Basic or Advanced Skills: Which Do You Need to Test?

Basic skills testing has long been proven effective in identifying gaps on the rudimentary levels for English and math skills.

This is very useful for screening and placement for entry-level jobs, training programs and student admissions. But what if you need something that goes a little deeper? What if you’re hiring for a higher-level position, or you have incoming students who are supposed to take challenging courses for their degree program, but in reality they’re not ready? There’s a new way to test advanced skills, and it’s called the Wonderlic Advanced Skills Test. It offers the same ease, convenience and customized reporting of the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test, but assesses a higher level of academic competencies. The Difference Between Basic and Advanced Skills If you are interested in determining if someone has skills above or below the high school graduate level, then the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test would be appropriate. However, if you want to know whether someone is college-ready, Bachelor’s Degree-equivalent or even beyond, then the Wonderlic Advanced Skills Test is the right one for the situation.

• Both tests are based on the Common Core Standards, but with different grade levels. Keep in mind that the grade levels reflect when the content is taught – not when it is mastered. For example, although Algebra is taught in 7th grade, it might not be mastered until 9th grade or later.
• The Wonderlic Basic Skills Test is based upon Common Core State Standards 3^rd through 7^th grades.
• The Wonderlic Advanced Skills Test covers 5^th grade into sophomore year of high school, and it assesses a broader range of skill levels and test content than commonly-used college entry tests.

Choosing the Right Skills Test If you are still trying to decide which one to use, here is some information on the subjects assessed: Both tests still offer the convenience of online testing, provide simple, color-coded results, and include details on specific deficit areas. If used for business purposes, scoring recommendations are set based on Department of Labor O*NET^® competencies and can be customized to meet the exact demands of a position. If used by educational institutions, scoring recommendations are set based on curriculum and the needs of the career, and can be adjusted to meet the exact demands of specific programs. In any case, if you have any questions about which one is right for you, don’t hesitate to contact us!