NCE Purple Book Questions (Assessment and Testing)

Appraisal can be defined as

a. the process of assessing or estimating attributes
b. testing which is always performed in a group setting
c. testing which is always performed on a single individual
d. a pencil and paper measurement of assessing attributes

a. the process of assessing or estimating attributes

A test can be defined as a systematic method of measuring a sample of behavior. Test format refers to the manner in which test items are presented. The format of an essay test is considered a(n) \_________ format.

a. subjective
b. objective
c. very precise
d. concise

a. subjective

The National Counselor Exam (NCE) is a(n) \________ test

a. subjective
b. objective
c. projective
d. subtest

objective

A short answer test is a(n) \____________ test

a. objective
b. culture-free
c. forced choice
d. free choice

d. free choice

The NCE and the CPCE would be examples of a(n) \__________ test

a. free choice
b. forced choice
c. projective
d. intelligence

b. forced choice

The \______ index indicates the percentage of individuals who answered each item correctly

a. difficulty
b. critical
c. intelligence
d. personal

a. difficulty

Short answer tests and projective measures utilize free response items. The NCE and the CPCE uses forced choice or so-called \_______ items.

a. vague
b. subjective
c. recognition
d. numerical

c. recognition

A true/false test has \_____ recognition items.

a. similar
b. free choice
c. dichotomous
d. numerical

c. dichotomous

A test format could be normative or ipsative. In the normative format

a. each item depends on the item before it
b. each item depends on the item after it
c. the client must possess an IQ within the normal range
d. each item is independent of all other items

d. each item is independent of all other items

A client who takes a normative test

a. cannot legitimately be compared to others who have taken the test
b. can legitimately be compared to others who have taken the test
c. could not have taken an IQ test
d. could not have taken a personality test

b. can legitimately be compared to others who have taken the test

In an ipsative measure the person taking the test must compare items to one another. The result is that

a. an ipsative measure cannot be utilized for career guidance
b. you cannot legitimately compare two or more people who have taken an ipsative test
c. an ipsative measure is never a forced choice format
d. an ipsative measure is never reliable

b. you cannot legitimately compare two or more people who have taken an ipsative test

Tests are often classified as speed tests versus power tests. A timed typing test used to hire secretaries would be

a. a power test
b. neither a speed test nor a power test
c. a speed test
d. a fine example of an ipsative measure

c. a speed test

A counseling test consists of 300 forced response items. The person taking the test can take as long as he or she wants to answer the questions.

a. this is most likely a projective measure
b. this is most likely a speed test
c. this is most likely a power test
d. this is most likely an invalid measure

c. this is most likely a power test

An achievement test measures maximum performance or present level of skill. Tests of this nature are also called attainment tests, while a personality test or interest inventory measures

a. typical performance
b. minimum performance
c. unconscious traits
d. self-esteem by always relying on a Q-Sort design

a. typical performance

In a spiral test

a. the items get progressively easier
b. the difficulty of the items remains constant
c. the client must answer each question in a specified period of time
d. the items get progressively more difficult

d. the items get progressively more difficult

In a cyclical test

a. the items get progressively easier
b. the difficult of the items remains constant
c. you have several sections which are spiral in nature
d. the client must answer each questions in a specified period of time

c. you have several sections which are spiral in nature

A test battery is considered

a. a horizontal test
b. a vertical test
c. a valid test
d. a reliable test

a. a horizontal test

In a counseling research study two groups of subjects took a test with the same name. However, when they talked with each other they discovered that the questions were different. The researcher assured both groups that they were given the same test. How is this possible?

a. the researcher is not telling the truth. The groups could not possibly have taken the same test
b. the test was horizontal
c. the test was not a power test
d. the researcher gave parallel forms of the same test

d. the researcher gave parallel forms of the same test

The most critical factors in test selection are

a. the length of the test and the number of people who took the test in the norming process
b. horizontal versus vertical
c. validity and reliability
d. spiral versus cyclical format

c. validity versus reliability

Which is more important, validity or reliability?

a. reliability
b. they are equally important
c. validity
d. it depends on the test in question

c. validity

In the field of testing, validity refers to

a. whether the test really measure what it purports to measure
b. whether the same test gives consistent measurement
c. the degree of cultural bias in a test
d. the fact that numerous tests measure the same traits

a. whether the test really measures what it purports to measure

A counselor peruses a testing catalog in search of a test which will repeatedly give consistent results. The counselor

a. is interested in reliability
b. is interested in validity
c. is looking for information which is not available
d. is magnifying an unimportant issue

a. is interested in reliability

Which measure would yield the highest level or reliability?

a. a TAT, projective test popular with psychodynamic helpers
b. the WAIS-IV, a popular IQ test
c. the MMPI-2, a popular personality test
d. a very accurate postage scale

d. a very accurate postage scale

Construct validity refers to the extent that a test measure an abstract trait or psychological notion. An example would be

a. height
b. weight
c. ego strength
d. the ability to name all men who have served as US Presidents

c. ego strength

Face validity refers to the extent that a test

a. looks or appears to measure the intended attribute
b. measure a theoretical construct
c. appears to be constructed in an artistic fashion
d. can be compared to job performance

a. looks or appears to measure the intended attribute

A job test which predicted future performance on a job very well would

a. have high criterion/predictive validity
b. have excellent face validity
c. have excellent construct validity
d. not have incremental validity or synthetic validity

a. have high criterion/predictive validity

A new IQ test which yielded results nearly identical to other standardized measures would be said to have

a. good concurrent validity
b. good face validity
c. superb internal consistency
d. all the above

a. good concurrent validity

When a counselor tells a client that the GRE will predict her ability to handle graduate work, the counselor is referring to

a. good concurrent validity
b. construct validity
c. face validity
d. predictive validity

d. predictive validity

A reliable test is \_______ valid.

a. always
b. 90%
c. not always
d. 80%

c. not always

A valid test is \_______ reliable

a. not always
b. always
c. never
d. 80%

b. always

One method of testing reliability is to give the same test to the same group of people two times and then correlate the scores. This is called

a. test-retest reliability
b. equivalent forms reliability
c. alternate forms reliability
d. the split-half method

a. test-retest reliability

One method of testing reliability is to give the same population alternate forms of the identical test. Each form will have the same psychometric/statistical properties as the original instrument. This is known as

a. test-retest reliability
b. equivalent or alternate forms reliability
c. the split-half method
d. internal consistency

b. equivalent or alternate forms reliability

A counselor doing research decided to split a standardized test in half by using the even items as one test and the odd items as a second test and then correlating them. The counselor

a. used an invalid procedure to test reliability
b. was testing reliability via the split-half correlation method
c. was testing reliability via the equivalent forms method
d. was testing reliability via the inter-rater method

b. was testing reliability via the split-half correlation method

Which method of reliability testing would be useful with an essay test but not with a test of algebra problems?

a. test-retest
b. alternate forms
c. split-half
d. inter-rater/inter-observer

d. inter-rater/inter-observer

A reliability coefficient of 1.00 indicates

a. a lot of variance in the test
b. a score with a high level of error
c. a perfect score which as no error
d. a typical correlation on most psychological and counseling tests

c. a perfect score which has no error

An excellent psychological or counseling test would have a reliability coefficient of

a. 50.
b. .90
c. 1.00
d. -.90

b. .90

A researcher working with a personality test discovers that the test has a reliability coefficient of .70 which is somewhat typical. This indicates that

a. 70% of the score is accurate while 30% is inaccurate
b. 30% of the people who tested will receive accurate scores
c. 70% of the people who are tested will receive accurate scores
d. 30% of the score is accurate while 70% is inaccurate

a. 70% of the score is accurate while 30% is inaccurate

A career counselor is using a test for job selection purposes. An acceptable reliability coefficient would be \_______ or higher.

a. .20
b. .55
c. .80
d. .70

c. .80

The same test is given to the same group of people using the test-retest reliability method. The correlation between the first and second administration is .70. The true variance (i.e., the percentage of shared variance or the level of the same thing measured in both) is

a. 70%
b. 100%
c. 50%
d. 49%

d. 49%

IQ means

a. a query of intelligence
b. indication of intelligence
c. intelligence quotient
d. intelligence questions for test construction

c. intelligence quotient

\_________ did research and concluded that intelligence was normally distributed like height or weight and that it was primarily genetic

a. Spearman
b. Guildford
c. Williamson
d. Galton

d. Galton

Francis Galton felt intelligence was

a. a unitary factor
b. best explained by a two factor theory
c. best explained via the person's environment
d. fluid and crystallized in nature

a. a unitary factor

J.P. Guilford isolated 120 factors which added up to intelligence. He also is remembered for his

a. thoughts on convergent and divergent thinking
b. work on cognitive therapy
c. work on behavior therapy
d. work to create a the first standardized IQ test

a. thoughts on convergent and divergent thinking

A counselor is told by his supervisor to measure the internal consistency reliability (i.e., homogeneity) of a test but not to divide the test in halves. The counselor would need to utilize

a. the split-half method
b. test-retest method
c. the Kuder-Richardson coefficients of equivalence
d. cross-validation

c. the Kuder-Richardson coefficients of equivalence

The first intelligence test was created by

a. Wechsler
b. Guilford
c. Galton
d. Binet and Simon

d. Binet and Simon

Today, the Stanford-Binet IQ test is

a. a nonstandardized measure
b. a standardized measure
c. a projective measure
d. b and c

b. a standardized measure

IQ stands for intelligence quotient, which is expressed by

a. CA/MA X 100
b. CA/MA X 100
c. MA/CA x 50
d. MA/CA X 100

d. MA/CA X 100

The Binet stressed age-related tasks. Utilizing this method, a 9-year-old task would one which

a. only a 10-year-old child could answer
b. only an 8-year-old child could answer
c. 50% of the 9-year-olds could answer correctly
d. 75% of the 9-year-olds could answer correctly

c. 50% of the 9-year-olds could answer correctly

Simon and Binet pioneered the first IQ test around 1905. The test was created to

a. assess high school seniors in America
b. assess US military recruits
c. discriminate children without an intellectual disability from children with an intellectual disability
d. measure genius in the college population

c. discriminate children without an intellectual disability from children with an intellectual disability

Today the Stanford-Binet is used from ages 2 to adulthood. The IQ formula has been replaced by the

a. SAS
b. SUDS
c. entropy
d. KR-20 formula

a. SAS

Most experts would agree that the Wechsler IQ tests gained popularity as the Binet

a. must be administered in a group
b. favored the geriatric population
c. didn't seem to be the best test for adults
d. was biased toward women

c. didn't seem to be the best test for adults

The best IQ test for a 22-year-old single male would be the

a. WPPSI-III
b. WAIS-IV
c. WISC-IV
d. any computer-based IQ test

b. WAIS-IV

The best intelligence test for a sixth-grade girl would be the

a. WPPSI-IV
b. WAIS-IV
c. WISC-IV
d. Merrill Palmer

c. WISC-IV

The best intelligence test for a kindergartner would be the

a. WPPSI-IV
b. WAIS-IV
c. WISC-IV
d. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

a. WPPSI-IV

The mean on the Weschler and the Binet is \___ and the standard deviation is \___.

a. 100; 100
b. 100; 15 Wechsler, 16 Stanford-Binet
c. 100; 20
d. 100; 1

b. 100; 15 Wechsler, 16 Stanford-Binet

Group IQ tests like the Otis Lennon, the Lorge-Thorndike, and the California Test of Mental Abilities are popular in school settings. The advantage is that

a. group tests are quicker to administer
b. group tests are superior in terms of predicting school performance
c. group tests always have a higher degree of reliability
d. individual IQ tests are not appropriate for school children

a. group tests are quicker to administer

The group IQ test movement began

a. in 1905
b. with the work of Binet
c. with the Army Alpha Beta in WWI
d. with Freudian psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic movement

c. with the Army Alpha Beta in WWI

In a culture-fair test

a. items are known to the subject regardless of his or her culture
b. the rest is not standardized
c. culture-free items cannot be utilized
d. African Americans generally score higher than whites

a. items are known to the subject regardless of his or her culture

The Black versus White IQ controversy was sparked mainly by a 1969 article written by \_______.

a. Ertl
b. Cattell
c. Jensen
d. Williams

c. Jensen

The MMPI-2 is

a. an IQ test
b. a neurological test
c. a projective personality test
d. a standardized personality test

d. a standardized personality test

The word psychometric means

a. a form of measurement used by a neurologist
b. any form of mental testing
c. a mental trait which cannot be measure
d. the test relies on a summated or linear rating scale

b. any form of mental testing

In a projective test the client is shown

a. something which is highly reinforcing
b. something which is highly charged from an emotional standpoint
c. a and b
d. neutral stimuli

d. neutral stimuli

The 16 PF reflects the work of

a. Raymond Cattell
b. Jung
c. James Cattell
d. Buros

a. Raymond Cattell

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator reflects the work of

a. Raymond Cattell
b. Jung
c. Glasser
d. Buros

d. Jung

The counselor who favors projective measures would most likely be a

a. Rogerian
b. strict behaviorist
c. TA therapist
d. psychodynamic clinician

d. psychodynamic clinician

An aptitude test is to \_______ as an achievement test is to \__________

a. what has been learned; potential
b. potential; what has been learned
c. profit from learning; potential
d. a measurement of current skills; potential

b. potential; what has been learned

Both the Rohrschach and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) are projective tests. The Rohrschach uses 10 inkblot cards while the TAT uses

a. a dozen inkblot cards
b. verbal and performance IQ scales
c. pictures
d. incomplete sentences

c. pictures

Test bias primarily results from

a. a test being normed solely on white middle-class clients
b. the use of projective measures
c. using white to score the test
d. using IQ rather that personality tests

a. a test being normed solely on white middle-class clients

A counselor who fears the client has an organic, neurological, or motoric difficulty would most likely use the

a. Bender Gestalt II
b. Rohrschach
c. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2
d. Thematic Apperception Test

a. Bender Gestalt II

An interest inventory would be least valid when used with

a. a first-year college student majoring in philosophy
b. a third-year college student majoring in physics
c. an eighth-grade male with an IQ of 136
d. a 46-year-old white male construction worker

c. an eighth-grade male with an IQ of 136

One major criticism of interest inventories is that

a. they have far too many questions
b. they are most appropriate for very young children
c. they emphasize professional positions and minimize blue-collar jobs
d. they favor jobs that will require a bachelor's degree or higher

c. they emphasize professional positions and minimize blue-collar jobs

Interest inventories are positive in the sense that

a. they are reliable and not threatening to the test taker
b. they are always graded by the test taker
c. they require little or no reading skills
d. they have high validity in nearly all age brackets

a. they are reliable and not threatening to the test taker

A counselor who had an interest primarily in testing would most likely be a member of what association?

a. HS-BCP
b. AARC
c. NASW
d. ACES

b. AARC

The NCE is

a. an intelligence test
b. an aptitude test
c. a personality test
d. an achievement test

d. an achievement test

The \______________ are examples of aptitude tests

a. O*NET Ability Profiler and the MCAT
b. GZTS and the MMPI-2
c. CPI and the MMPI-2
d. Strong and the LSAT

a. O*NET Ability Profiler and the MCAT

One problem with interest inventories is that the person often tries to answer the questions in a socially acceptable manner. Psychometricians call this response style phenomenon

a. standard error
b. social desirability (the right way to feel in society)
c. cultural bias
d. acquiescence

b. social desirability (the right way to feel in society)

An aptitude test predicts future behavior while an achievement test measures what you have mastered or learned. In the case of a test like the \_______ the distinction is unclear

a. Binet
b. Wechsler
c. GRE
d. Bender

c. GRE

Your supervisor wants you to find a new personality test for your counseling agency. You should read

a. professional journals
b. the Buros Mental Measurements Yearbook
c. classic textbooks in the field as well as test materials produced by the testing company
d. all the above

d. all the above

The standard error of measurement tells you

a. how accurate or inaccurate a test score is
b. what population responds best to the test
c. something about social loafing
d. the number of people used in norming the test

a. how accurate or inaccurate a test score is

A new IQ test has a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 3. Tom scores 106 on the test. If he takes the test a lot, we can predict that about 68% of the time:

a. Tom will score between 100 and 103
b. Tom will score between 100 and 106
c. Tom will score between 103 and 109
d. Tom will score higher than Betty who scored 139

c. Tom will score between 103 and 109

A counselor created an achievement test with a reliability coefficient of .82. The test is shortened since many clients felt it was too long. The counselor shortened the test but logically assumed that the reliability coefficient would now

a. be approximately .88
b. remain at .82
c. be at least 10 points higher or lower
d. be lower than .82

d. be lower than .82

A counselor can utilize psychological tests to help secure a \_______ diagnosis if third party payments are necessary.

a. CPT
b. DSM or ICD
c. percentile
d. standard error

b. DSM or ICD

A colleague of yours invents a new projective test. Seventeen counselors rated the same client using the measure and came up with nearly identical assessments. This would indicate

a. high validity
b. high reliability
c. excellent norming studies
d. culture fairness

b. high reliability

Counselors often shy away from self-reports since

a. clients often given inaccurate answers
b. ACA ethics do not allow them
c. clients need a very high IQ to understand them
d. they are generally very lengthy

a. clients often given inaccurate answers

In most instances, who would be best qualified to give the Rohrschach Inkblot Test?

a. a counselor with NCC after his or her name
b. a clinical psychologist
c. a D.O. psychiatrist
d. a social worker with LCSW after his or her name

b. a clinical psychologist

Your client, who is in an outpatient hospital program, is keeping a journal of irrational thoughts. This would be

a. an unethical practice based on NBCC ethical guidelines
b. considered a standardized test
c. an informal assessment technique
d. an aptitude measure

c. an informal assessment technique

You are uncertain whether a test is intended for the population served by your not-for-profit agency. The best method of researching this dilemma would be to

a. contact a local APA clinical psychology graduate program
b. email the person who created the test
c. read the test manual included with the test
d. give the test to six or more clients at random

c. read the test manual included with the test

Clients should know that

a. validity is more important than reliability
b. projective tests favor psychodynamic theory
c. face validity is not that important
d. a test is merely a single source of data and not infallible

d. a test is merely a single source of data and not infallible

One major testing trend is

a. computer-assisted and computer interpretations
b. more paper and pencil measures
c. to give school children more standardized tests
d. to train pastoral counselors to do projective testing

a. computer-assisted and computer interpretations

One future trend which seems contradictory is that some experts are pushing for

a. a greater reliance on test while others want to rely on them less
b. social workers to do most of the testing
c. psychiatrists to do most of the testing
d. counselors to ban all computer-assisted tests

a. a greater reliance on test while others want to rely on them less

Most counselors would agree that

a. more preschool IQ testing is necessary
b. teachers need to give more personality tests
c. more public education is needed in the area of testing
d. the testing mystique has been beneficial to the general public

c. more public education is needed in the area of testing

\_________ would be an informal method of appraisal

a. IQ testing
b. Standardized personality testing
c. GRE scores
d. A checklist

d. A checklist

The WAIS-IV is given to 100,000 individuals in the United States who are picked at random. A counselor would expect that:

a. approximately 68% would score between 85 and 115
b. approximately 68% would score between 70 and 130
c. the mean IQ would be 112
d. 50% of those tested would score 112 or above

a. approximately 68% would score between 85 and 115

A word association test would be an example of

a. a neuropsychological test
b. a motoric test
c. an achievement test
d. a projective test

d. a projective test

Infant IQ tests are

a. more reliable than those given later in life
b. more unreliable than those given later in life
c. not related to learning experiences
d. never used

b. more unreliable than those given later in life

A good practice for counselors is to

a. always test the client yourself rather than referring the client for testing
b. never generalize on the basis of a single test score
c. stay away from culture-free tests
d. stay away from scoring the test yourself

b. never generalize on the basis of a single test score

You want to admit only 25% of all counselors to an advanced training program in psychodynamic group therapy. The item difficulty on the entrance exam for applicants would be best set at

a. 0.0
b. .5 regardless of the admission requirement
c. 1.0
d. .25

d. .25

According to Public Law 93-380, also known as the Buckley Amendment, a 19-year-old college student attending college

a. could view her record, which included test data
b. could view her daughter's infant IQ test given at preschool
c. could demand a correction she discovered while reading a file
d. all the above

d. all the above

Lewis Terman

a. constructed the Wechsler tests
b. constructed the initial Binet prior to 1910
c. constructed the Rorschach
d. Americanized the Binet

d. Americanized the Binet

In constructing a test you notice that all 75 people correctly answered item number 12. This gives you an item difficulty of

a. 1.2
b. .75
c. 1.0
d. 0.0

c. 1.0