CentACS to train 150 specialists in personality testing programme

The US-based Centre for Applied Cognitive Studies (CentACS) plans to train 150 specialists in its workplace personality testing certification programme "� the WorkPlace Big Five Profile (WB5P) "� in India.

Developed by the Howards of CentACS "� Pierce Howard (director of research) and Jane Howard (managing director), WB5P is a normal test to understand individuals, relationships and teams in work situations. Since WB5P is a level-B psychometric instrument, only certified consultants can use this tool.

CentACS has forayed into India through Pune-based Chatur Knowledge Networking Private Limited, a human resource services company, with its first certification programme having completed in Pune last week and Hyderabad this week, covering 30 people from a spectrum of companies including Titan Industries, Zensar Technologies, Tata Management Training Institute, Reckitt Benckiser, Bajaj Allianz, Ceat and Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Limited.

"The three-day certification programme will cost Rs 60,000 for a specialist. We plan a certification programme in Delhi next week and in Mumbai during March this year," said Jayant Damle, director of Chatur.

To overcome the language barriers, he said Chatur had begun the process of translating WB5P in six Indian languages "� Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, which would be launched by this year end.

"The test, implemented online, is oriented exclusively for workplace issues. It has been legally vetted in the US and was specifically written in workplace terminology to be used for business applications such as team building, succession planning, performance coaching, job selection and hiring, career development, sales training, conflict management, management supervisory and other organisation development initiatives," said Pierce Howard. CentACS has certified over 2,000 professional globally.

"The WB5P, however, does not measure performance but the possibility of the personality of an individual to perform various competencies," he added.

"We had unveiled our WB5P test in the US in 2001. We are now working on the SchoolPlace Big Five Profile, based on the Five Factor Model "� openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism (OCEAN) "� to be used within the schools and colleges and would focus on students from age 12 to 22. The programme will be launched in India during this year," said Jane Howard.