Twenty male police officers in a medium-sized Texas city were administered an in-basket test (IBT) in conjunction with a traditional promotional exam for sergeant. Results indicated the IBT contributed uniquely to the exam, and correlated significantly with several criterion measures. A subsequent Civil Service Commission ruling upheld the legitimacy of the IBT for use in promotional examinations. It was concluded that the IBT can be readily tailored to meet civil service requirements, and has the potential for making a valuable contribution to personnel testing in the public sector.
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