Guidelines for Handling Cases of Suspected Non-Compliance by Test Takers

Introduction

To ensure merit is respected when making appointments to the federal public service, the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) will take all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of its testing programs and the validity of its test results. This includes acting in response to allegations of cheating on its standardized tests.

Before being assessed, all test takers must agree to abide by the terms of use and the standardized testing conditions for a given test. Any non-compliance, including dishonest test-taking behaviour, would constitute a breach of these terms of use.

Objective

These guidelines describe the considerations that will guide the PSC’s Personnel Psychology Centre when it handles cases of alleged test taker non-compliance.

Application

These guidelines apply to allegations of test taker non-compliance involving one of the PSC’s standardized tests. This includes all standardized assessments regardless of their format, such as multiple-choice tests, oral language assessments and simulations.

Considerations

At all stages, the PSC’s Personnel Psychology Centre will consider and adhere to applicable legal, regulatory and policy requirements.

When reviewing reports of non-compliance

The PSC’s Personnel Psychology Centre will conduct an administrative review in response to any credible report of suspected test taker non-compliance. In keeping with the terms of use for these tests, the PSC will pursue any remedy or action it deems appropriate, including:

• invalidating test results
• imposing special conditions on retesting
• referring the matter to an appropriate authority for possible investigation

When deciding whether to pursue a remedy or action, the Personnel Psychology Centre may consider:

• its confidence that the test result is valid, that standardized testing conditions were in place and that the test taker adhered to the terms of use
• the credibility and consistency of the available evidence, including:
  • direct observations made by a test administrator
  • statistical and qualitative analysis of test session data 
  • statistical and qualitative analysis of a test taker’s previous testing history
  • findings from formal investigations by relevant authorities, including the PSC Investigations Directorate, a deputy head investigation or a labour relations investigation
• whether there are extenuating circumstances or plausible alternative explanations
• whether a test taker could have been advantaged or been perceived to have been advantaged by the alleged non-compliant behaviours
• the potential consequences of allowing a questionable test result to remain valid
• the severity or extent of the alleged non-compliant behaviours
• any explanation offered by the test taker when confronted during the assessment by the person administering the test, or when they are informed of the invalidation of their result
• whether an action or disclosure could interfere with a future investigation

When communicating decisions

The Personnel Psychology Centre will inform the client who ordered the test about the decision to invalidate the test result and any conditions relating to subsequent testing. The client is responsible for informing the test taker. To respect proper procedures, the information shared is limited to the minimum required to enable operations.

When the Personnel Psychology Centre invalidates a test result, this means it is not satisfied that standardized testing conditions were met. The test taker can retake the test, usually under stricter conditions to ensure the assessment goes smoothly (example: in-person supervision). Test invalidation does not mean that cheating or dishonest test-taking behaviour occurred during the initial test.

When referring cases for investigation

To determine that fraud or a breach of ethics and values has occurred, an appropriate authority would need to investigate. The Personnel Psychology Centre does not itself have the authority to investigate. However, it can initiate this process by referring the matter to such an authority. The centre can make such a referral regardless of what administrative actions it has already taken.