Overview

Purpose: Designed to assess the basic arithmetic skills used in sales, clerical and technical occupations.

For: Individuals of 15 years and above.

Length: Variable depending on how many subtests are administered but usually between 10 to 20 minutes.

Format: Pen, paper and calculator.

Materials: Question booklet and manual.

Arithmetic skills are required across a wide range of jobs. Congruence is developing a test of arithmetic skills for occupations up to the technician level.

This test will assist counselors and their clients to know what arithmetic skills a person possesses and how these relate to the numeracy demands of particular jobs.

The Congruence Arithmetic Test (CAT) has six parts. The first section is done without the use of a calculator and for the other five a person is allowed to use a calculator which we will supply. The reasoning behind this structure is that we want to assess a person’s grasp of mathematical principles in the first section – this indicates training potential. The other sections assess functional capability in the workplace for basic arithmetic operations, production, money, decimals and fractions. Since calculators or their equivalents are widely available and used in work situation it is more realistic to evaluate what individuals can do using them.