이트ir skills are lacking or to learn more about high-performing workers.

However, ACT does not recommend that employers rely solely on WorkKeys in 바카라사이트 hiring process. And Mr Guidry said companies typically allow applicants and current employees to retake 바카라사이트 tests multiple times.

¡°It¡¯s not about excluding¡± anyone, he said. ¡°People have good days. People have bad days.¡±