Drawbacks were mentioned in the use of testing itself as a tool of assessment. An individual's state while writing a test-fatigue, illness or anxiety-could negatively impact on performance and jeopardize the validity of results. Poor results might hurt self-esteem and confidence. Women also mentioned that a lack of exposure to an activity or task limited their responses on a general interest test, consequently limiting the range of vocational options generated by the results. The women specifically cited that lack of exposure to non- traditional work as well as being socialized to work in traditionally female fields biased their responses.

Influence of the Political Climate

The Ontario provincial government announced funding reductions to social assistance rates at the same time that we undertook to survey participants' assessment experiences. Spending cuts encompassed dozens of government-sponsored programs and resulted in the cancellation of numerous projects and initiatives. Participants were very much affected by what was happening to welfare policy, social reform, spending cuts and program closures.

News of the cutbacks resulted in a sense of urgency to access training before options were closed. The women were preoccupied with their test results and expressed anxiety about their ability to meet certain educational criteria required for training. The visibility of our computer training program compounded with a general sense among participants that computer skills are the most valuable, likely exacerbated this concern.

Our Responses and "Best Practices"

An awareness of participants' experiences with testing has assisted the staff in our program to respond in a helpful, respectful and empowering way. Our philosophy is that testing is a form of self-assessment and exploration rather than a process of evaluation where examiners "grade" participants from a position of authority. We believe in establishing collaborative relationships with participants in which they can voice concerns, validate their test results against their experiences and form their own decisions. As counsellors, our role is to facilitate the process of self-exploration while offering guidance to assist women in making informed decisions and setting realistic goals for themselves. In addition to our collaborative approach and the belief that women are "the best experts on themselves," our program uses a feminist model, offering workshops that address issues of significance to women-validating their skills, balancing work and family roles, and identifying barriers to success. By combining testing and group workshops we provide a holistic assessment of the woman as a whole person, not only of her vocational interests.

Realizing the fears and issues associated with testing, one of our first and most important interventions is to provide a general orientation to testing. In a workshop format, we explore the purpose of testing, explain our philosophy and the role of counsellors in the testing process, hand out sample test materials, and discuss test-taking strategies to handle anxiety and promote relaxation. We stress that our testing is carried out in a non-grading manner and that results are not assigned a designation of pass or fail. Furthermore, participants' apprehensions are validated by acknowledging that it is normal to forget certain educational concepts and that our testing reflects current, rather than potential, levels of achievement. We emphasize that testing involves "putting pieces together in a puzzle" so that a clearer picture of the person emerges and self-awareness is increased. Participants have consistently mentioned how helpful this workshop is in demystifying the testing process and putting testing in useful perspective.

In this same workshop we also explore the impact of gender socialization and cultural stereotypes on test-taking so participants may be more aware of their own biases when responding to the interest and personality tests. Showing a brief film on non-traditional employment is a good stimulus for a discussion of gender stereotypes in employment. Staff have observed that a large number of women gravitate to employment that is primarily clerical, health or childcare related and that they tend to underestimate their skills. Presenting a workshop on employability and transferable skills helps participants to realize that they may have a range of skills to offer. With this awareness, women are in a better position to translate their test results into viable employment directions.