About the Achiever

The Achiever is a unique test in that it combines mental and personality measurement in one instrument. It also has a scoring system that provides scores on a scale that can be related to the Normal Distribution and that easily relates scores to the job requirements by means of a benchmark of successful performers.



The Achiever measures the following aptitudes and traits:

Six Mental Aptitudes:
  • Mental Acuity - learning comprehension, judgment, reasoning and problem-solving ability
  • Business Terms - knowledge of basic business terms
  • Memory Recall - knowledge of current events as they relate to the job
  • Vocabulary - general English vocabulary skills
  • Numerical Perception - ability to handle numerically related tasks quickly and accurately
  • Mechanical Interest - measures interest in the mechanical area
Ten Personality Traits:
  • Energy - energy, drive, tension and stress levels
  • Flexibility - integrity, reliability, dependability and work ethics
  • Organization - personal orientation to plan and utilize time wisely
  • Communication - innate ability to meet and interact with people
  • Emotional Development - ego, self-esteem, self-confidence and ability to handle pressure
  • Assertiveness - strength and determination to get one's way
  • Competitiveness - team orientation versus individualistic competitiveness
  • Mental Toughness - psychological stamina to deal with life and job problems
  • Questioning/Probing - instinct to question and probe rather than accepting things at face value
  • Motivation - security-motivated or recognition, incentive and commission oriented
The Achiever also contains two validity scales to assess the accuracy of The Achiever report:
  • Distortion - frankness of the respondent as related to the statistical validity of the personality dimensions
  • Equivocation - consistent decision-making of the respondent as it relates to the accuracy of the personality dimensions measured
The Achiever uses the Stanine scoring system to compare an individual’s scores to a benchmark and the Normal Distribution. To learn more about the Stanine system and Benchmarking with The Achiever, click the links below:

Stanine
Benchmarking

Stanine Solution

Stanine stands for STANDARD NINE. In the Stanine system, a line is set up and broken into nine standardized parts, and then contrasted to the Normal Distribution or Bell Curve. Thus, the general population is divided into 9 equal parts. Generally, scores in the 1 – 3 area are in the lower third of the general population. Scores in the 7 – 9 area are in the upper third of the general population, whereas the individuals who score in the 4-6 range represent the majority of the population. It is important to note that scores in a particular range are not necessarily good or bad. A score must be considered relative to the requirements of the job.

To learn about Benchmarking, click here.


Benchmarks

The Achiever stanine scores are presented for comparison against a benchmark pattern. A benchmark pattern represents the range of scores on The Achiever of the requirements for successful performance in a particular job category. By utilizing a benchmark, an employer can “see” how an individual who has been tested with The Achiever compares to the requirements for success in the job category under consideration. Comparison of an individual’s scores on The Achiever to a benchmark provides concrete data as to a person’s likelihood for success on the job based on The Achiever results, and ensures that use of The Achiever is job related. Following is an Achiever score sheet with a Benchmark as represented by the brackets and dots […]:


How Benchmarks are Established

There are Three Methods of creating a benchmark with The Achiever:

  1. Through testing and analysis of an employer’s top performers in a job category or categories. The employer identifies the top performers in a job category and tests them with The Achiever. The Achiever scores for each individual are plotted and the scores for the group are statistically analyzed to determine the mental aptitudes and personality traits the group has in common. This analysis results in the benchmark for the job category. This approach is also termed a concurrent validation study.
  2. The Achiever industrial database contains benchmarks that have been derived from the scores of successful performers in hundreds of job categories and industries in organizations across America.
  3. The job description and/or job function is reviewed relative to The Achiever Benchmarking Questionnaire. This review results in a benchmark based on the job description.

Option 1, the concurrent validation method, is the preferred approach. This option validates the use of The Achiever within a specific employer, providing additional insurance against claims of adverse impact. However, a concurrent validation study is not always possible due to limited number of top performers in a job category. When a concurrent study cannot be done, options 2 and 3 are viable alternatives.