Since this is a healthcare-related blog, it’s only right we venture into some of the various health professions who you may work with. It’s also a field you might find yourself interested in taking up. Psychometricians are health professionals closely related to the field of psychology, specializing in everything related to psychological tests.
In this article, we’ll talk about the roles of a psychometrician, what differentiates them from other related professions, and how you can become a psychometrician! But before delving into the role, let’s first understand what psychometrics is in the first place.
What is Psychometrics?
When we think about psychology, we think about qualitative assessments. The psychology we usually read about is how behavior (something observable) reflects a person’s thoughts and personality (something not observable). That’s what made it interesting to people. It takes skill and practice to be able to accurately interpret behavior and understand a person’s cognition.
Psychometrics, in simpler terms, turns these unobservable traits into something measurable and quantifiable. In fact, it’s in the name: Psycho-, meaning mind and -metrics, meaning measurement. So psychometrics is the measure of what’s in someone’s mind.
But why bother making it quantitative when psychology is mostly qualitative? For example, you’re a college administrator, trying to figure out which students are qualified to study in your institution. You can say that two different students are both smart, but that isn’t enough. In what aspects are they intelligent? To what degree is this student intelligent? Measuring these traits allows you to compare students to make better decisions on who is the best fit for your institution. This is just one of the many utilities of psychological testing.
While qualitative tests are also conducted, they are typically standardized to be able to interpret them properly. However, most of the time, you need a psychologist with you to help interpret those tests.
What does a Psychometrician do?
A psychometrician practices the science of psychological testing. They construct and conduct psychological tests. These two duties may sound simple, but they’re the bulk of what psychometricians do.
Test construction
Test construction is more than just searching for what you want to measure and formulating questions related to it. It requires a vast amount of research and standardization tailored to the target population. Psychometricians have to find research that supports the content they put out. They also need to test their questionnaires among the population they want to target. This is to ensure that the test they’re making truly tests what it aims to measure. That’s called test validity.
They also have to make sure that the test results are consistent. This answers the following questions: If someone takes the test again, will they get the same score? If a question were re-worded into a similar sentence, would a test-taker answer the same way? This is called test reliability.
Test administration
Psychometricians also handle the administration and scoring of existing tests. It’s the psychometrician’s job to ensure that the testing environment has no distractions and is standardized for all test-takers. For example, if a test-taker answers a test in the dark and another in a brightly-lit room, of course, you’d expect different results.
They also meticulously follow the instructions of each test. Some assessments for children require them to move blocks around. Other tests are scored with a stencil. Some tests also have complicated score computations written in their instruction manuals. It’s like buying a new machine and figuring out how to operate it. Therefore, psychometricians need to thoroughly understand each test before administering it.
Why test at all?
As a psychometrician, I get asked a lot why testing conditions are so rigorously controlled when real-life behavior is influenced by so many uncontrolled factors. For example, a person might be good at testing their medical knowledge on tests, but struggle when placed in the field and under pressure. So why bother standardizing tests? Why not assess a person as a whole?
For one, a person is a whole, immeasurable ocean. They’re teeming with numerous characteristics, both shallow and deep. It would be impossible to accurately assess every aspect of a person. Most of the time, we’re not actually looking for every trait. When we assess people for whatever reason, whether it’s for medical or occupational reasons, we only care about particular traits. In the same way we use diagnostic tests like radiographic and blood tests, we only want to focus on one thing.
Psychometrician vs Psychologist?
While the two work closely together to help patients, they are different in multiple aspects. A psychometrician creates and administers psychological tests. A psychologist assesses patients and conducts therapy sessions to treat them. Much of the time, psychometricians refer to psychologists and psychiatrists to better interpret their patient assessments.
Depending on where you live, educational and licensing requirements differ between these professions. In some places, psychometricians only need to undergo a bachelor’s course and maybe a licensure exam. Some jobs require hours of related experience. Meanwhile, psychologists need an advanced degree (master’s or doctorate degrees) and a licensure exam to practice.
Psychometrician vs Psychometrists?
These two sound the same and are both involved in assessments and testing. However, there are a few differences between the two. A psychometrist mainly administers and scores psychological tests, usually under the supervision of a psychologist. This sounds similar to a psychometrician as they’re qualified to do the same thing. However, psychometricians can also develop tests and analyze the results.
Where I come from in the Philippines, these two roles are shared under one role as a psychometrician where the minimum education attainment is a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
However, in countries where these roles are distinct, psychometrists are usually bachelor degree holders in related fields like psychology, mathematics, or statistics. They also need to attain certification to practice their profession. To become a psychometrician, on the other hand, would involve getting a more advanced degree like a master’s or doctoral degree in related fields. Certification requirements for psychometricians vary by location.
How to Become a Psychometrician
Becoming a psychometrician isn’t an easy road. It involves a lot of learning, and (to my frustration) a lot of math. But it’s not impossible! Like any journey, we take it step-by-step:
Get a Bachelor’s degree
It’s a bit difficult to find a bachelor’s degree in psychometrics. However, you can take other related courses in, but not limited to, the following fields:
- Psychology
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Educational assessment
- Research
These courses will take around 4 years to finish. Within this time, you can also sign up for an internship or practicum related to psychometrics. This will help you build a better resume because you’ll already have some work experience once you graduate. Usually, this step is enough to get an entry-level position.
In my country, I had to take a licensure exam to qualify as a psychometrician after I graduated from BS Psychology. Other countries don’t necessarily require this. However, since they combined the role of psychometrists and psychometricians together, it is a lot of responsibility and is therefore regulated.
Optional: Take an advanced degree
While most people in psychometrician jobs have bachelors degrees, holding an advanced degree in the related fields I mentioned before can make you more competitive. Roughly 29.3% of psychometricians earn a master’s degree.
This will take an additional 2 years to complete. Through taking an advanced degree, you also polish psychometric-related skills. However, there are also other ways to build those skills, which brings us to our next step.
Develop your psychometrics-relatedskills
You can supplement your formal education by covering skills and software knowledge elsewhere. Here are some skills and software you will want to master to help make your portfolio more appealing:
- SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)
- Microsoft Excel
- Statistics
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Psychological Tests
- SAS (Statistical Analysis Software)
- IRT (Item Response Theory)
- Theories of Learning and Personality
You can take online or face-to-face classes to learn these skills and related software. Some psychological assessments also require some studying and even certification before you can administer them. So depending on where you want to specialize, you’ll want to study related assessments.
Research what the job entails
Of course, before you sign up for any job, you should read the duties and responsibilities that come with it. I discussed the jobs psychometricians do. However, different industries require different kinds of assessments. For example, schools will need more tests geared towards intelligence, and corporate work usually involves more tests about skills and aptitude.
Apply for work as a psychometrician
Once you have your credentials ready and your skills are geared towards the position you want, you can start applying to psychometrician jobs. While the field is still growing and you might find psychometrician openings hard to find, you can expect demand to grow in the next few years. Also, make sure that you’re given a reasonable salary for your efforts, especially when you have a lot of credentials and certifications, as they contribute significantly to your value as a professional.
