The Ability Explorer, Third Edition

The Ability Explorer, Third Edition, helps middle school/junior high, high school, and postsecondary students, as well as adults, explore their abilities and use that information for educational and/or career planning. It is a self-exploration tool that individuals can use to understand their abilities in relation to different careers.

Description

The Ability Explorer, Third Edition, is a four-step assessment that asks individuals to rate themselves on 120 statements related to 12 work-related abilities. These abilities are:

• Artistic
• Clerical
• Interpersonal
• Language
• Leadership/Persuasive
• Manual/Technical
• Musical/Dramatic
• Numerical/Mathematical
• Organizational
• Scientific
• Social
• Spatial

These abilities match work skills identified by the U.S. Department of Labor.

How the Test Works

1. Self-Rating: Individuals rate their abilities on a 6-point Likert-like scale (from “very poor” to “very good”) for each of the 120 statements. They then calculate their scores for each of the 12 abilities.
2. Ability Ranking: Individuals rank their scores for each ability as low, medium, or high based on provided norms. They then identify their top three abilities.
3. Career Exploration: Using the Abilities-to-Careers Finder, individuals explore careers that align with their top abilities. The Finder provides information on the educational level required for each occupation.
4. Career Investigation: Individuals further investigate careers of interest identified in the previous step. This includes exploring key tasks, skills, wages and employment trends, tools and technology, and related jobs.

The test can be administered individually or in a group setting. The authors encourage using the Ability Explorer along with other assessments, such as interest inventories and aptitude tests, for a more comprehensive understanding of an individual’s abilities and career interests.

Development

The Ability Explorer, Third Edition, is a streamlined version of the original Ability Explorer, with a reduced number of items (from 140 to 120) and a condensed list of skill areas (from 16 to 12).

The authors aimed to create a fair assessment, considering gender and ethnicity. To achieve this, they consulted job analysts to identify abilities and skills required for jobs, focusing on the abilities needed rather than whether different subgroups used different abilities for the same job. The questions were also examined to ensure a balance across genders and ethnicities for each scale.

Technical Information

The standardization information for the Ability Explorer is based on a sample of 4,837 participants, with secondary students comprising 73% of the sample and college students and other adults making up the remaining 27%. The gender distribution was 51.4% female, and the ethnic distribution was approximately 50% Caucasian. More detailed information is available for the school-aged participants, including their self-reported grades and aspirations for postsecondary education.

Commentary

The Ability Explorer, Third Edition, is most effective as a career exploration tool to encourage career planning and potentially as a screening assessment to identify possible talents and limitations. Its connection to the O*NET database and the Abilities-to-Careers Finder makes it valuable for career exploration. However, it lacks the technical rigor to be used as a stand-alone assessment and should be used in conjunction with other assessments for a more complete evaluation.

References

Borman, C. (2001). Ability Explorer. In J. Kapes & E. Whitfield (Eds.), A counselor’s guide to career assessment instruments (4th ed., pp. 74–81). Columbus, OH: National Career Development Association.

Harrington, T. F., & Harrington, J. C. (1996). Ability Explorer. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C § 1416(a)(3)(B) (2004).

Mabe, P. A., & West, S. C. (1982). Validity of self-evaluation of ability: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 280–296.

Mau, W.-C. (2001). Test review: Ability Explorer. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 36(3).

Mau, W.-C. (2009). Ability Explorer. In E. A. Whitfield, R. W. Feller, & C. Wood (Eds.), A counselor’s guide to career assessment instruments (5th ed., pp. 82–88). Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Mau, W.-C. (2012). Ability Explorer. In C. Wood & D. G. Hays (Eds.), A counselor’s guide to career assessment instruments (6th ed., pp. 116–124). Broken Arrow, OK: National Career Development Association.

Melson, B., Hale, R., & Foster, M. (2013). The importance and challenge of ability assessment. Career Planning and Adult Development Journal, 29(4), 98–113.

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U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). The condition of education 2014: Immediate transition to college (NCES 2014–083). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=51

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. (1979). Guide for occupational exploration. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.