[IPAC-List] FW: Meter Reader Walking Test

[Ronald Clare]

The focus on the walking aspect of the job misses, I believe the most important aspect...reading the meters--including accurate reporting. True, candidates must meet a standard of meters read per hour/day/week. Also, within the probationary period, the walking component would increase dramatically so virtually any reasonably healthy person would probably meet the "mapping"/walking standard ( assuming one truly exists). If I were going all out for this test , I would determine the standard/hour for acceptable full performance, seek "exercise" specialists (university?) to determine reasonable increase during the probationary period and use that as the "pass"standard. Then might reach out to a military base or university to allow placement of preset " meters" in a simulated course on campus that the standard would indicate should be completed in an hour (30minutes?). It would seem that scoring should be accuracy first with ties broken by speed. Naturally good SME's are crucial for all standards. Performance of acceptably rated current employees is also critical. The short cut could be done within a classroom for pure meter reading and require the candidates to provide physician certification that they can walk at the rate  necessary. I expect it would be relatively rare environs where real map skills would come into play.

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 28, 2012, at 9:02 PM, jerry durovic <jerrydurovic at hotmail.com> wrote:


> 

> One civil service example was told to me years ago by an examiner who had to test for sewer workers. He would give candidates a map of the sewer system, bring them to a specific man-hole cover and the task was for the candidate to go into the sewer system at that man-hole and come out at a specific man-hole cover some distance away as quickly as possible. This required the candidate to walk through a part of the system.  He discussed with me the various test administration issues and solutions, including how to find candidates who did not come out at the designated man-hole cover nor at any of the other man-hole covers to which routine errors would bring them. Scoring could be either fail/pass (reaching the target destination) plus time to reach it; or, a combination such as that often used to score typing tests. Modern meter readers are using more and more mechanized modes of travel to do their jobs. Of course, there is a difference between using a performance test to evaluate the walking component vs. testing for the 'ability to walk' for a job. Some may not do as well on an 'ability' test as they might on the job with the prosthetics they have. With the growing number of returning wounded veterans, I would first explore the feasiblity of using a performance test if I needed to evaluate the 'walking' component of the job.  I hope this is of some assistance to you.

> 

> Jerry Durovic, Ph.d.

> Chief Personnel Examiner (retired)

> NYS Dept of Civil Service

> Albany, NY

> 

> 

>> Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:23:14 -0500

>> From: Rene.Shekerjian at cs.state.ny.us

>> To: jkuthy at biddle.com; ipac-list at ipacweb.org

>> Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] FW: Meter Reader Walking Test

>> 

>> Wouldn't they need to cover a certain distance in a limited amount of time? I assume that they have to get to X-number of houses in a day. Could you take a snap shot of that, say give them 60 minutes to get from point A to point B? Maybe even have them collect tokens along the way to demonstrate that they hit various locations (homes) during their walk. If you had access to a college or HS sport field, you could set up a course and monitor it fairly easily.

>> 

>> Eh, just a thought from a Christmas-fried cerebrum...

>> 

>> René 

>> 

>> René Shekerjian | Testing Services Division | NYS Department of Civil Service | 518-402-2660

>> ======================================================================

>> 

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: Jim Kuthy [mailto:jkuthy at biddle.com] 

>> Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 4:09 PM

>> To: ipac-list at ipacweb.org

>> Subject: [IPAC-List] FW: Meter Reader Walking Test

>> 

>> 

>> Does anyone have an example of a test of the ability to walk distances for a job, such as a meter reader. On the job employees can start and stop walking at virtually any time, so requiring applicants to walk a specific distance without stopping is problematic.

>> 

>> Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

>> 

>> Jim

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> Jim Kuthy, Ph.D.

>> Principal Consultant | Biddle Consulting Group, Inc.

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