Unit 4: Selection and Crime Scene Process

The Entrance Examination

Researchers have determined that the written examination is the hurdle that screens out most applicants. Due to claims by some minority groups that many written entrance exams were discriminatory, new tests have been designed in an attempt to eliminate bias. In 1972, Congress amended the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was given the responsibility of enforcing the provisions. Title VII made it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. As a result, all requirements throughout the application process are subject to review by the EEOC to determine if they may amount to discrimination.

The EEOC also reviews tests to determine if they are valid, that if they will actually predict future job performance. If a test is determined to be valid, even if it discriminates against a particular group, it is likely to find support in the courts unless an equally valid, non-discriminatory test can be developed.

Law enforcement entrance tests attempt therefore to measure how well an applicant may be expected to perform in the position he or she is applying for. Some tests pleasure a candidate’s ability to act in stressful situations. Some provide candidate’s with job related materials such as maps, reports, and procedure manuals, and ask what correct procedure would be in certain situations. Some of these tests, which are usually prepared by professional test development organizations, have been tested in court and determined to test for job related knowledge and skills.