FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about MPS Selection Tools

How does the MPS testing process work?
 Once you have signed our test security agreement, simply call us to plan an exam. We ship you the agreed upon tests and you administer them according to our easy-to-follow instructions. Completed tests are shipped back to us for scoring. In some cases, such as for the GMIB, candidates may respond on-line.

What is the typical turnaround time for test results?
 We score all tests within one week or less, unless it is a particularly large candidate group. If you have a really large group and use 250-300 GMIB tests, we will require longer than one week but we will give you a guaranteed date by which we will have your results (perhaps three-four weeks for a group this size). If you are under pressure and need tests scored immediately, we can typically make special arrangements to meet your needs.

Have your exercises been validated?
 We either have empirical validation research results, or strong evidence of content validity. All our tests are defensible.

What is the main difference between MPS’s management and supervisory skills tests and other tests that are available?
We developed new techniques for scoring narrative response format tests. Our approach has resulted in extremely high inter-rater reliability, over .90 for very complex tests such as our GMIB and Supervisory Simulator. What this means is that our innovative scoring systems produce results that qualify these tests as objectively scoreable.

How does MPS maintain test security?
 In order to ensure complete security, all clients must sign our Test Security Agreement. All tests are kept in a secure location and sent to clients using a shipping service that has a tracking system (i.e., FedEx). Tests are sealed in envelopes to be opened by the candidate at test time. After completing the test, candidates put it into a return envelope, which they then seal. The administrator mails all the completed and unused tests back to us using a similar shipping method. We do not send review copies of our tests to anyone. Our scoring systems are proprietary and are not subject to client review.

How much does it cost to use MPS’s testing services?
We charge a minimal sign-up fee to use MPS exercises. This is a file start-up and overhead support fee that is paid only once. Beyond that, we charge on a per candidate basis for each test we offer. Please email us at mpscorp@value.net or call us at 1-800-576-7455 for a price list.

Does MPS provide assessments for jobs at the individual contributor level?
 Yes. The Work Team Simulator (WTS) is designed to identify contributors who seek an empowered work environment. Those who do well on this test assume responsibility and work cooperatively in solving problems and meeting team goals. We have blue-collar and clerical versions available as well as special forms for police and fire.

The Customer Service Simulator (CSS) identifies people who have a customer service orientation; and who can project responsiveness and sensitivity in dealing with customers (we also have a supervisory version of this test).

What is the Accomplishments Survey Interview™ (ASI)?
 The ASI marries the “behavioral consistency method” and the structured interview. The behavioral consistency method states that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. The ASI investigates candidate accomplishments in key dimensions that are critical to success on the job. Candidates must report verifiable accomplishments in each critical dimension area. Interviewers are given an interview guide that tells them exactly how to conduct the interview. Interviewer training is not required. Interviewers need only spend about 45 minutes to review the interview guide. Highly qualified candidates and interviewers love this system!

Has a candidate ever successfully challenged an MPS test?
 No. For the past 25 years, we have conducted tests across the U.S., Canada, Guam, and various international locations, and no candidate has ever successfully challenged an MPS test.

Does MPS have special tests available for police and fire?
 MPS has special forms of many of its exercises for police and fire. For example, there are multiple police and fire versions of both the GMIB and SupSim. We also have exercises developed specifically for police and fire departments (e.g., Robbery/Hostage Incident, Apartment Fire Incident, etc).

Does MPS ever tailor its assessment exercises?
 MPS tailors any exercise that legitimately needs to be tailored. Thus, we always tailor our police Robbery/Hostage exercises and our fireground exercises (e.g., Apartment Fire) to the local organization. This includes the test content and the scoring key.

What about tailoring tests such as the GMIB?
It would make no sense to change the GMIB from one organization to the next because the GMIB is measuring management skills that cut across organizational and departmental lines. That is the whole point of the GMIB – to find the best managers and compare them by reference to our national norms. Think of it this way. A well-developed personality test is never changed or tailored when used for different organizations because the goal is to identify pertinent personality characteristics and match them to the needs of the organization. Similarly, the goal of the GMIB is to identify pertinent management skills and match them to the needs of the organization. Even though the types of problems may vary somewhat in different organizations, there are common problems that all managers encounter. Those managers with similar personalities will react in much the same way…just as those managers with similar managerial skill profiles as measured by the GMIB will react in much the same way.