The construction industry in Malaysia increasingly demands graduates who possess not only technical expertise but also strong soft skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. However, a persistent mismatch exists between industry expectations and graduate competencies, particularly in construction management education. This study applies the Rasch Measurement Model to evaluate the psychometric properties of soft skills competency requirements for construction management graduates in Malaysia. Drawing upon established measurement theories and prior studies on soft skills development in technical education contexts (Bond & Fox, 2007), this research constructs a validated measurement framework for assessing employer expectations.

Using secondary synthesis of industry expectations and competency constructs derived from Malaysian construction education literature, the study conceptualizes a Rasch-based measurement structure to transform qualitative soft skills attributes into quantifiable latent traits. The model ensures unidimensionality, item reliability, and person-item mapping to identify competency gaps between graduates and industry expectations. Findings suggest that communication, teamwork, and adaptability are the highest-ranked soft skills demanded by Malaysian contractors, while leadership and critical thinking exhibit significant competency gaps among graduates.

The Rasch analysis demonstrates strong measurement reliability and item-person separation, indicating that soft skills competencies can be effectively quantified for curriculum development. The study contributes to competency-based education reform by providing a structured psychometric approach for aligning academic outcomes with industry needs in construction management education.

Soft skills, Rasch Measurement, Model, construction management education

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