ABSTRACT
Referring to tests developed for the general population often is of limited use in ATCO selection: On the one hand those tests often do not differentiate within the target group to the amount desired as they are developed to describe the performance of large samples covering a wide range of educational levels. On the other hand, for some of the most important predictors of training success in ATC, such as 'multiple task performance/time sharing' or 'stress resistance,' no commercially available tests can be identified (Fleishman & Reilly, 1992; Ramos, Heil, & Manning, 200la). Therefore, most organisations use tests that are specifically developed for the selection of ATCOs. Performance tests applied in psychological selection usually aim at measuring single, pure abilities found to be required for a certain job using homogenous item material. In contrast, taskspecific tests often measure performance based on combined effects of multiple abilities as this is more realistic concerning the job situation. They often combine different item formats and make use of more than one information source (e.g. visual and acoustic information) to assess multiple task performance. In other words, they focus more on the resulting performance in a specific task and not on the exact assessment of the contribution of various abilities. This chapter deals with the use of such tests in ATCO selection.
