What is the Birkman Abilities Inventory (BAI)?

The Birkman Abilities Inventory (BAI) is a general reasoning assessment that measures problem identification and problem solving abilities within a business context. Content areas focus on quantitative, spatial, and verbal abilities.

The BAI was developed by researchers at Birkman beginning in 2008 and was released in 2010 after several iterations and field testing forms. The goal was to provide an additional tool to Birkman assessment options, as an alternative to other widely used cognitive assessments for the workforce.

In general, when talking about predictors of future job performance, the best predictor is past performance, followed by cognitive ability and personality. Several factors contribute to successful on-the-job performance. Personality, social perceptions, and occupational interests, as measured by The Birkman Method, are extremely useful in workplace settings, depending on the nature of the job. Certain behavioral attributes contribute to successful job performance more than others. Personality alone, however, is not enough. Having the appropriate level of problem identification and problem solving abilities contributes further to job performance. The BAI is the additional tool, alongside The Birkman Method, to identify potential success on the job.

The intended use of the BAI is for organizational decision making and employee development activities, providing a wide range of non-clinical applications, including hiring and selection, career management/transition, executive coaching, succession planning, and leadership development. The BAI consists of a 36-item assessment with an accompanying report ideal for job selection and identifying potential talent. Average completion time is 25 minutes. The most appropriate population for the BAI is individuals in the workforce 18 years of age or above.

The BAI is currently hosted through Talogy, an assessment and technology provider with web-based systems for the distribution, administration, and analysis of professional assessments and tests. Registration is required with Talogy at https://talogy.com/en/talogy-tech/psi-true-talent/. Upon registration, Talogy will approve your registration request and assign you a URL where you will always go to purchase BAIS.  During registration, you will create your username and password.  Registration usually takes less than five minutes to complete. Results are provided to the consultant immediately upon questionnaire completion.  Click here to view more information on how to purchase the BAI.

Additional information about the BAI is available by contacting the Birkman Research & Development department at [e-mail].