Ability Tests

An ability test is an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behaviors at a specific point in time. Broadly defined, ability tests assess the innate and acquired capacity to perform mental or motor functions. This entry discusses the history of ability tests, their classification and standardization, the criteria for evaluating ability tests, and controversies over their use.

The modern scientific study of human cognitive abilities is often attributed to French psychologist Alfred Binet, who developed the Binet-Simon intelligence test, and to the World War I Army Alpha and Beta tests in the United States. The Army Alpha and Beta tests were used to assess cognitive ability for U.S. military recruits during World War I. The Army Beta test is noteworthy in that it was used to evaluate recruits who were illiterate, unschooled, or non-English speaking. This is considered an early example of cognitive tests that do not rely on verbal skills or learned content. An important consequence of the Army Alpha and Beta tests was the popularization of group-administered aptitude tests.

[Page 7]Debate on the structure of abilities began in the early 1900s and continues to the present. An important milestone in this debate was the development and application of factor analysis to determine the extent to which aptitudes were distinct from one another. Applying factor analyses, Louis Leon Thurstone proposed seven primary mental abilities. Others later reanalyzed Thurstone’s data and demonstrated a single, general ability factor that influenced the seven primary abilities. Despite this finding, the development of multiple aptitude tests thrived. Examples of these tests are the Differential Aptitude Tests, Multiple Aptitude Tests, and Comprehensive Ability Battery.

In the last part of the 20th century, the advent of fast and inexpensive computers played a major role in both test construction and test administration. Previously, test statistics were computationally burdensome, prone to errors, and time-consuming. Computers enabled test construction to be done more quickly with fewer errors while also making results available much sooner. It also has allowed for computer adaptive testing. In computer adaptive testing, a question is asked, the response is scored immediately, and the next item is selected to best suit the ability level of the examinee. This continues until an accurate measure of ability is obtained.

Computer adaptive testing has been implemented by governments and commercial endeavors. Three examples are the National Council Licensure Examination of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, and the GRE General Test. In 2011, the GRE General Test became adaptive only for groups of questions.