The Israeli military is changing the way it tests new recruits and has developed new testing procedures for the thousands of Israeli youth who join the IDF each year.
The changes, which will come into effect on October 1, will focus on the process of examining, sorting and assigning the new recruits based on their skills, abilities and the military’s needs in order to increase the IDF’s effectiveness.
The IDF’s screening procedures, like any screening, aims to ensure optimal utilization of manpower throughout an individual’s service.
Facing the never-ending challenge of placing the right person in the right role, the IDF’s Manpower Directorate has come up with a new strategy to increase motivation among recruits, and even keep them in the military for career command positions.
The dramatic changes that the IDF’s Manpower Directorate is implementing to the recruiting process is a change of perception, and the move away from placing recruits based on their test results to placing them according to their suitability to the role.
One of the changes is the cancellation of the Quality Index or Kaba figure used by the military to assist in the initial placement of recruits. The Kaba scores, which range from 41-56, are determined by several components including the adaptive psycho-technical test known in Hebrew as the Dapar.
The military will instead use an “adaptive Dapar” which will allow for a more efficient, accurate measurement of a recruit’s cognitive ability. The test will begin with a medium level of difficulty, and depending on the success of the recruit to answer, the following questions will get harder or easier than the previous ones.
The adaptive format of the Dapar will also be shorter than the previous one, from seven hours to around five hours, in an attempt to prevent the burnout of the recruits and provide them with a sense of fairness.
Recruits will also be allowed to take the test in the language of their choice, and Hebrew-language tests will now consist of a speech test and a reading comprehension test that will be done remotely. Passing the Hebrew language test will no longer be necessary for those who hope to become commanders.
Each recruit will also be able to see the scores of each test he or she has done throughout the screening process, instead of one certificate that was sent to them. They will also be allowed to redo exams if they feel that the grades they receive are not accurate.
Yom Hame’a, which in the past was only for women, will now also be open to men. The seven-hour day examines the recruit’s creativity, interpersonal abilities, data processing skills, management skills, teamwork and more.
The military will also start remote screenings for recruits living in the periphery in order to create equal opportunities for all. New recruiting stations will also be opened in the coming year in Israel’s north and south, where draftees can take their tests in a more accessible manner.
In an attempt to increase the motivation of recruits to join the IDF, especially combat roles, the military will work with regional authorities and the mayors of various cities across the country to build custom programs for its residents.
Last year 30 local authorities took part in a pilot program based on recruitment data. Due to its success, the military decided to expand the program to 100 authorities by the end of 2021, and then to all 132 authorities across the country.