An exploratory study of the development of a test to assess word processing job-related skills

Considerable research has been devoted to clerical work during the past few years. Some performance measures have been constructed, such as standardized tests for typing and shorthand. However, no such test has been developed primarily for assessing competencies in word processing. Today most word processing center managers rely on their own standards for assessing word processing competencies. These standards include mixtures of data borrowed from schools and then altered to fit the needs of the organization. Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was to construct and validate a standardized test (exclusive of text-editing machine manipulation) that can be used both for a pretest and a posttest in word processing training programs and as a pretest for initial employment and career advancement in word processing. [...]