The Fit Assessment

It’s a simple truth: people tend to seek occupations with characteristics that match their personal preferences. After all, enjoying your position and organization leads to greater job satisfaction and commitment.

The Fit assessment measures an individual's interests and values and matches them to the work environment, providing information that can help determine how well a person aligns with occupations in an organization. There are two parts to the Fit assessment:

The ACT Interest Inventory

Introduced in 1977 and updated periodically, the ACT Interest Inventory is a component of the ACT EPAS® program and is currently completed by more than 4 million people each year. The inventory assesses six basic interests—Administration and Sales, Business Operations, Technical, Science and Technology, Arts, and Social Services—covering the spectrum of basic work tasks.

The Work Values Inventory

Developed specifically for the Fit assessment, the ACT Work Values Inventory consists of 18 values commonly found in values inventories, including Public Contact, Autonomy, Influencing Others, Order, Intellectual Stimulation, Precision, and Creativity.

Number of items: 102

Method of delivery: Online

Test length: 20 minutes

 

What it Measures

Descriptions of the six scales on the ACT Interest Inventory:

  • Administration and Sales: Persuading, influencing, directing, or motivating others through activities such as sales, supervision, and aspects of business management.
  • Business Operations: Developing and/or maintaining accurate and orderly files, records, accounts, etc.; designing and/or following systematic procedures for performing business activities.
  • Technical: Working with tools, instruments, and mechanical or electrical equipment. Activities include designing, building, repairing machinery, and raising crops/animals.
  • Science and Technology: Investigating and attempting to understand phenomena in the natural sciences through reading and research.
  • Arts: Expressing oneself through activities such as painting, designing, singing, dancing, and writing; artistic appreciation of such activities.
  • Social Service: Helping, enlightening, or serving others through activities such as teaching, counseling, working in service-oriented organizations, and engaging in social/political studies.

Example values of the Work Values Inventory and definitions are:

  • Public Contact: Interacting with external customers or the public in general.
  • Autonomy: Making one's own plans and decisions at work.
  • Influencing Others: Convincing or advising people to do things, even in non-supervisory roles.
  • Order: Putting things in order for others; using a system or rules to arrange things.
  • Intellectual Stimulation: Thinking about difficult concepts and working to solve complex problems.
  • Precision: Being exact or very accurate in one's work.
  • Creativity: Creating something new or finding new ways of doing things; original thinking.