I__. - International Military Testing Association

Region
School’)North Center South
1) School education level 4
(1 to 4 ) see Table 4
5
Differences of mean rankings
NO= - C&AL SOiJTH
Table 6 / Figure 2
Differences in the mean ranking position for assignments with fighting and non-fighting
forces according to school education and region (significant differences underlined).
lower education level show no or non-significant differences for assignments with fighting or
non-fighting forces. In contrast, these differences are clearly pronounced and highly significant
in the cases of conscripts with a higher level of education. With the exception of those with a
school-leaving certificate of a secondary-level primary school in the southern region and those
with a lower secondary school-leaving certificate in the northern region, regional impacts on the
preferences are negligible. When compared to corresponding samples in other regions, these two
samples exhibit significantly high differences in the mean ranking positions.
The results presented here concerning military assignment preferences in samples with different
educational and regional backgrounds are based on the mean ranking positions for the various
assignments with fighting and non-fighting forces. An analysis of the appraisals of the individual
assignments produces quiet divergent results. For example, in all regions those with the highest
school-leaving certificate most strongly prefer the assignment as “gunlayer” with the fighting
forces, but it is only in the central region that there is a clear preference for the assignment as
“paratrooper” .
Conclusions
AIL is an effective and objective way of providing information and ascertaining the assignment
preferences of those liable to military service. In addition to individual assignment prcfcrcnccs,
which are important for placement, it is possible to find out about the main preferences of those
liable to military service and the way they are affected by their regional and educational
background. On this basis, indications of information actions can be taken in the pre-draft phase
(e.g. in.recruitment campaigns). Changes in preference scores will rcvcal whether such actions
are effective.
The AIL procedure is beneficial both to the Federal Armed Forces as an organization and those
liable to military service. Aptitude diagnosis is thus understood IO be a cooperative process
between equal partners which gives the prospective conscript adequate guidance and allows
room for initiative and active participation. The “classical” diagnostic criteria of objectivity,
reliability and validity are supplemented by fcaturcs such as fairms* s, transparency, acceptance,
counselling and innocuousness. Aptitude diagnosis in this form seeks to benefit both sides
(testing organisation and individual candidate) equally.
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