Finding a test Publication Status An important distinction to make is the publication status of a test instrument. Published: The instrument is published by a commercial test publisher. These tests must be purchased from the test publisher, so you will seldom, if ever, find the items from these instruments in the public domain. Additionally, only qualified persons are allowed to buy these tests. Blommers Library has published tests that may be examined by a qualified faculty member whose field involves standardized tests and by a qualified graduate student in the College of Eduation who is taking a course in which standardized testing is taught. Blommers Library does not have tests for college admissions, licensure, or credentialing. These kinds of tests must be kept very secure and test developers cannot allow them to be in a library. Unpublished: The instrument has been developed more for research purposes and is not sold by a commercial test publisher. The test author might choose to include the full text of the instrument in a journal article, dissertation, or book. Tips on locating tests from American Psychological Association Places to look NOTE: most of these resources do not have the full text of a test, but rather explain where and how you can obtain the test. Contact the librarian if you have questions about locating a test. - Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) Find full text reviews of tests.
- ETS TestLink Find information about tests and availablity. Actual tests are not included. However, some of the unpublished tests listed are avalable on microfilm, and Blommers Library has these films.
- Buros Test Search Find information about commercially published tests with this quick look-up tool from Buros, publisher of the Mental Measurements Yearbook set. The Buros website offers to sell reviews of tests, but these reviews are already available to UI users through the Mental Measurements Yearbook database.
- Health and PsychoSocial Instruments (HaPI) Find citations to surveys, scales, inventories, questionnaires used by researchers. Actual tests not included.
- Test Publishers' websites - find the most current information on costs, user qualifications, and purpose.
- Tests and measures in the social sciences Find books that contain full text unpublished tests. Many of the books are at Blommers Library or in other UI campus libraries. If the book is not available at UI, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan services.
- SDSU Test Finder - find books and articles that contain full text of unpublished tests. Many of the books are at Blommers Library or in other UI campus libraries. If the book is not available at UI, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan services.
- Directory of Unpublished Experimental Measures - print only - find citations to recently developed experimental mental measures, tests, and surveys that are not commercially available. Actual tests are not included. Blommers Library has all volumes os this set.
- Dissertations Many dissertations include full text unpublished tests in the appendices if permission to reprint the test has been granted by its author.
Test reviews
The two major resources for credible reviews of commerically published tests are: Enter test title and select TITLE NAME from the drop down menu for an exact match. Click on the envelope icon to send the full text entry to your email account. Test Critiques 11 volume set available in print only, and Blommers Library has the complete set. Each Test Critiques volume contains reviews of selected tests. The test is not reviewed in MMY or Test Critiques. Where can I find information about it? Sometimes neither of the above two sources has reviewed the test you are interested in, or maybe you want more information about how other researchers have used a test. Other places to look: -
Test technical manual -
Test publisher's website -
Journal articles -
Books and book chapters |
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