Setting Cutoff Scores in C4

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Copyright © 2009 Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

This presentation is provided as part of our commitment to serving our clients

Please send comments or suggestions to info@c4test.com

CritiCall® is a registered trademark of Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

800-999-0438

General Notes• Cutoff scores in C4 are set based on

AutoTest Codes– AutoTest Codes are a series of test modules that

an employer groups together for testing for a specific job or job category

– You must create an AutoTest Code using the Test Creation Wizard (or the AutoTest Setup feature) before cutoff scores for that AutoTest code can be set

• Cutoff scores are typically determined by an employer’s own “subject matter experts” using C4’s Validation Wizard feature– They are then entered using the “Set Cutoff

Scores” feature in the C4 Administrator’s Program

Table of Contents Quick Links

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presentation to the section on using Cutoff Scores and

Printing Candidate Score

Reports with Pass or Fail Status

Indicated

Before you set cutoff scores …

• We strongly recommend that you review the validation report you created before you set any cutoff scores to make certain all of the information has been entered appropriately by your job experts

Before you set your cutoff scores you should check to see whether you have used the

Validation Wizard feature for the AutoTest Code in question

To do this, click on the “Validation Report” link in the C4 Administrator’s Program

Select the AutoTest Code you wish to view from the Validation Report menu

If you have not validated this AutoTest Code using the Validation Wizard you will see this message

If you have validated this AutoTest Code using the Validation Wizard you will see this screen

You are now ready to set your cutoff scores.

Hint: It may be helpful to print the Validation Report before you set the cutoff scores

777777

After 7 to 10 Job Experts have used the Validation Wizard, it should say “Yes” for all of the tests. If not, you will need to create a new AutoTest Code

without the invalid tests

It is recommended that a minimum of 7 to 10 Job Experts

use the Validation Wizard to validate the tests, if possible

Click here

To set the cutoff scores, you first click on the “Set Cutoff Scores” link on the C4 Administrator’s Screen

Default AutoTest Code initially appears here –

Use this menu to view cutoff score settings

for other AutoTest Codes

This is the screen you see if the listed AutoTest Code has been validated using the “Validation Wizard” feature

“Call Center”

Note: This message will also appear if Subject Matter Experts have responded to the Validation Wizard survey for the listed AutoTest

Code, but the Validation Report feature has not been run in the Administrator’s Program for that AutoTest Code

The message below appears on the screen if no Validation Report has been run for the chosen AutoTest Code

The first column shows the tests contained in this AutoTest Code

The second column is where you set the cutoff scores for each of the tests

If a Validation Report has been run for this AutoTest Code you have five choices when setting cutoff scores…

First choice: Keep the cutoff score at “none,” which is the default.

This means the cutoff score is set at zero – everyone passes no matter what they score.

Default is “None”

Second choice: Set the cutoff score at the cutoff score suggested by your subject matter experts less one standard error of measurement

Less 1 SEM

The cutoff scores listed in the “Cutoff Score Setup” area match the cutoff

scores shown in the Report Summary section of the C4 Validation Report

Summary

This is a sample of the Report Summary section of a C4Validation Report

Where do the cutoff scores in the “Cutoff Score Setup” screen come

from?

Question: Why is there more than one recommend cutoff score for each test?

Answer: Because no tests are perfect. They include "measurement error" and the U.S. Supreme Court has supported

adjusting minimum passing (cutoff) scores to account for this.

U.S. v. South Carolina, 434 US 1026 (1978)

The U.S. Supreme Court has supported that when a test is used for selection (i.e., hiring) purposes, employers consider adjusting the cutoff score downward one, two, or three standard error of

measurements (SEMs) considering the five factors below

The standard error of measurement for each test is

shown in the Detailed Validation Report

What is a Standard Error of Measurement?

If a person were to take the same test repeatedly, with no change in his or her level of knowledge and preparation, it is possible that some of the resulting scores would be slightly

higher or slightly lower than the score that precisely reflects the person’s actual level of knowledge and ability. The Standard Error of Measurement sets a boundary around where

these hypothetical scores will lie. For example, a person who scores 45 on a typing test that has a SEM of 5 would most likely score between 40 and

50 about 70% of the time.

If you had to compute the standard error of measurement yourself, you would use

this formula

• SEM refers to the standard error of measurement

• SD refers to the standard deviation of test scores

• rxy refers to the reliability of the testNote: More sophisticated methods are available for computing conditional SEMs (SEMs that change throughout the test score range) for tests that have more test items than are typically contained on

CritiCall tests.

• SEM refers to the standard error of measurement

• SD refers to the standard deviation of test scores

• rxy refers to the reliability of the test

For more details, refer to the “Test Validation” chapter, “Cutoff Scores” section, of the CritiCall Administrator’s Manual

The C4 System automatically computes the

standard error of measurement and adjusted cutoff scores so

you don’t have to

If you had to compute the standard error of measurement, you would use this

formula

For example, the average less one SEM for this test is

the average of suggested cutoffs (65%) minus one

SEM (1.718), which is rounded out to 63%.

The average less two SEMs for this test is

the average of suggested cutoffs (65%) minus two SEMs (3.435), which is

rounded out to 62.

We follow the same logic for the average less three SEMs

Calculating the adjusted cutoff

scores using the standard error of

measurement

So, the U.S. Supreme Court recommends you consider

using one of these three cutoff scores instead of the

average of suggested cutoffs

Please contact Biddle Consulting Group, Inc. at 800-999-0438 if you have additional questions about how cutoff scores are indicated in the

Validation Report

Third choice: Set the cutoff score at the cutoff score suggested by your subject matter experts less two standard error of measurements

Less 2 SEMs

Fourth choice: Set the cutoff score at the cutoff score suggested by your subject matter experts less three standard error of measurements

Less 3 SEMs

Add cutoff score

Fifth choice: Set a custom cutoff score.

Be extremely careful when setting custom cutoff scores since you may increase your liability exposure if you set an inappropriate cutoff score

Default is “None”

If no Validation Report has been run for this AutoTest Codeyou will have only two choices

First choice: Keep the cutoff score at “none,” which is the default.

This means the cutoff score is set at zero – everyone passes no matter what they score.

If no Validation Report has been run for this AutoTest Code

We recommend entering one of the adjusted cutoff scores (average cutoff score minus one, two, or three standard errors of measurement)

listed in the Validation Report you have produced for this AutoTest Code

Second choice: Set the cutoff score at the cutoff score suggested by your subject matter experts or using some custom cutoff score

Add cutoff score

Rule: Pass/Fail

If a test taker scores below the cutoff score that has been set for ANY test that uses the “Pass/Fail” rule, that test taker fails that test. This rule

currently cannot be changed or modified.

The third column shows how the cutoff score will be used

“Low SME Warning” is shown if less than 7 SMEs used the

Validation Wizard for this test

The final column indicates the total number of the subject matter experts (SMEs) who have used the Validation

Wizard for this AutoTest Code

Number of Subject Matter Experts

The U.S. Courts indicate that a minimum of seven to ten Subject Matter Experts should provide validation information, if possible

After all of the cutoff scores are set, click on the “Save” and then the “Close” buttons

If you wish to exit without saving any changes, just click on the “Close” button

Using Cutoff Scores and Printing Candidate Score

Reports with Pass or Fail Status Indicated

Click here

To print a Candidate Score Report showing test takers Pass or Fail status, click on the “Candidate Score Report” link on the C4

Administrator’s Screen

First, select the candidate(s) whose Candidate Score Report you wish to print by clicking on the check box by their names

Hint: You can limit the candidates who appear on this screen by creating “filters” in the area provided (see above).

After filtering, click on the “Update List” button to apply the filter. (See CritiCall Manual for more details)

To create a report that indicates whether a person passes or fails an AutoTest Code you have set cutoff scores for, check () the “Pass/Fail

Report” option on the Candidate Score Report dialogue box before printing the report

The dialogue box shown here will appear on the screen even if you have used the Validation Wizard for this AutoTest Code. It is merely an

advisory message reminding users that they must set the cutoff scores before they will accurately appear on the Pass/Fail version of

the Candidate Score Report.

This is what the Pass/Fail Candidate Score Report looks like

IMPORTANT! Check the AutoTest Code name here to make sure this is the AutoTest Code you wanted

to score

If this is not the AutoTest Code you wanted to score, it may be beneficial to go back to the Candidate Score Report dialogue box and

limit the test takers by filtering

This is what the Pass/Fail Candidate Score Report looks like

Test Taker’s score for each test

The tests in the Candidate Score Report are listed in the order in which they were

administered to the test taker

This is what the Pass/Fail Candidate Score Report looks like

Cutoff scores you have set using the Set Cutoff

Score feature

Candidates’ Pass/Fail status for each test

This is what the Pass/Fail Candidate Score Report looks like

Pass in this column means the test taker scored at or above the cutoff score set for each of the C4 test administered

Fail in this column means the test taker scored below the cutoff score set for a C4 test

Pass/Fail status for each test module and for the

overall scores

This is what the Pass/Fail Candidate Score Report looks like

In this example the test taker failed the “Customer Service Interaction” test since they scored (61%), which is lower than the

cutoff score (63%) that had been set

In our experience…

• Many employers find it beneficial to consider only those candidates who have passed all of the required tests in the AutoTest Code– Those who fail one or more tests may

have difficulties in those areas if hired– Those who fail one or more tests are

more likely to need additional supervision and training if hired

Frequently Asked Question

• Question: Can I change the cutoff scores for an AutoTest Code after they have been set and used to score some test takers?

• Answer: Yes. You can change cutoff scores at any time. – However, every Candidate Score Report you

print out reflects the most recently set cutoff scores, even if some of those candidates have been graded using previously set cutoff scores

If you need assistance or more information

• Technical Support – 800-999-0438 ext 127• Sales – 800-999-0438 ext 150• Other Assistance – 800-999-0438 ext 151

• Or email info@C4test.com

C4 (CritiCall® for Contact Centers) is a product of Biddle Consulting Group, Inc. 193 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 270, Folsom, CA 95630

CritiCall® is a registered trademark of Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

We hope this presentation has been helpful to you

Please call us at 800-999-0438 or email us at info@c4test.com if you have comments or suggestions about this presentation; or if there are other presentations you would

like to see in the future

Copyright © 2009 Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.