Better choice with pictures
The visual interest test for MBO, based on images of work (AWIT), is getting a major refresh. More diversity, more women and more sectors that fit in with this time. But also, and above all: more images. New pictures that show the professions and their working environment. After all, a picture says more than 1000 words.
The interest test was originally developed for students in special and practical education and will remain important for this in the future. But it can also be used for people in a (re)integration process, such as refugees and people on benefits. "Recently, the test has now been applied by municipalities in the assessment Op Weg!", says Nathan Kaye, advisor at NOA. "If you don't master the Dutch language or are low-literate, it's very nice if you can take a test that is not language-dependent, but works with images."
The design of the test has not changed. The candidates make a choice from different fields of work by comparing photos. This is how they determine what they find interesting or not. The test is ipsative, which means that you really have to choose. A choice for A means that B is eliminated.
When the test is renewed, the photos will also be refreshed. Some are now outdated and it was not always clear which profession it was. For the candidates, not only the profession is important, but also the working environment and the competencies needed to be able to practice it. An image of someone at work therefore appeals more to the imagination if the work environment is also visible. "We are now trying to show that clearly in the new images."
"It sounds simple, adjusting a test with new images, but it is a complicated process," says Kaye. "The current test has 10 working directions and 45 items and if we were to redevelop all of them for the 16 training domains that MBO now has, the test would be more than 1.5 times as long and therefore too long for the target group. That is why we have merged some sectors, for example, 'construction and infrastructure' now goes hand in hand with 'finishing, wood and maintenance'. In the end, 12 working directions came out with a total of 66 items. We are still working the further development of the test, but hope that it will be available in the spring of 2025."
