ABSTRACT
Each source of information may provide checks or confirmation for material from other sources, so that all evidence is either reinforced or questioned, and so that conclusions about the candidate do not depend on isolated facts but on a body of coherent information. Gaps or omissions in the written record of himself that the candidate has provided are peculiarly worth enquiry during interview, whether they are unexplained intervals between jobs, the omission of a class for a degree, a muddle over dates, or vagueness over a course which has been taken. It is important to keep in mind the level of performance which may reasonably be expected of candidates from a particular age-range and background. The interviewer has to discern how a candidate's performance and achievement stand in relation to that of other people of similar age, background and opportunity rather than in relation to an ideal standard.
