VIII 
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS 
(Concluded) 
Performance tests. Technique of test construction. Order of items. Length 
of test. Time limits. Directions and fore-exercise. Directions for scoring 
the test. Omnibus tests. Alternative forms. Arrangement in series. 
Performance tests require something other than a language 
response. They are usually administered as individual tests, 
although there are many group performance tests. Their 
best usefulness is to measure manual skills, mechanical 
aptitudes, and personality and character traits. They are 
indispensable in testing the intelligence of illiterate or 
foreign applicants. 
A performance test may consist of merely one step or 
standard task, the score being in terms of the time required 
to complete this task; or it may consist of a number of units, 
the score being either in terms of time required, number of 
units completed within the stated time, or quality of product, 
measured by comparison with typical samples arranged in 
a scale of excellence. 
If apparatus is used, it should be of sturdy construction, 
and easily replaceable. It is advisable to have a duplicate 
set for emergencies, and in any event the specifications for 
the apparatus should be so explicit that any investigator 
can duplicate it with entire certainty that he is reproducing 
the standard conditions. To this end the use of rare and 
unusual materials is deprecated. 
The apparatus should if possible have automatic devices 
for recording performance. 
Laboratory manuals for experiments in psychology are a 
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