Tests and Testing Information

The Educational Testing Service has an extensive library of both commercial and unpublished tests. Their series of ETS Test Collection Catalogs serves as a guide to available tests in the collection. The series is divided into volumes based on the type of instrument:
Volume 1: Achievement Tests and Measurement Devices
Volume 2: Vocational Tests and Measurement Devices
Volume 3: Tests for Special Populations
Volume 4: Cognitive Aptitude and Intelligence Tests
Volume 5: Attitude Tests
Volume 6: Affective Measures and Personality Tests
Volumes are arranged in accession number order with Subject, Author and Title indexes. Each entry provides identification, description, and availability information for the test. In the case of non-commercial tests the catalog often includes specific journal or ERIC document citation.

Each edition of MMY provides descriptive information, references, and critical reviews of new or newly revised, commercially available, English language tests. Entries are quite lengthy and include title, purpose (a quote from the test), target population, publication date, scores, administration (group or individual), price, time, authors, publisher and cross references to earlier MMY entries. It is arranged alphabetically with subject, publisher, personal name and score* indexes. Test numbers, rather than page numbers are used for reference throughout.

Tests in Print, (TIP) is a comprehensive, descriptive listing of commercially published tests available for purchase. It also serves as a cumulative index to the volumes of Mental Measurements Yearbook. TIP is not published annually, the sixth and latest edition was published in 2002, but published tests do not go out of print as readily as books, so new editions remain useful for several years. Like its companion volumes MMY, the set is arranged alphabetically with acronym, classified subject, publisher, personal name and score* indexes. Test numbers, rather than page numbers are used for reference throughout.

*Score in this context refers to the name of the variable the test measures. It can be a much more specific subject related indexing term than the actual subject index.

Each Test Critiques volume offers critical information on selected tests from the latest edition of Tests: a Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business. Entries are selected for Test Critques on the basis of popularity, frequency of use and availability of a knowledgeable reviewer. The series attempts to keep reviews understandable and accessible to lay readers. Most entries contain much more information than just a critique. Standard sections include: Introduction, Practical Applications/Uses, Technical Aspects (validity and reliability) and Critique. There are currently 10 volumes in the series. All volumes after #3 contain a cumulative index.

Tests attempts to be a comprehensive listing of published assessment instruments. Entries are concise and easy to read. Each entry includes title, author(s), target population, administration type (self admininistered or examiner required), purpose, brief description, timing, scoring, cost, and availability/publisher. Tests are listed in board subject groupings. There are title and author indexes, as well as a variety of specialized indexes aimed at special testing situations, eg: visually impaired index. Tests does not contain critical evaluations.

A listing of newer (1990's) tests that may not be well known. Most items are available in journal articles, some are commercially published. Each entry offers a description, validity, reliability, evaluation and references in addition to title, author, and source. Listings are arranged in broad categories with an author and subject index in Volume 2. The set's British origins might have some impact on U.S. availability.

The Directory lists noncommercial experimental test instruments from 37 journals. There are currently 8 volumes, the eighth, published in 2003 covers 1996-2000 and contains cumulative subject and authors indexes to all volumes. The subject index is a good quality descriptive index. Entries are grouped by category (e.g.: attitude, creativity, family, perception, values, etc.) and include: name of text; purpose; description--number of items, time, format, reliability, and validity; source of listing, and related relevant research.

Actually, listing this resource as "print" is a bit misleading, since only the annual index is in print, the tests, as the name implies, are on microfiche. This is an annual release from Educational Testing Service. It includes 50-100 tests each year. They are unpublished and otherwise available only from the author. Tests included may be reproduced for review or research. Arrangement is by accession number, there are subject, title and author indexes in each volume. The series has been published since 1975. There is one cumulative index for 1975-1987, but looking through the remaining annual volumes can be tedious.

The Educational Testing Service has an extensive library of both commercial and unpublished tests. Their series of ETS Test Collection Catalogs serves as a guide to available tests in the collection. The series is divided into volumes based on the type of instrument:
Volume 1: Achievement Tests and Measurement Devices
Volume 2: Vocational Tests and Measurement Devices
Volume 3: Tests for Special Populations
Volume 4: Cognitive Aptitude and Intelligence Tests
Volume 5: Attitude Tests
Volume 6: Affective Measures and Personality Tests
Volumes are arranged in accession number order with Subject, Author and Title indexes. Each entry provides identification, description, and availability information for the test. In the case of non-commercial tests the catalog often includes specific journal or ERIC document citation.

This source dates from 1975, before the period computerized searching was readily available. It purports to be a comprehensive bibliography of measures of mental health and related concepts utilized in the literature between 1960 and 1970. The text is a rather inelegant computer printout of each measure that includes its author, source, subject classification and subsequent use. It is this later information that sets this publication apart, since the listing of all the times that each instrument has been used in the ten year period makes it easier to identify popular measures. The authors caution that frequency of use does not translate into greater reliability or validity. After the listings for the scales there is a listing giving bibliographic details of each subsequent use. There is an author and descriptor index for the tests, but access to the citations of subsequent use of the tests are not indexed (they are listed in order by journal and page).