Professional Decision-Making Test – Revised Version [TEPAD-35]

Description

The Professional Decision-Making Test – Revised Version (TEPAD-35) is an assessment instrument designed to examine how individuals approach career-related decision making. It focuses on factors such as risk acceptance, career development, the need for stability, and adaptability to change.

The test consists of 35 items and is organized around four main dimensions that reflect different tendencies in occupational decision making.

Purpose

The main purpose of the TEPAD-35 is to assess the processes and preferences involved in professional decision making.

The instrument may help identify whether an individual:

• prefers stability or change,
• is more or less willing to take career-related risks,
• links career decisions with personal values and satisfaction,
• is able to make decisions effectively under pressure.

Dimensions

The TEPAD-35 includes four main dimensions:

• Stability vs. Change: assesses preference for security and predictability versus innovation and change.
• Risk vs. Conventionality: examines preference for familiar and secure career paths versus new and less predictable alternatives.
• Career Satisfaction: evaluates the extent to which occupational decisions are associated with personal values and desired professional experience.
• Decisiveness: assesses ease and confidence in making decisions, particularly under pressure.

Scoring

Participants respond using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from:

1 = Strongly disagree
to
5 = Strongly agree.

Each dimension is scored separately, allowing the construction of an overall profile of the respondent’s dominant career decision-making tendencies.

A higher score on a particular dimension indicates a stronger preference for the corresponding characteristic.

Target Population and Administration

According to the provided material, the main target population consists of adults undergoing career guidance or considering a career change.

The test may be administered:

• in schools and universities for career guidance,
• in organizations for employee assessment,
• in counseling and career-development centers.

The reported completion time is approximately 20–25 minutes.

Validity

According to the provided material, factor analysis confirmed the four-dimensional structure of the test.

A positive correlation with measures of career satisfaction was also reported, with r = 0.68, providing evidence related to convergent validity.

Reliability

Internal consistency coefficients, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, range from 0.84 to 0.89 across the subscales.

Test-retest reliability is reported as r = 0.82 over a six-month period, supporting the temporal stability of the instrument.

Data Analysis and Use

TEPAD-35 results may be used to construct a career decision-making profile.

Comparison of the four dimensions can help clarify how an individual approaches issues related to security, change, professional risk, personal satisfaction, and decisiveness.

This information may be used to support career counseling, vocational guidance, and professional assessment.

Reference

Bekiaris, C., & Michaelidis, G. (2021). The TEPAD: A tool for assessing professional decision making. Scientific Journal of Occupational Psychology, 10(3), 112–130.