Tests and Measures are standardized instruments, including questionnaires, inventories and scales that are used to evaluate populations, individuals or processes. This guide will show you how to search for articles, tests, test reviews, descriptions and reproductions both online and in print.

You may want to consult the FAQ: Finding Information About Psychological Tests by the APA prior to using our guide.

For a comprehensive overview of testing and assessment, please refer to the APA Handbook of Testing and Assessment in Psychology. For guidance on testing in the United States and other countries, consult Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (a joint product of the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME)).

To get the best search results, consider the following questions:

• What type of resources do I need?
  • Do I need test reviews, the actual instrument or both?
  • Am I looking for a specific test, or for tests on a certain subject?
  • Do I need research studies that have used specific tests?
• Where should I look?
  • What database or other resources will have what I need?
  • Am I looking for a test that has been commercially published?
  • Is the test in print?
• What do I need the resources for?
  • Will I need to use the tests on subjects? What permissions do I need to get?

The library offers print resources, databases, and other online materials to help you locate tests & measures...

... however, it is often difficult to find the actual testing instruments because of some or all of the following reasons:

• Many tests and measures are commercially created copyrighted material, requiring a fee for use.
• Professional and/or educational credentials may be required to administer the test.
• Overexposure could familiarize test-takers with the material and make it less useful.

Anyone administering a test has several ethical responsibilities.

• For an un-published test, contact the test author (if possible) and request permission to use the test.  
  • For copyrighted material, permission should be secured in writing.
     
• Contact Fairfield University's Office of Institutional Research and/or the Institutional Review Board  to request approval.