Army Enlisted Personnel Competency Assessment Program: Phase 2 Report

Abstract : In the early 1990s, the Department of the Army abandoned its Skill Qualification Test (SQT) program due primarily to maintenance, development, and administration costs. This left a void in the Army's capabilities for assessing job performance qualification. To meet this need, the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) instituted a 3-year program of feasibility research related to the development of a Soldier assessment system that is both effective and affordable. The PerformM21 program has two mutually supporting tracks. The first track focuses on the design of a testing program and identification of issues related to its implementation. The second track is a demonstration of concept, starting with a prototype core assessment targeted at all Soldiers eligible for promotion to Sergeant, followed by job-specific prototype assessments for several Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). The present report describes the second year of the PerformM21 program, in which a core examination was pilot-tested and prototype test content was developed for five MOS. Further consideration also was given to program design features (e.g., delivery models, test frequency). Program design considerations include substantial attention to the ways in which technology could be used to support the program and issues associated with the successful application of such tools.