Psychometric Test Registration and Certification play a crucial role in ensuring the appropriate use and the reliability, validity, and fairness of psychological assessments used in various professional settings. This post explores the evolving landscape of psychometric test certification, highlighting the importance of rigorous assessment validation through collaboration with independent evaluation models and expert review processes.

It is important to distinguish between registration and certification. Registration (or classification) is the HPCSA’s decision on whether a test is psychological in nature, after which it is listed on the HPCSA’s official list of psychological tests. This determines who may use the test, not how good it is. Certification, on the other hand, confirms that a test meets quality standards, namely that it is reliable, valid and fair and not biased.  Since 1 January 2025 the Employment Equity Act (EEA) no longer requires HPCSA certification, and quality is now assessed through independent reviews such as the Global-Test Evaluation Centre (G-TEC) and Assessment Standards South Africa (ASSA), both based on the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) Review Model. We explain this distinction, and the history behind it, in more detail below.

According to the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 (EEA), psychometric assessments must meet the three psychometric properties of Reliability, Validity, and Fairness. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is legally authorized, under the Health Professions Act 56 of 1974, to evaluate and register psychometric assessments that could be classified as psychological instruments. A record of these tests is maintained by the HPCSA.

Historically, some INTEG (Integrity International) assessments were registered and certified by the HPCSA. At the time, this certification formed part of the HPCSA’s classification process, in which a test’s psychometric information was reviewed, rather than a formal certification of compliance with the EEA. However, since 2019 the HPCSA has been responsible for only classifying assessments as psychological in nature rather than also certifying them according to the said three psychometric properties. In this regard a 2017 court ruling determined that HPCSA-certification was no longer mandatory, but tests must comply with the standards of Reliability, Validity, and Fairness as already mentioned. Accordingly, INTEG and others developed/adopted psychometric evaluation models based on the “EFPA (European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations) Review Model”, which is recognized internationally as a sound basis for defining and evaluating psychological assessments. The HPCSA-certification requirement (section 8(d)) was formally removed from the EEA by the Employment Equity Amendment Act 4 of 2022, with effect from 1 January 2025.

In response to the gap left by the relevant Court Ruling of 2017 and to further enhance the trustworthiness of its psychometric testing solutions, INTEG selected a panel of five international specialists – primarily senior university lecturers across Europe – who had been closely involved in developing the EFPA Review Model. These experts formed an independent test-review unit; the Global-Test Evaluation Centre (G-TEC).  INTEG entered into a confidentiality agreement with these specialists, ensuring their identities remain protected, and their personal information is handled in accordance with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation in Europe) and POPI Act (Protection of Personal Information Act) in South Africa.

In the meantime, ASSA (Assessment Standards South Africa) also developed an assessment review psychometric test-model and during ASSA’s initial trial phase (to determine the successful functioning of their newly developed model), INTEG voluntarily submitted two of their psychometric assessments for evaluation – one being an upgraded test (the IMI) and one newly developed test (the CMI-GA). These two assessments were also reviewed previously  by the G-TEC to confirm their relevant three psychometric properties.  The two sets of results from ASSA and the G-TEC showed significant alignment;   reinforcing their scientific credibility.

Not all 27 INTEG assessments are registered with the HPCSA, as their registration applies only to tests that measure psychological constructs, such as personality, cognitive or related instruments. INTEG’s domain-based assessments do not measure psychological constructs per se, which places them by implication outside the HPCSA’s classification process and allows them to be used on the open market – for example the PEP (Practical English Proficiency test). What the law does require of every assessment used on employees is that it is reliable, valid and fair and not biased, and INTEG’s domain-based assessments meet these requirements. 

Another reason is the uncertainty since the Court Ruling of 2017, which represents a restraining factor regarding how test-developers are to deal with the certification-process – for example, the ASSA review model only became available to the market in 2023 and that was when INTEG started to also register assessments for certification locally  – INTEG was one of the first ten tests they used in their trail run to determine the effective functioning of their newly established review model.

INTEG has historically relied on the HPCSA for registration and, more recently, on the G-TEC and ASSA review centres for independent review and evaluation of its tests. The EEA 55 of 1998 (as amended) forms the foundation for these standards. INTEG’s tests adhere to the psychometric properties of Reliability, Validity, and Fairness, ensuring they are scientifically rigorous, professionally developed, and aligned with ethical psychological assessment standards. As a result, they are recognized as being truly objective, scientifically sound, and credible assessment instruments.

Considering INTEG’s scientific, professional, and ethical disposition, we have concluded that a psychometric test should be independently reviewed and certified as compliant with all established criteria, norms, standards, and psychological properties to assure users that they are applying the ‘right’ psychometric instruments – at least from a statistical, legal, and clinical perspective.