ADVERSE impact is the extent to which an assessment methodology produces different mean score or success rates for different groups (social, ethnic, gender, religious).

This is often expressed by the proportion of a standard deviation that the minority group’s mean score is different to the mean score of the MAJORITY group. Psychometric tests are usually seen as the MAJOR source of adverse impact in an assessment process. However, adverse impact has ALSO been demonstrated in other assessment techniques such as the interview and Assessment Centres. Adverse impact can be reduced by making assessment processes more open, PARTICIPATIVE, transparently fair, and relevant.

Adverse impact is the extent to which an assessment methodology produces different mean score or success rates for different groups (social, ethnic, gender, religious).

This is often expressed by the proportion of a standard deviation that the minority group’s mean score is different to the mean score of the majority group. Psychometric tests are usually seen as the major source of adverse impact in an assessment process. However, adverse impact has also been demonstrated in other assessment techniques such as the interview and Assessment Centres. Adverse impact can be reduced by making assessment processes more open, participative, transparently fair, and relevant.