Vocational Selection Test (VST)

Contact us

Australian Council for Educational Research

19 Prospect Hill Rd,
Camberwell, VIC, Australia 3124

T: (03) 9277 5498
E: vst@acer.edu.au

Note: ACER will only be conducting one written test for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) in 2012. Registrations are open until June 15.

Vocational Selection Test

ACER provides pre-recruitment solutions and services to assist corporate or recruitment partners with the selection of candidates for employer-based programs via high-stakes, secure testing.The core Vocational Selection Test (VST) is designed to provide comparative information on candidates’ abilities and is particularly useful for screening large groups of candidates in the initial round of a selection process.

This assessment has high reliability and has been used since 2002 to screen more than 16,000 candidates; it is a legally defensible test for high stakes screening decisions.

The Vocational Selection Test has been part of large-scale recruitment processes for many organisations involving:

• Development and management of candidate databases for online registration using sophisticated IT technology with high levels of security
• Development and management of assessments that match  eligibility requirements of ‘job-fit’ for particular roles based on latest test development techniques and trends
• Analysis and reporting of results supported by latest educational measurement models.

VST is administered by ACER for candidate selection according to detailed client specifications which allow for:

• Selection of the best mix of cognitive and personality testing of candidates that will measure the underpinning reasoning skills required for employment and match clients’ benchmarks and values.
• Negotiation with existing corporte partners, TAFEs and universities in metropolitan, rural, interstate and international locations to establish optimal value-for-money examination centres
• A large, flexible Operations Centre that provides logistical support across project activities such as secure printing and sorting, packing and dispatch of materials.
• Strict supervision measures of test sittings
• Test collection and return of used and unused materials, secure storage and central processing of results via answer sheets scanning through an Optical Mark Reader and mapping of candidate responses to put together in a database for accurate reporting
• High-levels of customer service which includes dedicated staff,
• Frequently Asked Questions page on website and helpline to streamline the registration and test administration processes. 

See process chart below.

Test Content

The core Vocational Selection Test has three components:

• Verbal Reasoning - which assesses the ability to grasp and use relationships among concepts.
• Quantitative Reasoning - which assesses mathematical skills and numerical aptitude.
• Abstract Reasoning - which assesses the ability to understand and apply concepts expressed in non-verbal diagrams.

Two optional components are available:

• VST - Mechanical Reasoning – which assesses the ability to understand the functioning of mechanical devices and systems, and apply this to predict effects of changes and to solve problems.
• VST - Interpersonal Understandings – which assesses the ability to understanding the feelings, motivation and behaviour of other people, and of issues related to working with or helping others.

The optional components are new tests and have been developed to meet the demands of a range of employers. They are designed to be used in conjunction with the core VST.