Guide to Sources of Information on Tests and Measurements

About the Test Collection

The Test Collection of the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) contains over 9,100 tests measuring achievement, intelligence, character and personality, vocational aptitude, and many other subjects. Tests dating from 1904 to the present are included and are classified according to the system used by Buros in the early Mental Measurements Yearbooks. A list of the test classifications can be found at the end of this webpage. Test packets usually contain a copy of the test form, a manual, and a scoring key. Information on reliability, validity, and norms should be provided in the test manual.

All titles in this guide are located in the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library’s reference area unless noted otherwise. The location SSHEL RCC indicates the item is held in the SSHEL Reference Circulating Collection.

TEST PACKETS DO NOT LEAVE THE LIBRARY. REPRODUCTION IS PROHIBITED.

Call Numbers

Call numbers are groups of numbers and/or letters that classify library items by subject. Items are arranged on bookshelves by call number. The Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL) uses both the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems.

Beginning Your Search

Before beginning a search for information on tests and measurements, it is important to consider the type of information you need.

Are you looking for information about a specific, test or for an instrument which can be used in assessing a particular aptitude or trait?
Are you looking for a published instrument (provided by a commercial publisher) or for an unpublished instrument (an experimental measure which might also appear in a journal)?

The sources of information you will want to consult will vary depending on the type of information sought. Basic reference sources which will be useful in most instances are included in this guide as well as sources which provide information on more specialized areas of testing. Alternate sources which may be consulted will also be suggested.

For complete or partial full-text scales and measures on a variety of topics; including children’s well-being, quality of life, family relations, sexuality, political attitudes, and religiosity; see the guide Full-Text Tests/Assessment Instruments.

Find Information About Specific Tests

Key Resources

016.153 M528
Mental Measurements Yearbook. 1938-. (Oak Street and online)
In twenty-one volumes to date, the yearbooks provide descriptive information on tests published in English-speaking countries. References to the tests and reviews are included as well as information on availability, scoring, and validity. The MMY also reviews major books on tests and testing and provides a bibliography of periodicals on testing. Each edition contains a list of contributing test reviewers, index of titles, index of acronyms, classified subject index, publishers’ directory and index, and index of authors’ names. Criteria for inclusion into MMY is any new or substantially revised test since the last MMY was published. Supplements to the 9th-13th Mental Measurements Yearbooks were published to provide up-to-date information on new or significantly revised tests. With the publications of MMY 9, a score index was added to successive volumes. This acts as a detailed subject index to the contents of each test. Since test scores frequently provide the operational definition of the variables dealt with in each test, the score index provides the most adequate description of the individual test. MMY contains 18 major classifications.

The MMY is also available online with Tests in Print. Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print provides easy access to all volumes of MMY and includes full-text entries. Additionally, MMY with Tests in Print is updated every six months with new test descriptions and reviews.

ETS Test Collection Database. (online)
Designed to aid researchers, graduate students, and teachers in finding information on standardized tests and research instruments, this site contains one of the largest collections of tests in the world, including over 25,000 tests and other measurement devices from the early 1900s to the present. The test database is searchable by title, author, or descriptor, and each entry includes information on the test availability, author, abstract if available, and more. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test Collection represents tests and research instruments from ETS’s own test programs as well as other major test publishers in the United States and abroad. The ETS Test Collection contains information on tests relevant to the fields of education, business, and health. The tests are organized into eight broad categories: achievement, aptitude, attitudes and interests, personality, sensory-motor skills, special populations, vocational/occupational, and miscellaneous. For each test, ETS provides information on the author, source, availability, target population, purpose and scope. ETS gives tests call numbers that start with “TC.” Additionally, Tests in Microfiche (TIM) can be searched by entering TIM in the Title field.

016.37126 B93t
Tests in Print. 1961-. (Oak Street and online)
Tests in Print serves as a comprehensive index to all tests in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series published to date, providing a current list of commercially available tests. Included are comprehensive bibliographies leading to references on the construction, validity, and use of the tests, as well as to reviews and reviewers. Indexes are arranged by test title and acronym, personal name, and subject area (scanning index), which includes a description of the population for which each test is intended. A directory and index of commercial test publishers are also included. Contains a cumulative index. Tests in Print is also available online with Mental Measurements Yearbook.

150.287 T286
Test Critiques. 11 vols. 1984-2005. (Oak Street)
A comprehensive source providing descriptions, reviews, and references for the most frequently used and recommended psychological, educational, and business tests. Critiques cover over three hundred titles and are written in a non-technical format. Indexes are found in each volume. Volume XI contains the cumulative subject index.

Supplemental Sources

150.287 C737 v.1-2
Commissioned Reviews of 250 Psychological Tests. 2 vols. 2000.
This source is designed to provide an overview of tests developed during the 1990’s. It covers several areas within psychology, including health, social psychology, personality and individual differences; and developmental, occupational, educational, and cognitive psychology. Commissioned Reviews of 250 Psychological Tests covers over 300 contemporary research tools. Each review contains information regarding the variable measured, a description of the test, the sample in which the test was developed, or designed to be used with, reliability of the test including any appropriate information on internal reliability, test-retest reliability and factor structure, validity, where the test can be found, and some final evaluative comments. Subject and author indexes in volume 2.

Q.152 Sp78c 2006
A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary. 3rd ed. 2006. (Main Stacks and Oak Street)
Describes approximately 80 tests in eight broad categories: cognitive, achievement, attention/memory, language, visual/auditory, tactile, motor, and adaptive behavior/personality. Indexed by name, test title, and subject.

151.22 G56d v.1-9
Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures. 9 vols. 1974-2008. (Oak Street)
Provides descriptive and source information for a wide range of measures that are not commercially available. Designed to supplement the Mental Measurement Yearbooks, this work provides the title and the date/issue of the journal in which the test appeared. Arranged by categories such as achievement, attitude, and perception, and indexed by subject. A separate Title Index for the Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures was published in 2001 and serves as a cumulative title index to volumes one through seven of the Directory.

371.9043 P61s 2006
The Special Educator’s Comprehensive Guide to 301 Diagnostic Tests. 2006.
This guide, which includes 192 more tests than its previous edition, has been developed to provide those involved in the special education process with a detailed overview and explanation of the most frequently used tests for diagnosing suspected disabilities from the early childhood years through adolescence. Includes in-depth coverage of the areas measured by each test, as well as information on understanding a student’s behavior during testing, and reporting assessment test results to parents. The two appendices contain a list of test publishers and samples of referral forms commonly used in the special education process. A list of references is also included.

150.287 T289 2008
Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in Psychology, Education and Business. 6th ed. 2008. (Oak Street)
A quick reference guide to thousands of tests in psychology, education, and business. Tests are organized by subject. Each entry includes a statement of purpose, intended test audience, brief description of test information for evaluating test appropriateness for particular assessment needs, the cost, the availability, and the publishers. Indexed by title, author, and publisher. Also includes foreign language availability index.

Background Information: Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, & Handbooks

Background information can be found in reference sources, online or in print, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks. Dictionaries contain brief definitions, usually only a sentence or two in length. Encyclopedias provide a more in-depth description, usually a few paragraphs in length. Handbooks contain descriptions that can be multiple pages and describe the development and future of a subject.

Dictionaries

150.287 D561 2002
Dictionary of Behavioral Assessment Techniques. 2002.
Quick reference guide for researchers and clinicians on assessment strategies used in widely diverse problems and disorders in children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Each entry for the over 200 behavioral assessment techniques includes a section on description, purpose, development, psychometric characteristics, clinical use, and future directions. Provides a user’s guide arranged by focus of assessment as well as an author index.

150.287 St91d 2007
Dictionary of Psychological Testing, Assessment and Treatment. 2nd ed. 2007.
This work presents over 3,000 alphabetically arranged technical terms and phrases commonly used in psychological testing, assessment, and measurement. It also contains short entries on frequently used tests, although the focus is on terminology, with an emphasis on statistical terms used in university syllabi, computer-based tests, and psychological journals. The Dictionary’s intended audience is undergraduate and graduate students as well as psychology professionals.

Handbooks

Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education. 2004. (online)
This source states the major obligations to test takers of professionals who develop or use educational tests. It applies to the use of tests in education, such as admissions, educational assessment, educational diagnosis, and student placement. The Code is primarily directed at professionally developed tests, such as those which are sold by commercial test publishers or are used in formally administered testing programs. The roles of test developers and test users are approached separately. Test users are people who select tests, commission test development services, or make decisions on the basis of test scores. Test developers are those who actually construct tests, as well as those who set policies for particular testing programs. The 1988 version is also available in print (Q.371.260973 J668c).

Q.150.287 C738 v.1-4
Comprehensive Handbook of Psychological Assessment. 4 vols. 2004.
This four-volume set provides an overview of psychological assessment including neuropsychological assessment, personality assessment, behavioral assessment, and organizational assessment. It is aimed at researchers, clinicians, and students. Introductory chapters for each volume present historical reviews and discussions of the range of tests. Chapters on individual assessments provide more detailed analysis, including information on reliability and validity, as well as descriptions of the tests and their development. Also included are conceptual chapters that explore specific theoretical issues. Each chapter concludes with a list of references, each volume with subject and author indexes. Volume 1 is available online.

616.80476 H191h 2005
Handbook of Normative Data for Neuropsychological Assessment. 2nd ed. 2005. (Main Stacks)
Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used neuropsychological tests and provides the accompanying normative data for researchers, clinicians or graduate students. Additionally, chapters cover statistical methods, the philosophy of neuropsychology as a clinical discipline, and critical issues within the field. The appendices contain subject instructions, data tables and purchasing information for each of the tests. An extensive reference list and an index are included.

155.40287 H191 2003 v.1-2
Handbook of Psychological & Educational Assessment of Children. 2nd ed. 2 vols. 2003. (online)
This two-volume handbook serves as a broad-based resource for scholars, students, and practitioners of assessment. The first volume, Intelligence, Aptitude, and Achievement, details the components (e.g., theory, structure, materials, administration, scaling, etc.) of popular tests in these areas, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale and the Kaufman Intelligence Test. The second volume, Personality, Behavior, and Context, covers specific projective methods, interviewing, specific syndromes and symptoms, objective methods, and assessment of adaptive behaviors. Each chapter contains a reference list, and each volume provides an index.

BF176 .G76 2016
Handbook of Psychological Assessment. 6th ed. 2016. (Main Stacks and Oak Street)
This reference work is intended to help psychologists and clinicians choose psychological assessments for patients and interpret the results. It also provides psychology students with a foundation for learning to conduct psychological assessments. It is organized to follow the sequence a practitioner follows when evaluating a patient: beginning the therapeutic relationship; ethical issues and roles, information about specific psychological tests, choosing treatment methods, and writing reports. Contains statistical information about the tests within their respective chapters, an appendix with test publisher/distributor information, an extensive bibliography, and author and subject indexes. Updates to 6th edition include the addition of new frequently used psychological tests as well as the expansion of the section on assessment use with diverse groups.

301.072 M613h 2002
Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement. 6th ed. 2002. (Oak Street and online)
Covers how to design research, collect data, analyze statistics, and report results. Describes tests and scales related to social measurement (e.g. sociometric, psychometric, demographic, etc.), and refers to research studies which used the instruments. Contains information to help social scientists publish books or articles, including lists of major sources of funding and guides to journals in sociology and other social sciences. New sections include guides to applied and evaluative research and a bibliography of computer resources.

LB3051 .L4543 2014
Handbook of Tests and Measurement in Education and the Social Sciences. 3rd edition. 2014.
This edition focuses on qualitative and mixed methods research of test and measurement instruments. Part One takes a look at both quantitative and qualitative research methods, while Part Two is a list of instruments that fall within certain subject areas. An author index and instrument index are included.

153.9 H1915
Handbook of Understanding and Measuring Intelligence. 2005. (SSHEL Stacks)
This volume is separated into two major areas of research – cognition and methods. Part I (cognition), explores theoretical views on intelligence and Part II (methods) addresses statistical and other problems in measuring intelligence. Many of the contributors are experts from the United States, but recent European and Australian studies on intelligence are also represented. Each chapter includes bibliographic references. Author and subject indexes are provided.

BF176 .C66 2013
Measures for Clinical Practice and Research: A Sourcebook. 5th ed. 2 vols. 2013. (Oak Street and online)
This reference guide contains hundreds of measurement tools that are used for clinical practice and research. Volume 1 provides an overview of different types of measures, followed by a detailed description and review of each instrument. Its main focus is on couples, families, and children. Volume 2 also provides a detailed description and review of each instrument, with a focus on adults. Author contact information is also included.

LB3051 .A693 2014
Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. 2014. (online)
This book acts as a guideline for professionals in reviewing educational and psychological test instruments. It is divided into three main parts: Foundations, Operations, and Testing Applications. It covers the reliability of the test instrument, its creation, scoring procedures, and employment testing, among other items. A glossary and index are included.

Directories

Directories are lists of organizations, groups, people, places, or other data systematically arranged often alphabetically or by location.

371.2602573 D6282
Directory of Test Collections in Academic, Professional and Research Libraries. 2001.
This source lists and describes test collections at 203 institutions. It offers comprehensive information, including location, contact information, budgets, physical space, collection size, staff size, and hours of operation. It contains two appendices which include charts and graphs. The indexes are grouped by multiple criteria: alphabetically, institutions with searchable catalogs/indexes for their test collections, institutions that own some or all of the ETS tests in microfiche collection, institutions reporting historical tests in their collections, size of collections, access to tests, local restrictions, and strengths of test collections.

Additional Resources

Article Databases & Journals

The most recent tests may not be included in Tests in Print, Mental Measurements Yearbook, or in other reference sources; therefore, it may be necessary to search article databases and journals to find information about these tests. Some examples of relevant databases are PsycTESTS, PsycINFO, ERIC (education), and Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI). These databases can be accessed from A-Z Databases.

Q.371.2605 FA
Fair Test Examiner. 1987-. (Main Stacks and online)
A quarterly publication by the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, the newsletter attempts to provide a significant oversight service to the community of educators and concerned citizens dealing with tests and measurement with a strong emphasis on test bias. The newsletter also covers test standards, test fairness, and current issues in standardized testing.

371.2605 JO
Journal of Educational Measurement (JEM). 1964-. (Oak Street and online)
This quarterly journal publishes original educational measurement research related to the purposes of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). Articles focus on educational measurement and often include analyses of research on measurement processes, techniques, tools, and procedures.

Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation (PARE). 1988-. (online)
PARE is a peer-reviewed online journal with articles about assessment instruments, evaluation, and teaching methods. It allows the user to search by keyword, author, title, or descriptors. It has a browse section to search by topic (e.g., test use, test construction, and evaluation methods, or for articles of interest to different populations (e.g., students, teachers, researchers).

Books

The Library Catalog can help to identify books on tests and testing. Tests will occasionally be published in book form or as part of a book. Subject headings include:

Ability testing
Character tests
Educational tests and measurements
Examinations
Intelligence tests
Neuropsychological tests
Occupational aptitude tests
Personality tests
Psychological testing
Psychological tests
Psychometrics

Websites about Tests and Measurements

Buros Institute Test Reviews Online
Created by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, this searchable database offers an index to reviews of over 4,000 commercially available tests. Each entry contains author, publisher, and test purpose information as well as citations for reviews that appeared in the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) series.

“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Psychological Tests.” (American Psychological Association)
This online resource helps people find more information about a test and its location. The three sections included are “Published Psychological Tests,” “Unpublished Psychological Tests and Measures,” and “Additional Information on the Proper Use of Tests.”

Glossary of Standardized Testing Terms
This online glossary is maintained by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Glossary of Testing, Measurement and Statistical Terms
A source for definitions of testing terms, such as reliability, item analysis, and norms. The site, sponsored by Riverside Publishing, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin, also provides a PDF version of the glossary for download.

Joint Committee on Testing Practices, American Psychological Association
The site features JCTP publications, along with information on how to contact and obtain them. It includes the 2004 Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education.

Report of the Task Force on Testing Standards
This 1995 report from the International Language Testing Association discusses international testing standards with a strong focus on language testing. General standards for educational and psychological measurement are addressed as well. Although somewhat unwieldly to use, the depth and extent of resources are valuable to those concerned about testing practices.

Tests and Measures in the Social Sciences
This site lists tests and measures found in compilation volumes such as Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes, 1991 (call number 155.28 M463). Many of these compilation volumes can be found in SSHEL, and several of them contain actual copies of tests. In addition to the contents of compilation books, the site indexes ERIC documents and ETS Tests in Microfiche. The database can be searched by test keyword and author name. Last updated in 2014.

Test Classification System

The Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library’s (SSHEL) Test Collection is arranged by the Test Classification System. SSHEL also provides a searchable Test Collection Database of the tests available at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library.