Assessment 04
ESSAY
Due 2025
, IOP4863
Assessment 04
Due 2025
ESSAY
Question 1: Applying Bester and Stander’s Technology-Based Assessment
Guidelines
In the digital age, computer-based testing has become a common feature of modern
psychological services (Coetzee, Ferreira, & Potgieter, 2022). For career practitioners,
this shift demands a firm grounding in ethics, psychometrics, and cultural sensitivity.
Bester and Stander (2021) offer five practical guidelines for using technology-based
assessments responsibly. Each guideline is discussed below, with application strategies
aligned to ethical and professional standards.
1. Creating a Compelling Candidate Experience
The first guideline emphasizes designing an assessment journey that is accessible,
respectful, and engaging. This assumes that client experience is a central determinant
of test validity and outcomes. To apply this, practitioners must select platforms with
clear instructions, responsive interfaces, and inclusive language. In a South African
context, this includes supporting multilingual delivery and ensuring mobile compatibility
to reach clients in rural areas. Visual clarity, simplicity, and user control over the pace of
the test contribute to psychological comfort and reduce test anxiety. Immediate,
structured feedback further promotes transparency and strengthens the therapeutic
alliance. However, the assumption that all users are digitally literate may not hold in
contexts of digital inequality, which requires the practitioner to support clients through
additional guidance or hybrid formats.