Does Psychological Testing of Recruit Candidates Actually Distinguish Between the Best and the Rest?

As one element of recruit selection, many police agencies utilize formal psychological testing of candidates. Other factors considered in the selection process may include evaluations of the candidates’ problem-solving skills and character references, along with their employment and educational histories. Based on results from psychological testing with 250 candidates assessed for a large, urban police service, compared to those not hired, those selected scored higher on measures of adaptability, pragmatism, compliance, and reliability—and lower on measures of anxiety and aggression. Similarly, based purely on test results, those given positive ratings scored higher on measures of adaptability and compliance—and lower on measures of drug use, anxiety, irritability, and aggression.