Ethical standards guidelines for assessments

Following on from the post last week (here) about career assessments, Osborn and Zunker (2016) suggest that we use the following nine guidelines when we are proposing the use of assessments for our clients:

1. "reviewing the validity and reliability of the instrument
2. "being aware of our boundaries of competence (only give and interpret tests that you are "qualified for and have had experience giving and interpreting)
3. "providing an orientation [where we] describe how the test results will be used and stored (including confidentiality and test security)
4. "considering whether the test is appropriate for your client (based on client needs and the norm group for the test)
5. "explaining all test limitations
6. "obtaining informed consent
7. "ensuring that any advertising that your school or agency distributes about the test is accurate and not misleading
8. "following standardized instructions, and
9. "providing correct and easy-to-understand interpretations" (p. 44-45).

Again, this is a very simple list, but very useful. It clarifies our thinking, and makes it much easier to either justify, or dismiss, the need for assessments to meet a particular client need.

Sam

• Reference: Osborn, D. S., & Zunker, V. G. (2016). Using Assessment Results for Career Development (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.