Classification of Psychological Tests

Maximum Performance Tests

Ask examinees to do their best in the test; to measure what the examinee can do, they measure thinking skills.

Mental ability test

Measures a person's general ability to solve problems, adapt to changing circumstances, think abstractly and profit from experience.

Aptitude test

Measure special abilities that indicate potential for training or acquiring a specific skill one might be able to gain from further training, education and experience.

Achievement test

Measures learning after a period of instruction; evaluates how much one learned from a previous training.

Typical Performance Tests

Seeks to determine what the examinee is likely to do in a given situation or in a broad class of situations.

Personality tests

Measure emotional, motivational, interpersonal and attitudinal characteristics.

Interest Inventories

Measure the individual's likes and dislikes along occupational preferences.

Projective tests

Consists of unstructured tasks where the individual projects into the test his inner anxieties, needs and conflicts.

Performance Tests

Require test takers to manipulate objects or perform a task; involve observations of the examinees' behavior within a particular context.

Standardized tests

Instruments that have prescribed directions for administration, scoring, and interpretation.

Non-standardized tests

Informal, flexible in administration, scoring, and interpretation.

Formative tests

Given throughout the learning process to determine how students are progressing through a certain learning goal.

Summative tests

Given at the end of the year, or unit to assess a student's mastery of a topic after instruction.

Norm-referenced tests

Instruments whose score interpretation is based on the performance of a particular group.

Percentile Rank

A ranking of how many are below the score

Standard scores (Z)

Represents how many standard deviations a raw score is from the mean. A way of expressing the individual's position in norm-referenced tests.

Criterion-referenced tests

Measures whose criteria for passing or failing have been decided beforehand.

Individual tests

Instruments that are administered one on one.

Group tests

Tests that can be administered to a group and are usually paper and pencil tests.

Objective tests

Require the person scoring the test to exercise little or any judgment, using an answer key for consistent results.

Subjective tests

Require the scorer to use considerable judgment in evaluating the examinee's response, often measuring personality and attitude.

Speed tests

Require the examinee to complete as many items as possible in a specified short time limit.

Pure speed test

Homogeneous in content, with tasks easy enough that most subjects could succeed with unlimited time, but the time allowed is too short for completion.

Power tests

Require the examinee to demonstrate the extent of knowledge or depth of understanding, with enough time to accomplish the entire test.

Verbal tests

Tests that involve verbal items, either oral or written.

Non-verbal tests

Instruments that do not use words, instead employing geometrical drawings or patterns.

Cognitive tests

Tests that measure thinking skills.

Affective tests

Tests that measure sentiments like personality, interest, and values.

Oral tests

Tests prepared for oral presentations and oral responses.

Written tests

Tests that are printed or written, requiring the examinee to respond in writing.

Paper and Pencil tests

Tests where a person responds by writing or marking answers on paper.

Performance tests

Tests where the examinee is required to manipulate objects or perform a task using special equipment.

Battery of tests

A group of tests or subtests administered at one time to one person, often used for diagnostic purposes.