For Personal Interviews:
1) The interview is, in fact, a psychological test of the candidate. The candidate is judged not by what he knows but what he can learn. Written tests give no clue to this.
2) An interview can be highly instructional and help the employer to assess the candidate.
3) Job skills are not related to one’s memorizing skills, but to one’s ability to use the knowledge in life situations. These cannot be brought out in written performance. Hence, written tests are a waste of time and valuation cannot also be uniform when a large number of candidates take the tests.
For Written Tests:
1) The very word ‘interview’ is enough to send a shiver down the spine of many a job-seeker, resulting in one not revealing one’s full capabilities as one could in the written tests.
2) With the introduction of objective pattern of testing, students are tested more on general awareness and written tests of this kind help to attract the best.
3) Many aspiring candidates who have faced interviews give an account of the unnerving experiences of being grilled by the Board/Management through ‘irrelevant’ questions and there is also a greater chance of a play of corrupt practices in selection if the written tests are completely done away with.
P.S. The above comments are our perceptions and yours need not be exactly the same. What we seek to stimulate is a motivation on your part to think on these issues and develop your own perceptions and comment below.
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