Career Assessment Inventory™- The Enhanced Version

Author: Charles B. Johansson, PhD

Updated: The Career Assessment Inventory has been updated to provide additional occupations, new suggested readings, new vocational codes, and career resources on the web. See the Profile Report and Interpretive Report descriptions later on this page for more information.

Manage your Career Assessment Inventory - Enhanced testing program on-line: Click here for a DEMO.

(The vocational version of the Career Assessment Inventory focuses on careers requiring less than two years of post-secondary training.)

The Career Assessment Inventory – Enhanced Version assessment compares an individual's occupational interests to those of individuals in 111 specific careers that reflect a broad range of technical and professional positions in today's workforce. The inventory is used by guidance counselors to help students and adults develop career and study plans, and by psychologists and human resource professionals to advise individuals on career development.

How to Use This Inventory

This inventory can be used to help:

• Teach students to focus on the patterns of interest that are important in making educational and occupational choices



• High school and college students identify career directions and major areas of study



• Advise individuals who are re-entering the workforce, considering a career change, or who have been displaced

Key Features

• Provides scales for 111 occupations requiring varying amounts of post-secondary education.



• Easy to administer, taking only about 40 minutes to complete.



• Graphic and narrative test reports can be shared with the client and the narrative report provides a 3-page counselor's summary.



• Combined gender scales allow for the broadest interpretation of survery results.



• The inventory closely matches the distribution of professional and nonprofessional jobs in the labor force, making it well-suited for assessing groups with a variety of career aspirations (e.g., complete high school populations).

Quick Facts

Scales

Basic Interest Area Scales

Realistic Theme

Investigative Theme

Artistic Theme

Social Theme

Enterprising Theme

Conventional Theme

Occupational Scales

Realistic Theme

Investigative Theme

Artistic Theme

Social Theme

Enterprising Theme

Conventional Theme

Nonoccupational Scales

Norms

Reference Samples (for the Theme Scales, Basic Interest Area Scales, and Occupational Scales)

The reference sample consisted of 900 employed adults and students. The sample was stratified by selecting cases from a larger sample so that 75 females and 75 males had their highest score on each of the six different theme scales.

Criterion Samples (for the Occupational Scales)

To be included in a criterion sample for one of the occupational scales, an individual had to:

1. be currently employed in the appropriate job
2. have at least two years of experience on the job
3. respond positively to the question "Do you like your work?"
4. be less than 70 years old
5. have the proper accreditation or degree required for the occupation

Report Options

Profile Report (Product Number 51464)
Provides a graphical depiction of the individual's score on each scale, a list of Additional Occupations to investigate, and a page of career resources on the web. There is an option to print "Understanding Your Results," an in-depth description of how the results apply to the test taker.

View a sample Profile Report.

Interpretive Report (Product Number 51463)
Presents several pages of graphs and narrative statements that explain the significant score elevations on each scale. It also provides additional reference information relevant to the highest scores, such as a list of Additional Occupations to investigate and a page of career resources on the web, new O*Net codes (SOC-Standard Occupational Classification) and older DOT codes (Dictionary of Occupational Titles) if required, and page references to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. There is an option to print a Counselor's Summary, which graphically represents the individual's scores on each scale, and "Understanding Your Results," which is an in-depth description of how the results apply to the test taker.

View a sample Interpretive Report.

Scoring Options

Q™ Local Software - Enables you to score assessments, report results, and store and export data on your computer.

Mail-in Scoring Service - Specially designed answer sheets are mailed to us for processing within 24–48 hours of receipt and returned via regular mail.

- Allows you to score the assessments at your site.

Internet Scoring - Offers flexibility and interactivity.

Common Questions and Answers

What is the difference between the Vocational Version and the Enhanced Version of the Career Assessment Inventory instrument?
The Vocational Version has 305 items and covers 91 occupations requiring little or no post-secondary education. It provides options for the trade-oriented individual or for immediate entry into the workforce. The Enhanced Version has 370 items and covers 111 occupations requiring various levels of education. The Enhanced Version therefore meets the needs of both non-college-bound and college-bound individuals.

If I want to give one assessment to everyone (college-bound and non-college-bound), which assessment would you recommend?
The Enhanced Version.

Can the interpretive report be given to the client?
Yes.

Does the Career Assessment Inventory instrument provide a counselor's summary?
Yes. When the interpretive report is generated, the counselor will receive a counselor's summary profiling the client's results.

What are the differences in occupational coverage between the Strong Interest Inventory and the Career Assessment Inventory-Enhanced?
Both inventories sample a broad range of occupations. The Career Assessment Inventory-Enhanced Version  instrument more closely matches the distribution of professional and nonprofessional jobs in the labor force and is therefore preferred when assessing groups with a variety of career aspirations (e.g., complete high school populations).