Description
Career Assessment Inventory™ The Vocational Version (CAI) is a vocational interest inventory for individuals who plan to enter careers immediately after high school or to attend community college or trade school.
Career Assessment Inventory™ The Vocational Version (CAI) is a vocational interest inventory for individuals who plan to enter careers immediately after high school or to attend community college or trade school.
Author:
Charles B. Johansson, PhD
Overview:Vocational interest inventory for individuals who plan to enter careers immediately after high school or to attend community college or trade school
Age Range:Individuals 15 years and older
Administration:Paper-and-pencil, computer or online administration
Scoring Option:Q-global™ Scoring & Reporting, Q™ Local Software or Mail-in Scoring Service
Reading Level:8th grade
Completion Time:35–40 minutes (305 items with 5-point rating scales)
Norms:1,500 working adults
Report Options:Profile and Interpretive
Publication Date:2003
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.
The Enhanced Version of the CAI inventory focuses on careers involving at least 4 years of post-secondary training.
The Career Assessment Inventory – Vocational Version compares an individual’s vocational interests to those of individuals in 91 specific careers that reflect a range of positions in today’s workforce – including skilled trades and technical and service professions – requiring 2 years or less of post-secondary training. The inventory is used by school counselors, job training specialists, psychologists, and personnel professionals who provide career guidance, adult career development, and human resource development.
How to Use This Inventory
This inventory can be used to help:
- Guide students to focus on the patterns of interest that are important in making educational and occupational choices
- Explore new career options with clients in vocational rehabilitation settings or one-stop career centers
- Advise individuals who are re-entering the workforce, in workforce development, considering a career change, or who have been displaced
- Clarify vocational opportunities for individuals in Tech Prep and School to Work programs
Key Features
- Provides scales for 91 occupations, enabling the counselor to explore a variety of career possibilities with the client.
- Easy to administer, taking only about 30 minutes on average 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.
- Uses occupational themes based on the widely-accepted RIASEC model to assist in the interpretation and explanation of interest scores.
Scales
| General Theme Scales | |
| R | Realistic Theme |
| I | Investigative Theme |
| A | Artistic Theme |
| S | Social Theme |
| E | Enterprising Theme |
| C | Conventional Theme |
Basic Interest Area Scales
Realistic Theme
Mechanical/Fixing
Electronics
Carpentry
Manual/Skilled Trades
Agriculture
Nature/Outdoors
Animal Service
Investigative Theme
Science
Numbers
Artistic Theme
Writing
Performing/Entertaining
Arts/Crafts
Social Theme
Social Service
Teaching
Child Care
Medical Service
Religious Activities
Enterprising Theme
Business
Sales
Conventional Theme
Office Practices
Clerical/Clerking
Food Service
Occupational Scales
Realistic Theme
Aircraft Mechanic
Auto Mechanic
Bus Driver
Camera Repair Technician
Carpenter
Conservation Officer
Dental Laboratory Technician
Drafter
Electrician
Emergency Medical Technician
Farmer/Rancher
Firefighter
Forest Ranger
Hardware Store Manager
Janitor
Machinist
Mail Carrier
Musical Instrument Repairer
Navy Enlisted
Orthotist/Prosthetist
Painter
Park Ranger
Pipefitter/Plumber
Police Officer
Printer
Radio/TV Repairer
Security Guard
Sheet-Metal Worker
Telephone Repairer
Tool/Die Maker
Truck Driver
Veterinary Technician
Investigative Theme
Chiropractor
Computer Programmer
Dental Hygienist
Electronic Technician
Math/Science Teacher
Medical Laboratory Technician
Radiologic Technician
Respiratory Therapy Technician
Surveyor
Artistic Theme
Advertising Artist/Writer
Advertising Executive
Author/Writer
Counselor-Chemical Dependency
Interior Designer
Legal Assistant
Librarian
Musician
Newspaper Reporter
Photographer
Piano Technician
Social Theme
Athletic Trainer
Child Care Assistant
Cosmetologist
Elementary School Teacher
Licensed Practical Nurse
Nurse’s Aide
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Operating Room Technician
Physical Therapy Assistant
Registered Nurse
Enterprising Theme
Barber/Hairstylist
Buyer/Merchandiser
Card/Gift Shop Manager
Caterer
Florist
Food Service Manager
Hotel/Motel Manager
Insurance Agent
Manufacturing Representative
Personnel Manager
Private Investigator
Purchasing Agent
Real Estate Agent
Reservation Agent
Restaurant Manager
Travel Agent
Conventional Theme
Accountant
Bank Manager
Bank Teller
Bookkeeper
Cafeteria Worker
Court Reporter
Data Entry Operator
Dental Assistant
Executive Housekeeper
Medical Assistant
Pharmacy Technician
Secretary
Teacher’s Aide
Waiter/Waitress
Nonoccupational Scales
Fine Arts-Mechanical
Occupational Extroversion/Introversion
Educational Orientation
Variability of Interests
Psychometric Information
Reference Samples (for the General Theme Scales andthe Basic Interest Area Scales)
The reference sample consisted of 1500 employed adults (750 male,750 female).
Reference Samples (for the Theme Scales, Basic Interest Area Scales,and Occupational Scales)
The reference sample consisted of 1,200 employed adults and students. The sample was stratified by selecting cases from a larger sample so that100 females and 100 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:
- Be currently employed in the appropriate job
- Have at least two years of experience on the job
- Respond positively to the question “Do you like your work?”
- Be less than 60 years old
- Have the proper accreditation or degree required for the occupation
Report Options
Profile Report (Product Number 51461)
The profile report 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)
The interpretive report 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.
Scoring Options
Q™ Local Software – Enables you to score assessments, report results, and store and export data on your computer.
Q-global™ Web-based Administration, Scoring, and Reporting – Enables you to quickly assess and efficiently organize examinee information, generate scores, and produce accurate comprehensive reports all via the Web.
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.
Getting Started with Q-Global Training Series
View these brief training modules about Q-global
Module 1: Gaining Access to Q-global
Module 2: Signing in and setting up your account
Questions
Frequently asked questions follow. Click on a question to see the response.
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What is the difference between the Vocational Version and the Enhanced Version of the Career Assessment Inventory instrument?
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If I want to give one assessment to everyone (college-bound and non-college-bound), which assessment would you recommend?
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Does the Career Assessment Inventory instrument provide a counselor’s summary?
