Evaluating maintenance proficiency tests

Abstract

Once proficiency tests have been constructed, they must be reviewed, evaluated, revised, and documented in terms of accepted standards of test quality. Test refinement is based on item analyses that provide measures of difficulty and validity for each item. Poorly performing items are modified or eliminated. The tests are then evaluated for reliability and validity. Reliability is calculated by the convergence of several independent estimates of worker proficiency, including work experience and supervisors' ratings. Cost-benefit analyses compare the costs of test construction and administration to the benefits of savings in training costs, increased productivity, and reduced plant downtime.<>