What is psych testing

What Is It, Types, and More I Psych Central

When administered and evaluated properly, psychological tests are accurate tools used to diagnosis and treat mental health conditions.

When you hear the words “psychological testing,” all kinds of questions and thoughts may run through your mind.

What will they ask? Will my answers be considered right or wrong? If my answers are wrong, what will that say about me?

Don’t panic.

Psychologists use psychological testing in the same way medical doctors use lab work, X-rays, and physical exams: to determine the cause of your symptoms and recommend treatment, when necessary.

Psychological testing is the basis for mental health treatment. These tools are often used to measure and observe a person’s behaviors, emotions, and thoughts.

Tests are performed by a psychologist who will evaluate the results to determine the cause, severity, and duration of your symptoms. This will guide them in creating a treatment plan that meets your needs.

Tests can either be objective or projective:

Objective testing involves answering questions with set responses like yes/no or true/false.
Projective testing evaluates responses to ambiguous stimuli in the hopes of uncovering hidden emotions and internal conflicts.

Both provide valuable insight into your symptoms and help psychologists see your overall level of functioning and distress.

Psychological tests can include formal, or “norm-referenced,” tests to measure your ability to comprehend different concepts. They can come in the form of checklists and questionnaires.

Each test measure ensures the reliability, validity, and objectivity necessary to avoid bias in scoring or interpreting your results.

During a psychological evaluation, assessments may also be used to help diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Assessments include standardized tests as well as informal tests, such as:

surveys
clinical interviews
observational data
medical exams
previous educational and medical history

Psychological testing can be recommended for a number of reasons including diagnosing mental health conditions and identifying troubling behavior.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, the following symptoms may indicate that a psychological test may be needed:

increased social withdrawal
nervousness
changes in mood
difficulty completing normal tasks
a dramatic change in sleep and eating habits
problems with concentration

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. You can use our Find a Therapist tool for help.

Psychological testing may also be used by researchers or scientists to test hypotheses about a variety of topics that aren’t always related to psychology.

Other uses for psychological testing include:

screening job applicants
organizational development
academic placement

Psychologists use testing to examine a variety of factors, including emotional intelligence, personality, mental aptitude, and neurological functioning.

Here’s a more in-depth look at the types of testing available and the most commonly used tests for each category.

Type	Tests and Measures
Personality tests	Measure behaviors, emotions, attitude, and behavioral and environmental characteristics Test names: Basic Personality Inventory (BPI), 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
Achievement tests	Measure respondents’ intellectual interests, achievements, and cognitive abilities Test names: Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Kaufman Test of Education Achievement (K-TEA)
Attitude tests	Measure views of respondents based on how much they agree or disagree with a statement Test names: Likert Scale, Thurstone Scale
Aptitude tests	Measure capabilities, skill sets, and projection of future success Test names: Visual Reasoning Test, Abstract Reasoning Test
Emotional Intelligence tests	Measure emotional responses such as anger, sadness, happiness, and impulsivity Test names: Mayor-Salovey-Caruso El Test (MSCEIT), Emotional and Social Competence Inventory
Intelligence tests	Measure mental/developmental learning disabilities Test names: Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Universal Nonverbal Intelligence
Neuropsychological tests	Measure cognitive abilities like memory, language, and executive functioning Test names: Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Ammons Quick Test
Projective tests	Measure feedback from external influences to identify unrealized emotions/conflicts Test names: Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Observation (direct) tests	Measure immediate observable behavior; performed in a laboratory, clinical, or natural setting

Now that you have a better idea of what psychological testing entails and you’re ready to move forward, you might be asking yourself, “So, what’s next?”

If you haven’t already done so, consider reaching out to your primary care doctor, if you have one. They may be able to refer you to a mental health professional who is qualified to administer testing and diagnose and treat mental health conditions.

If you’re unsure about seeking treatment, consider joining a local or online mental health support group. Support groups offer a great way to meet other people who are experiencing similar emotions and situations. Knowing that you’re not alone can be encouraging and helpful.

Remember during testing to be as honest as possible about your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. This is the best way to get the help and support you need.

What are psychological tests and what are they used for?

Understanding mental health

A psychological assessment is used to understand an individual’s functioning and behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment

Aditi Surendra, Shruti Ravi

When you consult an ophthalmologist for an issue with your vision, they will conduct a series of tests on you—they will make you do an exam or check your eyes for signs of an infection. The results of these tests will help them arrive at a diagnosis and put you on the correct treatment plan: spectacles or just eye drops.

Similarly, psychologists and psychiatrists conduct tests to understand an individual’s functioning and behavior to arrive at a diagnosis of a mental health issue and the corresponding treatment.

What is a psychological assessment?

Psychological assessment is a series of tests conducted by a psychologist, to gather information about how people think, feel, behave and react. The findings are used to develop a report of the person’s abilities and behavior—known as a psychological report—which is then used as a basis to make recommendations for the individual’s treatment.

Psychological assessments and reports are used in other fields as well—like in the case of career planning for young adults or in the job application process to determine how well an applicant will fit into the open role.

The procedures used to create an assessment are:

Psychological assessment is also used in other fields, like:

What is a psychological test?

A psychological test is used to measure an individual’s different abilities, such as their aptitude in a particular field, cognitive functions like memory and spatial recognition, or even traits like introvertedness. These tests are based on scientifically tested psychological theories.

The format of a test can vary from pencil and paper tasks to computer-based ones. They include activities such as puzzle-solving, drawing, logic problem solving, and memory games.

Some tests also use techniques—known as projective techniques—which aim to access the unconscious. In these instances, the subject’s responses are analyzed through psychological interpretation and more complex algorithms than the non-projective techniques mentioned above. For example, the Rorschach test, popularly known as the ink-blot test can provide insight into the person’s personality and emotional functioning.

Psychological tests may also involve observing someone’s interactions and behavior. Based on the result of the test, an inference will be drawn about the individual’s inherent abilities and potential.

What do psychological tests measure?

Psychological testing covers a number of different areas:

Mental health assessment

A mental health assessment includes information about a person’s medical history, their family history, and the current status of their mental health. The assessment helps identify if there are any mental health issues present, and determine a diagnosis and treatment accordingly.

A psychologist or psychiatrist is likely to start an appointment with a mental health assessment, which will enable them to correctly diagnose and treat you.

Adaptive behavior assessments

This measures the social and practical skills of a person, to determine their ability to function on a daily basis at home, school or work; and are usually conducted along with cognitive tests.

For example, it may be used to assess a child’s ability to function in social activities with other students in school.

Aptitude testing

An aptitude test measures a person’s ability to perform different kinds of tasks. This is done to determine the areas in which their skills are the strongest. Some people may be better with quantitative tasks that require math and logical reasoning skills, some at language, and some at creative thinking.

These tests are used by vocational therapists to measure ability, and figure out the kind of professions or job roles a person may be suited for. They may also be used by career counselors to guide people towards higher education in fields where they demonstrate high ability.

Cognitive testing

A cognitive test measures a person’s cognitive abilities— problem solving, reasoning, vocabulary, comprehension, and memory. They are more commonly known as intelligence or IQ tests, and are used in the field of education to identify a person’s strengths and potential.

For instance, a child may be given a cognitive test to measure their ability in different subjects; allowing educators to help the child work on the subjects they’re having trouble with.

Educational/achievement testing

Educational testing is conducted to test how much an individual has progressed in learning a specific subject—like mathematics, reading comprehension—to identify any difficulties they may have had in it.

Achievement tests are the examinations that students take in schools and colleges.

Forensic psychological testing

Forensic testing is used in the legal field, to determine whether a suspect is capable of committing the crime they have been accused of. It comprises cognitive, personality, and neuropsychological tests.

Neuropsychological testing

Neuropsychological tests analyze how an individual’s brain works, in order to identify any problems in its functioning.

For instance, a person with a head injury may have to undergo neuropsychological tests to check their brain’s ability to retain information.

Personality assessment

A personality test focuses on the personality traits of an individual. It helps evaluate if a person is more introverted or extroverted, cautious or spontaneous, and how they may react or respond to various life situations.

Interpretation of psychological tests

Psychological tests are not meant to be interpreted without the context of the person being tested—their environment, socioeconomic status or physical health. While the tests do use scientifically verified scales, using its results as a stand-alone criteria can lead to misinterpretation.

For example, in the case of a blood work report—it is necessary for a doctor to read the numbers in relation to your symptoms and general physical health to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.

Similarly, it’s important to note that even though many of the psychological tests mentioned above are easily available on the internet, taking them without consulting a mental health professional may not lead to getting an actual analysis of your personality, aptitude or behavior. This in turn, could mean not getting the help you need.

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Psychological testing - Psychologos

Psychological testing (section of psychodiagnostics) - the study of certain psychological qualities and personality traits through the use of psychological tests. Psychological testing is used in job selection, in psychotherapy and psychological counseling, etc.

A good psychologist (not necessarily with a psychology degree: it can be an experienced manager, a qualified personnel officer, an attentive psychiatrist) will tell you everything or almost everything about a person without any testing . Sometimes a conversation is enough for this, sometimes a conversation is not needed, just one look is enough: at a person’s face, at his gait, it is enough to hear the intonations of his conversation. However, there are few good psychologists, and you need to understand people, and this is where psychological tests come in handy.

What can and can't psychological tests do? The most difficult thing in a person to determine two seemingly elementary things: common sense and decency. Other psychological characteristics (extroversion, agreeableness, general intelligence, neuroticism, openness to experience) - it is quite possible to catch with the help of tests.

The main characteristics of psychological tests are validity, reliability, representativeness and reliability. Validity is the conformity of the results of a test to the characteristic it is intended to measure. Reliability - the property of a test to give close results when measured again. Reliability as internal consistency - the focus of all elements of the test scale on the measurement of one quality. Representativeness - the correspondence between the norms (intervals on the test scale) obtained on the sample and the norms that can be obtained on the population. Reliability - the property of the test to counteract falsification - intentional or unconscious distortion of the results by the subjects.

During development and testing, different researchers may change the number and composition of the test question, but in this case it is difficult to compare the results obtained by different researchers. Only over time, a standardized test is created - a psychological test with a clearly defined unchanging list of questions, instructions, methods for processing results and scoring. It takes more than 10 years of work of teams of authors to create an effective psychological test. The quality of the test is ensured by a multi-stage procedure for checking and standardizing its scales. Tests that have been adapted to Russian reality 19The 90s are few, so the choice of good psychological tests for personnel assessment is difficult.

Professional testing, or testing in personnel work - a method of selecting candidates for work. There are two main categories of tests in vocational testing: tests designed to assess the effectiveness of work performance, professional knowledge and skills; and tests designed to assess character traits and properties (special abilities) that contribute to effective job performance.

Psychological test - a standardized task (test), the results of which are used to judge the psycho-physiological and personal characteristics, knowledge, skills and abilities of the subject. Tests that judge the knowledge, skills and abilities of the subject occupy an intermediate position between psychological, educational and professional tests.

Personality tests ( Personality tests ) - tests of psychological testing aimed at studying the character, abilities, emotions, needs and other properties of the human personality. (See Classification of Psychotypes). Personality tests are divided into projective tests, personality questionnaires and activity tests (situational tests, cases).

Intelligence test - tests of psychological testing aimed at studying the degree of development of intelligence in a person.

Verbal test ( Verbal test ) - a test built on the use of the language, when the test person, performing the task, must not perform actions, but describe them in words.

Achievement test ( Achievement test ) is a standardized test designed on educational material and designed to assess the level of mastery of educational knowledge and skills.

Aptitude test - a psychological test aimed at identifying individual interests and preferences, helping to determine the most preferable job for a particular person.

When applying for a job, the imitation test and personnel performance are also often used as tests. The imitation test is a psychological test in which a person is asked to perform a task, although the situation in which the task is to be performed is not recreated. Personnel performance is a procedure where applicants are given a creative group task that requires teamwork and reveals such personal characteristics as willingness to take the initiative, responsibility, positive and constructive interaction.

Test results are often presented in the form of a psychogram ( Psychogram ), graphically depicting the results of the study of the mental activity of an individual using a series of tests.

Projective methods:

Rorschach test
Color psychology: Luscher color test, Freeling color analysis test,
Image psychology: Markert's test - "What mood are you in?"
Rosenzweig Frustration Test

Questionnaires:

Rotter questionnaire (level of subjective control)
Civilization Questionnaire
Schmishek Questionnaire,

Tests

Cattell test (16 PF questionnaire),
Raven test,
Socionic DV-Test,
MMPI,
diagnostic complex 7 (SAN, MMIL, SMIL, SMIL abbr. , Cattell, Spielberger),
Myers and Briggs type indicator (MBTI)
self-esteem scale (Spielberger-Khanin),
depression scale,
Kelly software suite,
interactive psychodiagnostics,
repertory techniques,
psychogeometry,
methodology for studying intra-family relations
NEO PI-R
[[FIRO-B]]
Leary Interpersonal Relationship Diagnostic
Polygraph (lie detector)
Handwriting analysis (graphology)

Useful links

Website about psychological testing
Psychological test site
Psychology tests
Encyclopedia of Psychodiagnostics

Testing when applying for a job or study

How to pass a psychological test

Recently, some employers are increasingly using psychological tests to assess the abilities of their future employees when hiring.

Of course, this is an unusual thing for most people, and the excitement about the results of testing and its consequences is quite natural.

What should you do if you are offered such a test?

The employer wants to make sure that your qualities meet the requirements of the position. Arguing about the need for testing means losing the opportunity to get the job you need in advance. Therefore, your best course of action in this case may be to agree to be tested and demonstrate your willingness to do so in the interests of the case.

However, you should have specified the following two conditions. Firstly, you have the right to make sure that a qualified psychologist or professional consultant will conduct the test.

Second, by agreeing to be tested, you have the right to learn about the results of that test. You must be explained why you are qualified or not qualified for the position. Especially if these results serve as grounds for refusing employment.

Is it possible to prepare for the test?

Testing is not an exam. And what questions you will be asked is unknown. And, nevertheless, it is quite possible to prepare for testing, moreover, you need .

First of all, you should get an idea of what psychological tests are. For those of you who have never taken a real psychological test, it may seem that the test is some kind of puzzle. Decided everything is in order, did not decide - everything was gone. However, this is absolutely not the case.

What are the tests?

For psychological professional selection for various positions, two types of psychological tests are mainly used: the so-called personality questionnaires and intellectual tests.

Personality questionnaires consist of several tens or hundreds of questions, for each of which you are asked to choose one of two or more answers. Personality questionnaires are designed to determine various character traits and personality types, interests, inclinations, abilities to communicate and manage one's condition. There is usually no time limit for completing the Personality Questionnaire. During testing, you can return to previous questions, check and correct answers.

When answering personality questionnaires, is it possible to give false answers or hide any information? Most professional personality questionnaires, unlike popular questionnaires, are protected from distortion by an insincere person. They provide the specialist with several ways to check the veracity of your answers. Therefore, so that your results are not rejected, carefully read the questions and choose the answers that are most suitable from your point of view.

Intellectual tests are designed to assess your learning and cognitive abilities and represent several dozen tasks. Some of these tasks require logical reasoning, some - calculations, some - spatial imagination, some - attention and memorization. In each problem, as a rule, there are several possible answers, one of which is correct. You need to find this option.

In most cases, the time for solving all tasks is limited and amounts to several minutes or tens of minutes. During this time, you need to solve as many tasks as possible. However, you most likely will not be able to solve all the proposed tasks. For the time is chosen in such a way that during this time no one will be able to correctly solve all the problems. Therefore, if some task does not work out for you right away, you should not linger on it for too long, it is better to move on to the next ones. If there is time left, it will be possible to return to unsolved problems, as well as check or correct already solved ones. This strategy will allow you to score the most points. The main thing is to remember that your goal is not to solve all problems, but only the largest number of them.

Typically, psychological testing includes several different tests and can last several hours.

Learn more