צריך לבטל את הבחינה הפסיכומטרית - בית הספר לדיבור מול קהל

By Ilana Stein (occupational psychologist) - the speech was prepared and presented as an academic exercise within the framework Speeches and presentations course and does not necessarily reflect the author's position.

My speech deals with the question of whether the psychometric test is the most effective means of screening candidates.
As you know, the psychometric test is used as a screening tool for admission to the various universities. The assumption is that the psychometric score reflects the candidate's ability to integrate and succeed in academic studies.
I want to disprove this assumption and claim that the psychometric test is not a proper tool for screening candidates. In order to substantiate my claim, I will present you with three arguments. My first argument is based on the fact that the psychometric test does not really measure fixed intelligence or ability. My second argument talks about economic and cultural discrimination, and my third argument will show you that there is a better alternative.

Inaccurate representation of skills

First of all, I claim that the psychometric test does not reflect wisdom or a fixed IQ, but tests a number of specific skills that can be improved by early training and practice. If the psychometric test really succeeded in reflecting wisdom or ability, then it would not be possible to improve the psychometric score in such a significant way as it is possible to do today. The means are many: there are repeat exams, preparation and assistance from private teachers and preparation institutes. The statistics collected by the 'National Center for Examinations and Evaluation' indicate that a candidate who takes the exam a second and a third time improves his grades each time and significantly.

social biases

My second argument is based on the fact that the psychometric test creates discrimination between rich test takers and poor test takers, and in fact ensures that candidates from the most powerful strata of society will succeed in being admitted to universities. The rich enjoy a clear advantage, because success in the psychometric test is the result of a lot of preparation, which involves a high financial expenditure and a lot of free time. An examinee with means will be able to increase his chances of success in the psychometric test because this success is based on practice. This candidate will be able, for an unlimited period, to participate in more and more preparation courses, study with private teachers, memorize, practice and direct most of his time and energy to preparatory studies for the psychometric test. Such a candidate is not required to work and earn a living and has the means to finance all those aids. This claim was even substantiated by the National Center for Examinations and Assessment, which presented statistics that indicated that the richer the candidate, the higher the psychometric score he would receive.
Further to this, it is also known that the psychometric test discriminates against the Ethiopian population for whom the test is not equal. The psychometric test is unable to reflect their abilities and potential because some of them are not born in the country, they come from a different cultural background and suffer from disadvantages in knowing the Hebrew language (when it is not possible to be tested in the Amharic language).

Comparison of alternatives

My third argument is based on the fact that there are too many cases in which candidates succeed in their studies despite low achievements in the exam, and vice versa. This can be easily explained by the fact that the psychometric test fails to measure all the skills that indicate chances of success in academic studies. There are many characteristics that affect the chances of integration and success in the academic world that are not reflected in the psychometric test, characteristics such as motivation, diligence, curiosity, perseverance, ability to memorize material and more.
Following on from this, the matriculation tests reflect better than the psychometric test the talent and ability and hence the candidate's chance of integrating into the university and succeeding. They reflect the candidate's ability to prepare himself for a long period of time, for difficult exams and in a variety of subjects. The matriculation exams reflect the ability to deal with studying a lot of material, the ability to withstand stressful conditions, the ability to maneuver and make the most of time and the ability to express and know. All these characteristics are closer to the demands of reality that the university student has to deal with than the characteristics of the psychometric exam.

In conclusion

I claim that the psychometric test is not the most effective means of screening candidates. This claim is based on the fact that the psychometric test does not really measure fixed intelligence or ability. About the fact that the psychometric test discriminates between rich and poor and discriminates based on cultural background and that the matriculation exams reflect more relevant characteristics for success in academic studies.