Products

Our product base can be conveniently divided into two main categories - aptitude testing and the assessment of people's character or personality.

In the main, our work to develop psychometric testing software for character or personality assessment and job roles is bespoke and specific to our individual client's requirements. For this reason our off the shelf product list is concentrated around our unique delivery system and psychometric testing software targeted at the aviation sector. Our bespoke services to psychologists are for personality assessment and human resource support.

There are many aptitude test authors but we collaborate with, or are contracted to, the market leaders to supply batteries of tests used globally for pilot selection in the main and for other aviation related positions.

Our ambition is always to achieve high quality software that is modern, robust and user-friendly yet cost effective.

Testing Environment Kernal System (TEKS)

TEKS integrates into Windows© 98, NT, 2000 and XP operating systems to enhance the computer for testing purposes, ensuring there is no impact on the test measurement and safeguarding generated result data against loss or corruption, even with a total power failure.

It offers a platform, on a single machine or as part of a supervised network of up to 50 computers, for tests from a variety of vendors to be administered. It also provides a rich set of services: -

  • Corporate logo banner, customer determined titles and end of testing banner (optional).
  • Introduction software.
  • Candidate login and verification system.
  • Runtime test scheduler, pause software and monitoring facilities for remote supervision.
  • Test delivery in the candidate's native language, if desired.
  • Results processing language interpreter.
  • Results storage and transmission services.

A unique feature is the ability to operate remotely via a TCP/IP network. TEKSNet is a protocol specifically designed to cope with data transmission from many test stations concurrently via a local area network. A suitably equipped TEKS test station will automatically connect to a supervisor station at start-up, providing an easy to use multi-station testing system with centralised data management.

Peripheral Equipment

Precise computer measurement of candidate input is an essential aspect of the testing procedure. We supply custom joysticks, keypads and foot pedals, together with a connector unit and analogue/digital converter card, to provide for the accuracy required from computers manufactured prior to USB technology.

Recently we have converted to a custom 22 key keypad with a PS2 connector and are pursuing the development of a USB model. Alongside this development has been the use of off the shelf digital joysticks, using drivers provided by the latest operating systems.

We are keen to incorporate new hardware technologies where they are appropriate and do our utmost to simplify input equipment without losing the necessary accuracy.

UK MOD Pilot Aptitude Test Battery

The Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom has a well-developed pilot aptitude testing regime within their selection process. Psytech Ltd is authorised to distribute these tests outside the United Kingdom. The current client base for these tests are national air forces within Europe, Middle East and the Far East.

These tests require the end user to negotiate a licence to use with the UK Ministry of Defence (Air). The tests in the battery are:

  • Control of Velocity - an assessment of psychomotor skills and measures hand-eye co-ordination.
  • Digit Recall - a measure of short-term memory capacity.
  • Sensory Motor Apparatus - an assessment of psychomotor skills and measures hand-eye-foot co-ordination.
  • Vigilance - a measure of work rate and capacity.
  • Instrument Interpretation - based on aviation instrumentation, this test is a measure of a candidate's spatial visualisation using spatial, numerical and verbal information.

The UK RAF has additional batteries of tests that measure aptitude for air traffic control, navigator, fighter control, observer, air engineer and air loadmaster.

PILAPT Pilot Aptitude Test Battery

Psytech Ltd collaborate with People Technologies to market the PILAPT tests, used for both ab initio candidates and qualified pilots: anywhere in the world. The current client base for these tests include national air forces in Europe and South America and also civilian airlines and flying training schools in the UK, Europe, North America and the Far East.

These tests require the end user to obtain a licence for use from People Technologies.

The tests in the battery are:

  • Deviation Indicator - a compensatory tracking test requiring fine motor co-ordination.
  • Trax - assessment of psychomotor co-ordination, spatial and information processing abilities.
  • Hands - translating verbal into visual information, essentially a basic working memory task.
  • Patterns - an assessment of selective attention and decision-making.
  • Concentration - a measure of visual perception, work rate and capacity.
  • Sequences - a measure of work rate and capacity.
  • Capacity (DI4) - a measure of the decrement in tracking performance under the additional load of the audio and visual tasks.

Click here to enter the Pilapt website.

MICROPAT Test Battery

Psytech Ltd work in collaboration with Bartdale Ltd to supply the MICROPAT test battery, currently used by civilian airlines in the UK, South America and the Far East.

These tests require the end user to negotiate a licence to use with Bartdale Ltd.

The tests in the battery are:

  • Schedule - a measure of information management and decision-making.
  • Ambush (Risk) - assesses decision making with limited information under time constraints.
  • Landing - a measure of hand/eye co-ordination and information management.
  • Dual Task - a measure of hand/eye co-ordination and information management.
  • Subtraction - a measure of information management and decision-making.
  • Friend or Foe (Plane) - an assessment of visual perception and decision-making.
  • Adtrack2 - a measure of hand/eye co-ordination and decision-making.
  • Adtrack3 - a measure of hand/eye co-ordination and decision-making.
  • Comp2D - a measure of hand/eye co-ordination.
  • NavCalc - a measure of information management.
  • NavOr - a measure of information management.
  • Manikin - an assessment of visual perception and basic memory task.

Other Test Batteries

In most of our business, our clients will ask for their existing mechanical psychomotor and paper based psychometric testing products to be converted for computer use.

At the present time we have a range in excess of 40 such tests and many are available, through licensing with their IPR owners, to new clients. These include tests covering:

  • the understanding of the English language involving grammar and comprehension;
  • aviation related mechanical, abstract and technical subjects;
  • information processing, relating to the whole range of aviation posts;
  • a range of alternative hand-eye-foot co-ordination measures;
  • problem solving, personality assessment, basic mathematics.

A complete list of these tests is available by direct contact with Psytech Ltd.

Administration

TEKS has an integrated Session Manager as the initial test administration and management controller. It:-

  • enables the creation of new test sessions and access to existing sessions for the input or emendation of candidate biographical data in a customised format;
  • allows the selection and individual ordering of the specific applications used for testing;
  • ensures the implementation of locking software to ensure candidate's test results are protected; and
  • determines where the results will be stored.

Each test session is uniquely identified to ensure that results are attributed to the correct candidate. A computer generated convention of the day-month-year digits of the date of testing, combined with a group digit for the number of the session on that day (up to 9) is used. Up to 990 candidates can be entered into each session, with the ability to download personal data from other applications.

System Properties

All systems, whether standalone or networked, require administrative, supervisory/testing functions and, where appropriate for licensing, reliable useage counting to be complete.

Before testing can begin, applicant biographical information, varied according to client's requirements, should be available within a protected database. TEKS uses two core data storage systems - one for the pre-testing applicant biographical data and the other for the post-testing result data, ensuring the integrity of the system throughout. Personal details and an individually selected test list can be added or emended through our bespoke Session Manager programme.

The testing process should always be overseen. On networked TEKSNet systems, our monitoring programme enables an invigilator to remotely view a graphic representation of the testing facility to follow the progress of each applicant from the supervisor computer. This allows early intervention if problems occur or applicants are in need of support.

Test results, tied to the applicant biographical data, is immediately available for viewing through a customised profiler and can be printed in a form useful within a selection process or as part of a larger report using Adobe© PDF format or Microsoft© Word or Powerpoint.

Test Delivery

Each test programme is a totally separate software module. TEKS, as a delivery platform, uses these modules to form an integrated testing system. This format has a number of advantages that include:

  • The flexibility to assign different tests to individual applicants in a single testing session.
  • The capability to rearrange test order and include pauses where appropriate.
  • Test recovery without loss of existing result data in the event of a power failure.
  • Test delivery in the applicant's native language and, in appropriate circumstances, the opportunity for the applicant to make the choice.
  • The scope to venture beyond formal aptitude tests with the integration of a client's own selection tools or character assessment software or the inclusion of e-basket; web designed and questionnaire type applications.

We thrive on the challenge of transforming our customer's test ideas into software to integrate into the TEKS system, enhancing our client's testing and selection capabilities.

Results

We have a number of established solutions that enable our customer's to:-

  • generate aptitude tests results for use as part of a selection process;
  • manage the answers from a personality or job analysis questionnaire;
  • combine data from 360° feedback or other assessment measures; and
  • export many types of data into analysis applications for further study.

In addition, we also pride ourselves on our proven record for producing bespoke result viewing software to meet a client's specific needs.

We are never complacent and seek constantly to expand our range of software skills to provide the type of service demanded by our customers.