Testing, History of

The history of testing is diverse and lengthy. This entry attempts to condense major historical developments in educational and psychological testing. To accomplish this, the entry first defines testing and offers definitions of just two interrelated variants of testing: psychological testing and testing in educational settings. The entry is organized according to different historical vignettes to demonstrate shifts in the development of the social and educational testing movements. Although the entry focuses on educational and psychological testing, these movements have always been connected to social, political, and technological developments. As such, the entry includes references to interrelated movements that influenced testing.

After defining the term testing, the entry focuses on similarities and uses in educational and psychological settings. Next, the bulk of the entry focuses on historical vignettes, starting with the Chinese Imperial Examination system and concluding with contemporary legislative and social movements in testing and measurement-based accountability. Throughout the entry, the following claims will be substantiated: (a) testing has always been connected to and influenced by technological advances, (b) testing has been one way in which social and [Page 1679]legislative connections to educational institutions are made, and (c) tests have always been scrutinized for biases in their capabilities.