The nuclear industry expends significant resources conducting competency assessments. Competency assessments are used for employee selection, trainee assessment, qualification, requalification and authorization. This publication focuses on the competency assessments used for measuring the knowledge, skills and attitudes of personnel as the result of training. Other uses of competency assessments are also briefly discussed. Ineffective testing methods and procedures, or inappropriate interpretation of test results, can have significant effects on both human performance and nuclear safety. For some users, this publication will provide a review of the ideas and principles of competency assessments with which they are already familiar; for others it will present new concepts. While not intended to provide in-depth coverage of assessment theory, this publication should provide developers, instructors and assessors with a foundation on which to develop sound assessments.
