Estimation of the Adverse Impact of a Police Promotion Examination

摘要

Sixty-five male sergeants in the U.S. Park Police, Department of the Interior, competed for promotion to lieutenant in the Fall of 1978. Candidates were rank-ordered based on a weighted sum of a written job knowledge test score and an oral interview fitness and merit rating. Five promotions would be made based upon the rank order; the top nine candidates were white. However, there was no difference in mean scores on either the test or the interview score between the group of 52 whites and the group of 12 blacks. There was also a negative relationship between age of candidates and score on written test.