Evaluation of the general aptitude test battery-computerized administration (GATB-CA)

Abstract

The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB), a vocational test developed in 1947 by the United States Employment Service (USES), is one of the most widely used and researched instruments worldwide. A recent development important in improving the GATB was the introduction o f a new computer administered version, the GATBCA or GATB-Computerized Administration. Presently, there has been no research conducted w ith the GATB-CA. Thus, the purpose of the present study was twofold: (1 ) to compare the GATB-CA to the original GATB to test for equivalence in subject test scores and item response speed (measured by the total number of items completed) and (2) to investigate if scores from either of the GATB formats were able to predict success in subjects obtained from an academic program of study. Subjects consisted of 62 undergraduate students. The research involved a random assignment counterbalanced design with all subjects completing both the conventional and computerized GATB versions. Results showed that certain parts of the GATB-CA were equivalent to the original GATB (subtests 6 and 7; aptitudes P and S) while other portions were significantly different (subtests 1 and 4; aptitudes G, Q, and V). Despite these differences, the GATB-CA was able to predict academic success with essentially the same level o f confidence as the original GATB. Thus, the GATB-CA was found to be closely related to but not equivalent to the original GATB.