THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  GIVING  TESTS  169

topical  filing  test  to  a  class  of  high-school  students,  some
signal,  a  whistle  for  example,  can  be  given  at  the  start,
and  then,  at  the  end  of  three  or  four  minutes,  this  whistle
can  be  blown  again  as  a  signal  to  stop.  Since  each  subject
!s  allowed  the  same  time,  it  becomes  unnecessary  to  consider ­
  the  time  factor  when  correcting  the  tests.  The
grade  will  consist  entirely  of  the  amount  of  work  done
correctly  in  the  time  allotted.  In  some  cases  it  is  desirable
to  give  a  group  test  and  still  allow  each  individual  in  the
group  to  complete  the  test.  There  are  various  ways  in
which  this  can  be  done.  One,  is  to  have  a  large  clock  with
conspicuous  minute  and  second  hands,  from  which  each
^dividual  can  read  his  time  and  note  it  as  soon  as  he  completes ­
  the  test.  Another  way,  and  one  which  is  less  liable
to  error  through  mistakes  in  reading  the  clock,  is  to  record
the  time  on  a  blackboard  in  large  numerals  at  five-second
mtervals.  This  method  has  been  found  very  successful.
It  requires  two  to  carry  it  out;  one  to  read  the  time,  the
other  to  chalk  it  up.  In  order  to  anticipate  the  time  required ­
  by  the  individual  finishing  the  test  to  look  up  at  the
blackboard,  find  the  number,  and  then  write  it  down,  it  is
a dvisable  to  record  the  time  in  such  a  way  as  to  have  the
Uumber  on  the  board  three  seconds  beforehand.  Although
this  method  provides  for  only  five-second  intervals,  this
will  not  create  a  large  error  in  tests  which  require  two
Minutes  or  more.
The  phases  of  the  psychologist’s  technique  described
here  are  by  no  means  exhaustive.  They  state  only  certain ­
  important  details  with  which  any  one  who  wishes  to
give  psychological  tests  must  be  familiar.  There  are  many
t^ore  details  of  a  similar  nature,  some  of  them  far  more
tefined.  The  object  of  all  these  details  in  technique  is  to
promote  scientific  accuracy  and  to  reduce  ambiguity.