It’s completely normal to feel anxious about psychological testing for an armed position, especially if you’ve never done it before. If you’re taking the MMPI, 16PF, or another personality test, here are a few things to know. I am Dr. Justin D’Arienzo, a clinical and forensic psychologist and former military psychologist, who has been conducting these evaluations for 20 years. Let me help ease some of your anxiety or pre-test jitters. First, don’t try to beat the test. These assessments can detect inconsistent responding, exaggerating, minimizing problems, or trying to look unrealistically perfect. Trying to find the “right” answer can create more concerns than simply answering honestly. Second, read carefully and answer based on who you really are. We are not looking for perfect people. Everyone experiences stress, frustration, sadness, anger, and anxiety. Normal human experiences do not automatically make someone unsuitable for armed work.
In high-stakes industries, a “pass/fail” result isn’t enough—you need a defensible clinical record. Dr. D’Arienzo utilizes the PsychFit™ System, a trademarked evaluation process that combines rigorous normative data with a personal clinical interview. Unlike automated services, Dr. D’Arienzo (a former Navy Psychologist) personally validates every candidate’s profile to ensure they are psychologically fit for duty, reducing liability for the individual and the hiring organization.
Psychological evaluations often bottleneck armed security hiring. PsychFit™ Systems eliminates delays with 24-hour results and 100% virtual flexibility in 42 states, helping you scale your firm and reduce liability.
At the IASIR Conference, Dr. Justin D’Arienzo shared insights from over 5,000 armed security evaluations, calling for a unified national standard rooted in validity, accountability, and affordability. His dual-component model for assessing psychological stability and suitability offers a roadmap to strengthen safety, fairness, and professionalism across the private security industry.
This September, we attended the Associated Security Services and Investigators of the State of Texas (ASSIST) annual convention. We had the privilege to present about the standard process of MMPI testing and psychological evaluation for armed and unarmed security officers and guards, to ensure the psychologist being utilized by companies, is exercising a valid, effective, and accountable method.