104 EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
three different names. Manifestly, it was not feasible to 
provide specific tests for each of this large number of posi 
tions. For not only were these positions subject to great 
variations from time to time in the kind of work they in 
volved, but they were often differentiated from each other 
by mere technical or superficial characteristics for which 
applicants did not need to possess corresponding differences 
in their natural equipment and ability. The differences be 
tween tasks were often differences only in routine and in 
method, differences which could easily be overcome by a 
few hours’ acquaintance with the work. On the other hand, 
the preliminary survey also revealed that among this great 
variety of work a comparatively small number of character 
istics dominated. That is, it seemed as if a large number of 
tasks could be reduced to a comparatively small number of 
elementary abilities, such as ability in spelling, copying by 
hand, typing, counting, adding, multiplying, dividing, 
working in fractions and decimals, filing, sorting, taking 
dictation, transcribing, operating computing machines, and 
so forth. It was therefore decided to make the more com 
prehensive survey with this fact in mind, and to describe 
all clerical tasks, so far as possible, in terms of their ele 
mentary requirements. If this could be done, it was to 
be expected that the process of finding and applying tests 
to these varieties of work would be greatly simplified. 
Instead of a heterogeneous mass of tests, corresponding 
closely to the heterogeneous varieties of clerical tasks 
differentiated from each other only in superficial respects, 
it would become possible to establish a much smaller 
number of tests designed to detect only the more funda 
mental abilities and therefore susceptible of application to 
the wide variety of tasks encountered. 
Another advantage of this procedure was the practical