Review and Selection of a Standardized Test

Resources

In Unit 1, you read “The Concerns of the Profession” on pages 66–68 of your Psychological Testing and Assessment text as well as the Code. While the Code addresses the roles of test developers and test users separately, you will be following the standards for test users and, specifically, the section on selecting tests (refer page 5). There are nine elements to consider when selecting a test. You will focus on the first four of these elements for this assignment.

In your paper:

• Identify a test category that is relevant to your academic and professional career goals. The List of Tests by Type document identifies the 10 categories you may choose from. They include (1) intelligence/cognitive abilities, (2) achievement/aptitude, (3) personality, (4) behavior, (5) adaptive behavior, (6) neuropsychological, (7) career/business/organization, (8) autism, (9) depression, and (10) preschool.
• Select three tests from a single category using the List of Tests by Type document. Note: If you have an interest in a particular test that is not on this list, then you may, as an option, submit a request to your instructor to include it in your first assignment with two other tests on the list in the same category.Your instructor will review it and determine if you may proceed with including that test in your assignment or recommend that you select three tests from the list.)
• Compare and contrast these three tests according to the Code’s first four elements.
  • Access the Capella library and conduct a search. Use the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) database from Buros to locate and read a review for each test. Mental Measurements Yearbook is located on the Capella Library’s Database A–Z page.
  • Visit the publishers’ Web site for each test to obtain additional information.
  • Return to the Capella library to choose a database, for example, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ERIC (education research). Search for journal articles that are relevant to the four elements and each test. (See the PSY7610 Library Search Guide, linked in the Resources, for search advice. An optional worksheet is also provided to you in the resources to facilitate your research and literature review.)

Organize your paper using the following headings (please use these headings):

1. Title page (required).
2. Abstract (optional).
3. Introduction.
   • Identify your particular area of specialization and career goals, and the three tests you will research and review.
4. Element 1. “Define the purpose for testing, the content and skills to be tested, and the intended test takers” (Code, 2004, p. 5, See #1). Describe your findings for all three tests citing references. Use this section to introduce each test and report on each of the three elements: purpose, content and skills, and intended test takers.
5. Element 2. Describe “the appropriateness of test content, skills tested, and content coverage for the intended purpose of testing” (Code, 2004, p. 5, See #2). Describe your findings for each test citing references. Use this section to report on unique comments or research that evaluate any aspects of the appropriateness of each test. There may be a wide range of facets considering appropriateness that may be unique to each particular test under consideration.
6. Element 3. Describe “materials provided by test developers and select tests for which clear, accurate, and complete information is provided” (Code, 2004, p. 5. See #3). Describe your findings for each test, citing references. Use this section to describe either reviews or your evaluation of the materials described in the sources you locate for each test under consideration.
7. Element 4. “Select tests through a process that includes persons with appropriate knowledge, skills, and training” (Code, 2004, p. 5. See #4). Include specific publisher information about test-user qualification (for example, Level A, B, or C; or other classification). Describe your findings for each test, citing references.
8. Compare and contrast.
   • Compare and contrast the three tests based on these four elements (that is, 1–4).
   • Decide which test will be the focus of your course project, based on your evaluation of the three tests. Explain your choice. All future assignments will be focused only on this one test that you determine here.
9. References (required, use current APA format and style).

You may use the Optional Research Worksheet given in the resources to complete this assignment.

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• References: A minimum of nine references are required for this assignment. These resources may include all of the reference sources identified in your Psychological Testing and Assessment text (pages 33–36), but must include:
  • Three Mental Measurements Yearbook test reviews from Buros (one for each test).
  • Three test publisher Web sites (one for each test).
  • Three journal articles (one for each test).
• Length of paper: A minimum of five pages of content, not including the title page or references (an abstract is not required).
• APA format: Current APA format and style is required throughout. Be sure to use correct format and style for each respective type of reference, for example, Web site versus journal).

Reference

Joint Committee on Testing Practices. (2004). Code of fair testing practices in education. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/fair-testing.pdf

Note: Your instructor may also use the APA Writing Feedback Rubric to provide additional feedback on your academic writing. The writing feedback rubric does not affect your assignment grade, but its feedback may factor into the grading criteria, if professional communication and writing is a course competency. Evaluate your own work using this rubric. Refer to the Learner Guide for instructions on viewing instructor feedback.

The articles you need to complete this assignment should be available inside the library collection. In future courses you may use the library’s Interlibrary Loan service to obtain articles outside of the collection, but you should not have to use the service for PSY7610. In the event that you can’t find articles covering a newer test edition, please refer to the List of Tests by Type in the Resources area. Note which tests have been designated as acceptable for searching prior test editions.