Technical Report - International Military Testing Association

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Systematic upgrading. At the same time, -the Air Force achieves other
gains through the use at the SKT PS a managerial control device. By channeling
the upgrading proce56, tile SKT regulates the flow of technically knovledgenblc
personnel up a host of career laddere. Rclpero, apprentices, journeymen,
tcchnici6ns, 5upervisor8, superintcr&nts--all arc kept advancing at on orderly
pace, each group maintaining the preecribed distance of feparetion from the
othere, A kind of braklng mechanisu, the SKT kcepo ampetition from disintegratin!
into a chaotic ecramble and providcn a hedge againot the runaway Inflation of
ratlnge. A sort of traffic control system, the SKT set8 rz&xm speed limit8
in the form of qualifyfng percentile scorea.
Wotwithetandfng limitations. To be But@, the teat doe8 not have the effect
of sunnnarily and irrevocably eliminating in drove8 failures from any furthercompetition,
On the contrary, through reteating and board action, all but a
negligible proportion of the failure8 eventually get by. Fhat ie important,
howover, 18 that the test doe8 serve to keep the rate of progression within
manageable limit8 for purpose8 of effectrve personnel salectlon. And to be
sure, one can envisage a c-are flexible application of speed llmite, depending
upon what the traffic will bear. A rather permis81ve puss/fail ratio might
be justified for a critically undermanned specialty, or a very restrictive
ratio for an overcrowded one. However, :.xh manipulation to accomdate variable
supply-demand relationships azxng rpecialtics would hevc to be carefully conoidered
in thr. light of poaeible conflict with the goals of 5tandardfzat:on and quality
control,
All told, the resulatory effect of the SKT function cannot be denied. It8
value a8 a absnagerial control device ie appreciable, elrpecially when a88eEsed
against the alternative of no control.
k’or the good cf al.l. The gains achieved by the SKT program are by no
means confined to the hig!lest level8 of management. The beneficieries of the
program am found at all levels right down to the individual airman. Couxnandere
and 8upeTvi5or5, faced with mekfng selections from amxtg relatively homgeneous
group8 of personnel, find A trusty catalyet in the SKT, helping to ease the onus
of decision. Heanwhile, the individual airman is provided with an objective system
of career progreoslon, giving him the opportunity to compete in a eervfcewfde
arena. Under etandard conditions, the testing situation Afford8 him the chance to
demonstrate anew his capacity, in term8 of specialized know-hgFI, for advancement
in level of responeibility and authority.
IN SUPPORT OF TRAINING .
Thus far,the discussion has dwellod mainly on those goals of the SKT program
that relate to the use of the test a5 a managerial device in support of the airman
claeslfication system. There are certain other goals of the SKT that produce an
impact on the training function.
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