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The COPSystem: Career Orientation Placement has become one of the most extensively used systems of assessing interests, abilities and values in Canada. One of the features that makes this system of assessment tools so unique is the broad range of applications that it covers.

Designed for use in guiding individuals in the exploration of occupations, the COPSystem is particularly appropriate for the following applications:

• group guidance units as a starting point for exploring the world of work
• individual counselling with students or adults and with special needs individuals
• to assist students in planning their high school and post secondary career paths
• to widen occupational horizons for early school leavers by specifying occupational opportunities available to them within their particular area of interest
• as the basis of a comprehensive career search package for unemployed individuals.

The Interest Inventory (COPS) is available to meet a wide scope of needs: ranging from a simplified edition for the early grades to a professional edition for adult professionals and a pictorial assessment for the non-verbal. You select the type of inventory that will best meet the needs of your clients or students.

The Abilities (CAPS) component measures the following eight areas that have been identified as entry requirements for the majority of jobs. The Values (COPES) component helps your client or student identify traits that are of importance to them.

COPS: Interest Inventory – Comprehensive Career Guides for college

For interpreting all three measures: CAPS, COPS and COPES

COPS has been updated with new job activity items reflecting the increased use of computers along with similar other current trends in occupations. The COPS provides occupational preference scores related to choice of job, curriculum and occupational clusters for professionally, as well as vocationally oriented individuals. Each occupational cluster is keyed to curriculum choice and major sources of detailed job information. Low cost, on-site scoring providing immediate feedback of results and the use of one instrument for vocationally oriented and college oriented individuals are major features of this instrument.

Completion of COPS and scoring requires 35-50 minutes. Self-scoring is quick and accurate and interpretation is easy with the Self-Interpretation Profile and Guide. The Guide includes sample occupations, some skills and abilities needed, suggested activities to gain experience, related courses and college/university majors.

COPS is particularly useful:

• in classroom group guidance units as a starting point for exploring the world of work
• as an introduction to the use of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), and the NOC
• to assist students in planning their high school and college/university major programs
• to help widen occupational horizons for potential dropouts by specifying job opportunities available to them within their own areas of interest
• for individual counselling with college/university students and adults

For both vocationally oriented and college/university oriented individuals, COPS is an effective measure of occupation-related interests.

CAPS: Career Ability Placement Survey

CAPS is designed to measure abilities keyed to entry requirements for the majority of jobs in each of the fourteen occupational clusters. The test requires only 50 minutes to complete and easy, self-scoring by examinees allows for immediate feedback, examinee involvement and cost-effectiveness.

CAPS consists of eight, short, five-minute tests:

• Mechanical Reasoning – measures how well a person can understand mechanical principles and devices and the laws of physics. This ability is important especially in courses in industrial arts and occupations in Technology as well as jobs in Science.
•  Spatial Relations – measures how well a person can visualize or think in three dimensions and can mentally picture the position of objects from a diagram or picture. This ability is important in courses in arts and industrial arts and jobs in Science, Technology and Arts.
•  Verbal Reasoning – measures how well a person can reason with words and the facility for understanding and using concepts expressed in words. This ability is important in general academic success and in jobs requiring written or oral communication, especially those Professional level occupations in Communication, Science, Business, and Service involving high levels of responsibility and decision-making.
•  Language Usage – measures how well a person can recognize and use correct grammar, punctuation and capitalization. This ability is especially important in jobs requiring written or oral communication and in Clerical jobs as well as Professional level occupations in Science, and in all levels of Business and Service.
•  Word Knowledge – measures how well a person can understand the meaning and precise use of words. This is important in Communication and all Professional level occupations involving high levels of responsibility and decision making.
•  Perceptual Speed and Accuracy – measures how well a person can perceive small details rapidly and accurately within a mass of letters, numbers and symbols. This ability is important in Clerical office work, and other jobs requiring fine visual discrimination.
•  Manual Speed and Dexterity – measures how well persons can make rapid and accurate movements with their hands. This ability is important in Arts, Skilled and Technology, Skilled occupations and other jobs requiring use of the hands.
•  Mathematical Ability – measures how well a person can reason with and use numbers and work with quantitative materials and ideas. This ability is important in school courses and jobs in the fields of Science, Service and Technology involving mathematics, chemistry, physics or engineering and in the Business and Clerical fields.

After completing the easy Self-Scoring Form, the examinees follow the instructions in the Self-Interpretation Profile and Guide to discover the occupational clusters best suited to their abilities. In addition, the summary activity section of the booklet includes a four-year Educational Program Planning Guide and a Local Job Interview Sheet. CAPS is ideal for classroom career exploration, school course selection, curriculum evaluation and employee development.

Scoring and Interpretation of Results

Each of the measures in the COPSystem can be easily self-scored by the examinee with a high degree of accuracy. The results can then be interpreted in any or all of the following methods:

1. Each test may be self-administered, scored and interpreted separately, using the corresponding Self-Interpretation Profile and Guide.

2. Results from all three Self-Interpretation Profiles and Guides can be summarized in the Summary Guide.

3. Using the Self-Scoring Form for each test, the results can be plotted directly in the Comprehensive Career Guide. All the information necessary for scoring and interpreting the tests is included in this single booklet. Separate profiles are provided for each test, in addition to a summary profile which integrates interpretation for the three tests, or for any two of the three tests.

COPES now has revised item content and expanded interpretation which provides comprehensive measurement of work values for use in career planning. COPES now weighs both ends of the continuum and may be more easily interpreted for vocational counselling purposes.

Eight fundamental values are used as the basis for COPES:

• Investigative vs. Accepting
• Orderliness vs. Flexibility
• Practical vs. Carefree
• Recognition vs. Privacy
• Independence vs. Conformity
• Aesthetic vs. Realistic
• Leadership vs. Supportive
• Social vs. Reserved

The results of the test are interpreted using the Self-Interpretation Profile and Guide and the scores are related to specific occupational clusters. Provides vital information for use in career exploration courses, industrial or educational counselling and in encouraging self-awareness.

Versions Available

COPS II: Intermediate Inventory

COPS II, written at a fourth grade reading level, is especially useful for young students and those at higher grade levels for whom reading or language present difficulties, or where motivational considerations are of special concern. Interest ratings are based on knowledge of school subjects and activities familiar to elementary and intermediate grade students, as well as high school students.

Range: Grade 4 through 12
Reading level: Grade 4
Scoring: Self-scorable

COPS-P: Professional Level Interest Inventory

For interpreting all three measures: CAPS, COPS-P and COPES
The COPS-P Interest Inventory provides occupational preference scores related to choice of job, curriculum and occupational clusters for professionally oriented individuals. The COPS-P is particularly appropriate for the following applications:

• in classroom group guidance units as a starting point for exploring the professional world of work
• as a source for examinees in exploring sources of information about specific occupations
• to assist examinees in planning their courses of study and college major programs
• to help widen occupational horizons for the person seeking a career change
• for individual counselling with college students

Range: College/university students, adult professionals and senior high school students

Administration time: Approx. 30 minutes for response and 15 to 20 minutes for examinee scoring.

COPS-PIC: Picture Inventory of Careers

The COPS-PIC provides job activity interest scores using pictures only, yielding measurement of the 14 COPSystem clusters for non-readers. The COPS-PIC can be used for those with motivational or language difficulties to measure interests for the following applications:

• in classroom group guidance units as a starting point for exploring the world of work
• as a source for examinees in exploring outside sources of information about specific occupations
• to assist students in planning their high school and college/university major programs
• to assist students in planning their high school training
• to help widen occupational horizons for potential dropouts by specifying occupational opportunities available to them within their particular areas of interest
• for individual counselling with college students or adults

Range: Elementary through high school: non-verbal

COPS-R: Interest Inventory Form R

A simplified version of COPS, complete in one booklet, COPS-R is written at a grade six reading level with results compared to a single norm sample.

Range: Grade 6 through adult
Reading level: Grade 6
Scoring: Self-scorable