Tests and Measures  Tags: education psychology nursing social_work tests assessment measures  

This guide is intended to serve as a starting point for exploring the variety of resources available in the CUA Libraries and online through the Libraries' subscriptions services. Comments and suggestions for additions are welcome.

Please note that while some of these titles may seem dated, they remain valuable sources of tests not available anywhere else.

Professor Karlynn BrintzenhofeSzoc has written an overview of changes in the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Here you will find the major sources of information on tests and measures. Information about specific types of tests and measures will be found on other pages of this guide. Use the tabs above to navigate.

Tests and Measures fall into two categories:

1) "Unpublished" tests, scales, questionnaires, and measures are those accessible to anyone, which makes them very useful for students. Some of the most common sources of these measures include: test compendia and compilation volumes, journal articles and other formats such as ERIC documents, which can be identified using databases such as Health and Psychosocial Instruments, ERIC, and PsycINFO), and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Tests in Microform collection.

2) Tests that are copyrighted -- "published" -- are described and reviewed in the Mental Measurements Yearbook (see below). These published tests are also briefly listed on the  Buros Institute of Mental Measurements web site for quick reference. If a test appears in the MMY, there may be eligibility requirements for purchasing and administering a test (contact information is included in the MMY entry on each test).

These online sources cover a variety of subjects and types of tests, and are good starting points for any research into tests and measures. Use the print sources to complement and supplement the information available online.

Directory of Test Collections in Academic, Professional and Research Libraries Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2001. LB3051 .D564

Results of a systematic survey of collections available to researchers and practitioners who need to know the content of various tests. It provides a list of institutions, with contact information, that will allow access to their test collections. Note – no updated version is available.

Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures. Washington, DC. : American Psychological Association, 1974 - 2008. Ref BF 431.G61 D5 v.1-9

This series is intended to fill the ongoing need for comprehensive information about noncommercial psychological tests for psychology, sociology, and education. Each volume collects information from around 30 relevant top professional journals in a specific year range. Each test is described by the purpose, number of items, format, and citations to journal articles where the information about the test can be found. For most tests, it also gives the reliability and/or validity. Each volume has indexes to help locate test instruments by author or subject.

Jones, Reginald L., Handbook of Tests and Measurements for Black Populations Hampton, VA: Cobb & Henry Publishers, 1996. Ref BF 176 .H37 

This two-volume set includes over one hundred instruments and approaches to psychology unique to working with African American patients. The first volume includes sections dedicated to measures for infants, cognitive approaches and measures to testing children, self-esteem measures, language assessment and attitude measures, measures of parental attitudes and values, and measure of family dynamics. The second volume covers topics such as world-view measures, spirituality measures, measures of acculturation and life experiences, racial identity attitude, and a section on non-cognitive measures. The book is emphatic on the separation of the Black culture and persons from all other groups.

Keyser, Daniel J., Sweetland, Richard C. (Eds.). Test Critiques Kansas City, Mo.: Test Corporation of America, 1984 - . Ref BF 176 .T419

Eleven volumes of test critiques reviewing tests and assessments. No actual tests are included. The first volume contains a number of the more widely used psychological, educational and business tests. The test reviews are divided into introduction, practical applications/uses, technical aspects, and a critique of the test.

Maddox, Taddy (Ed.). Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education, and Business. 4th ed. Austin, Tex.: Pro-Ed, 2008. Ref. BF 176. T43 2008

Contains information concerning thousands of tests; it does not provide reviews - merely descriptions. The book is divided into three main sections-Psychology, Education, and Business-and is further subdivided under each category. Each test is described by the age group for which it is suitable, the purpose of the test, a brief description, the time allotment given for the test, how scoring is done, the cost and the publisher of the test. This guide also includes regular indexes as well as special indexes, such as the "Index of Test Not in the Sixth Edition", etc. Some tests in this guide are not covered in MMY or TiP.

Tests in Microfiche

A small collection of unpublished tests on microfiche. This is the most substantial collection of actual tests owned by CUA Libraries. Indexed online by ETS TestLink (see above). Filed in the Microfilm Room, LB 3051 .E26T3. Ask at the Information Desk.

Handbooks and Other Reference Works

Many handbooks and specialized encyclopedias discuss tests and measures for a particular subject area or application. For example, the Encyclopedia of Special Education addresses tests of interest to special education teachers and researchers. Ask at the Information Desk for assistance in identifying appropriate sources.