*95 
XVII 
THE SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS (Con 
tinued) 
The second important question dealing with the scope 
°f psychological tests is concerned with their qualitative 
y alue. How much can tests tell us about an individual? 
And how much importance may we attach to the facts 
which they reveal? Is it possible to say that, because an 
a Pplicant passes the tests for a certain kind of work, that 
a Pplicant will make good? And is it possible to assert, 
With equal assurance, that the reverse will be true, and 
that one who fails in the tests will fail in the work? Here, 
a gain, a distinct limitation must be immediately admitted. 
The application of psychological tests does not make it 
possible to predict, without qualification, that a certain 
^dividual will succeed at a certain kind of work and 
that another will fail. They only enable one to say that 
the chances for success of a particular individual or group 
ar e better than the chances of another. In brief, psycho- 
jogical tests do not make it possible to discover all that 
is desirable to know about an individual, or, conse 
quently, to prophesy infallibly what an individual is 
bound to do. 
In the first place, there are innumerable factors which 
e nter into the history of each individual which no method 
whatsoever can take cognizance of, and which, therefore, 
110 method can control. Every employment manager is 
familiar with the many reasons other than the item failure