As is true of any self-report instrument, respondents can consciously distort their response to the scale if they are motivated to do so.
The Self Rating Questionnaire (SRQ) was developed to provide a self-assessment on the 13 competencies - Initiative, Sees and Acts on Opportunities, Persistence, Information Seeking, Concern for High Quality of Work, Commitment to Work Contract, Efficiency Orientation, Systematic Planning, Problem Solving, Self-Confidence, Assertiveness, Persuasion, and Use of Influence Strategies. The instrument comprises 70 behavioral statements. The person completing the instrument uses a five-point rating scale to rate how well each statement describes him or her. There are 5 items based on each of the 13 competencies and an additional 5 items composing a social desirability scale. The scoring for each competency scale includes a correction factor based on the social desirability score. One item on each of the competency scales is negative; that is, a high score on this item would indicate a low level of the competency. Because of its vulnerability to faking and responses based on social desirability, this instrument was intended for self-assessment in entrepreneurship training programs rather than for screening.
The primary advantage of the Self Rating Questionnaire is that it is easy to administer and score. It can be administered in 30 minutes to a group.