APA's guidelines for test user qualifications: An executive summary.

At the direction of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Task Force on Test User Qualifications was established in October 1996 to develop guidelines that inform test users and the general public of the qualifications that the APA considers important for the competent and responsible use of psychological tests. The TFTUQ reviewed the relevant literature related to test user qualifications, as well as policy statements developed by the APA and other groups both national and international. The task force then developed a set of comprehensive guidelines and solicited comments from both within and outside the APA. The final report of the TFTUQ was approved by the APA Council of Representatives in August 2000. This article provides a brief summary of the Guidelines on Test User Qualifications (APA, 2000) that are now APA policy. The APA's purpose in developing these guidelines is to inform test users as well as individuals involved with training programs, regulatory and credentialling bodies, and the public about the qualifications that promote high professional standards in the use of tests with the public. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)