Originally Posted by Justdoinmyjob

Something to remember about the MMPI and psych eval is what they are doing. The MMPI is used to reveal any character flaws pointing to the fact that the applicant can be a difficult person to get along with, or who doesn't handle stress very well. The questions can seem repetitive or non sensical, but they are crafted to back esch other up, and to catch someone who is answering in a manner inconsistant with their true personality.

The psych eval is used to dig deeper into those "flaws" to see where they lead. If the MMPI indicates a person becomes irritated easily when others disagree with him, the doc might try to provoke a response to see how far it goes. If the MMPI indicates that an applicant fits the Delta "Stepford" mold, then the interview is a mere formality.

An applicant may be the hottest pilot in existance, but if he turns into a screamer when things go wrong, or believes he needs no help from anyone, then he gets bounced.

That is also the purpose of the light pen test. To see if an applicant can recover from a failure, and continue on without the failure affecting performance.