CPC CPC Candidate Assessment & Interviewing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, test 'validity' means:
- The test is legally approved by the EEOC
- The test actually measures what it claims to measure and is job-related (Correct answer)
- The test produces consistent results across administrations
- The test has been used for more than five years
Correct answer: The test actually measures what it claims to measure and is job-related
Validity means that a selection test accurately measures the skills or traits it is designed to measure and those attributes are genuinely relevant to job performance.
Question 2: What is 'adverse impact' in employment testing?
- A negative reaction from candidates about interview length
- A substantially different selection rate for a protected group compared to the highest-scoring group (Correct answer)
- Any test that candidates find difficult to pass
- Negative press coverage of a company's hiring process
Correct answer: A substantially different selection rate for a protected group compared to the highest-scoring group
Adverse impact (disparate impact) occurs when a selection procedure results in a substantially lower selection rate for a protected group, potentially indicating discrimination.
Question 3: The 'four-fifths rule' (80% rule) is used in employment testing to:
- Ensure 80% of candidates receive a second interview
- Determine if a selection rate for a protected group is less than 4/5 of the highest group, signaling adverse impact (Correct answer)
- Require 80% test score pass rates for all candidates
- Limit test duration to 80 minutes
Correct answer: Determine if a selection rate for a protected group is less than 4/5 of the highest group, signaling adverse impact
The 4/5 (80%) rule states that if a protected group's selection rate is less than 80% of the highest group's rate, adverse impact is indicated.
Question 4: Which interview technique asks candidates to respond to a hypothetical job scenario?
- Behavioral interview
- Situational interview (Correct answer)
- Panel interview
- Stress interview
Correct answer: Situational interview
Situational interviews present hypothetical job scenarios and ask candidates what they would do, assessing intentions and judgment rather than past behavior.
Question 5: Reference checks are MOST valuable when they focus on:
- General character questions about the candidate
- Specific behaviors and performance examples relevant to the target role (Correct answer)
- Confirming the candidate's personal relationship with the reference
- Asking whether the reference would hire the candidate again as the only question
Correct answer: Specific behaviors and performance examples relevant to the target role
Reference checks are most predictive when they probe for specific behavioral examples tied to competencies required in the role being filled.
Question 6: A cognitive ability test used in selection measures:
- A candidate's motivation and drive
- General mental aptitude including reasoning, problem-solving, and learning ability (Correct answer)
- Cultural fit with the organization
- Previous salary history
Correct answer: General mental aptitude including reasoning, problem-solving, and learning ability
Cognitive ability tests assess general mental aptitude—including verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning—and are among the strongest predictors of job performance.
CPC CPC Candidate Assessment & Interviewing 2
Under the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, test 'validity' means: