Speed & Power Tests

Introduction

Introduction
Belonging to psychometric
tests
Used since the early part of the
20th century and developed for
use in educational psychology
Measuring attributes like
intelligence, aptitude and
personality

Speed and Power

Tests as
Subcategories
Psychome
tric tests
Personality
& Interest
Tests

Aptitude &
Ability
Tests

Speed and Power

Tests as
Subcategories
Personality questionnaires try
to measure aspects of your
personality
Aptitude tests try to measure
your intellectual and
reasoning abilities.

Speed and Power

Tests as
Subcategories
Aptitude and ability tests are
considered as maximum
performance tests because
they test what you can achieve
when you are making
maximum effort.
There are two different styles of
maximum performance test;
speed tests and power tests.

 Speed and Power

Tests as
Subcategories
Aptitude
& Ability
Tests
Speed
Tests

Power Tests

Speed Tests

Speed Tests
Most group tests of mental ability
and achievement are
administered with time limits.
In some cases, the time limits are
of no importance, as nearly every
subject completes all they can do
correctly.
In other tests, the limits are short
enough to make rate of work an
important factor in the score and
these are called speed tests.

Speed Tests
Often these tests are used by human
resource professionals or by
psychologists during the hiring
process.
This time limit affects performance; for
example, you might be given a page of
printed text and asked to cross out all
the es in 25 seconds.
How many you cross out will be a
function of how fast you respond.
The time limits on speed tests are
usually set so that only 50% of the
applicants are able to attempt every

The Scope of
Questions
In
a speed test, the scope of
the questions is limited and
the methods you need to use
to answer them is clear.
Taken individually, the
questions appear relatively
straightforward.
For example:
139 + 235 =
A) 372 B) 374 C) 376 D) 437

Speed tests in Language

Tests

Two extremely important

factors must be considered:
The time to be provided for
testing, and the degree of
speededness we wish to
build into our test.
Speed of performance is
unquestionably an important
aspect of language
proficiency. (Harris, 1986)

Speed tests in Language

Tests
These tests can include verbal ability tests that
can be deal with simple verbal ability, for
example; spelling, grammar, synonyms and
antonyms etc. These tests usually consist of 30
to 40 questions which need to be completed in
15 to 20 minutes. They are speed tests in that
they dont require very much reasoning ability.
You either know the answer or you dont. You can
usually find questions on all of the following:
Spelling
Grammar
Sentence Completion
Analogies
Word Groups
Instructions
Critical Reasoning

Examples
Spelling Questions
Questions where you have to identify
incorrectly spelt words are common in all
levels of verbal ability tests.
The test designer needs to choose words
which are fairly common and in regular
usage but which are often spelt incorrectly.
There would be little point in using obscure
words which only a small percentage of
candidates could be expected to know.
This means that you will almost certainly
have heard of the word and know its
meaning.

Examples
Spelling Questions
Which of the following words are incorrectly
spelt?
A) separateB) ordnance
C) obviously D) sucess
E) none of these
Choose the pair of words that best completes
the sentence
The -------- of the timetable caused some ---------A) rivision B) revision
C) revission D) revition
A)inconvenienceB)inconveniense
C) inconveneince D) inconvinience

Examples
Spelling Questions
The following list of 20 words contains 10 that are
incorrectly spelt. Write the letter that corresponds to
each incorrectly spelt word in the answer box

A.occurence
B.dissipate
C.weird
D.accommodate
E.embarassment
F. ecstacy
G.repetition
H.batallion
I. dispair
J. irritable

Examples
Missing Word Questions
He avoided --------- because he was -----------A) redundency
B) indispensable
C) redundancy
D) indispensible

Related Word Questions

kick, -----------, walk
A) throw B) toes
C) shin
D) feet
E) hand

Examples
Synonym and Antonym
Questions
Which of two of these words are opposite in
meaning?
A) lose
B) winner
C) victor
D) loser
E) vanquish
Which of two of these word is the odd one out?
A) swindle B) harass
C) provoke
D) annoy
E) pester

Power Tests

 As the name suggest, a power test is

taken to measure the power or strength
of its candidates, i.e. the test-takers
profundity of knowledge in the area
being tested.
According to Taiwo(1995), a power test
refers to any test in which time is no
constraint or whose time limit is so
generous that most examinees are able
to attend to all the items of the test.

 The methods you need to use to

answer questions in a power test
are not obvious, and working out
how to answer the question is the
difficult part. Once you have
determined this, arriving at the
correct answer is usually relatively
straightforward.

Features of Power Tests

A power test contains items that vary
in difficulty to the point that no
subject is expected to get all items
right even with unlimited time.
In other words, the items in power
tests are arranged in order of
difficulty. The first item is very easy,
the second is difficult than the first
one, the third is more difficult than
the first two, and so on.

Features of Power Tests

A power test consists of graded items.
Each item presumed to be more
difficult than its preceding one, i.e.
item difficulty generally increases
gradually.
well constructed power test precludes
a testee from getting correct an item
beyond which he gets stuck, and his
score on the test is taken as an index
of his power or strength of work.
(Taiwo, 1995)

Features of Power Tests

In come power tests, If a student
fails to find answer to the sixth item
he will not be able to solve the
subsequent items and his ability is
reflected by item 5.
For example, the following is a
sample of TOFEL test from listening
section where difficulty increases
gradually as the candidates listen to
more listening dialogues :

A: Uh huh. Somebody left their wallet here.

B: See if there is some kind of identification in it.
What does the man suggest the woman do?
(A) Try to find out who the wallet belongs to.
(B) Keep the wallet until someone comes looking for it.
(C) Leave the wallet where she found it.
(D)Get the attention of the person who dropped the wallet.

A: I dont know how I managed to break that platter. Ill be

more than happy to buy you a new one.
B: Forget about it. Some things just cant be helped.
What does the woman mean?
(A) She can't help the man look for another platter.
(B) She forgot the platter had been broken.
(C) She didn't realize the platter had been broken.
(D) She doesn't want the man to replace the platter.

A: Jane told me shed meet me here at the library reference

desk at one oclock. But she hasnt shown up yet.

B: Oh, I just saw her upstairs in the third floor study lounge.
She said she had been expecting you at 12:30.
What does the man say about Jane?
(A) She left the library at 12:30.
(B) She canceled the meeting unexpectedly.
(C) She has already arrived at the library.
(D) She is consulting with the reference librarian

A: Could you give this note to Mitchell?

B: Give it to Mitchell? What am I? a messenger?
What does the man imply?
(A) He does not know who Michelle is.
(B) He has gotten a job as a messenger.
(C) He does not want to deliver the note.
(D) He waits to tell the woman what Michelle said.

Features of Power Tests

In power tests, a definite but ample
time is given for all, or at least
most, of the candidates to attempt
every item. This makes power test
a sort of graded scale; and the
higher up the scale a candidate
can move, the greater is his
profundity of knowledge in the area
being tested.

Features of Power Tests

Power tests tend to be more relevant to
such purposes as the evaluation of
academic achievement, for which the
highest level of difficulty at which a person
can succeed is of greater interest than his
speed on easy tasks.
Power tests are used more at the
graduate, professional or managerial level.
For example: here comes a sample of a
test which measures proficiency in English:

Features of Power Tests

A power test on the other hand will
present relatively a small number of
complex questions. Power aptitude
tests meanwhile involve questions
that require more time for thinking
and comprehension.

For example:

Below are the sales figures for 3 different

types of network server over 3 months.
Server

January

February

March

Units

Value

Units

Value

Units

Value

ZXC43

32

480

40

600

48

720

ZXC53

45

585

45

585

45

585

ZXC63

12

240

14

280

18

340

In which month was the sales value highest?

A) January
B) February
C)
March

What is the unit cost of server type ZXC53?

A) 12
B) 13
C) 14

Speed vs. Power

Tests

Allotted Time
When it comes to times allotted,
both types of tests have the same
approximate time limit, although
candidates sense speed tests as
being more encumbered by limited
time.

Number of Questions
Although they have the same
approximate time limit, speed tests
contain more items than power tests.
Thus, in power tests the emphasis is
on ability rather than the speed.

Level of Difficulty
In speed tests the questions are
relatively straightforward and the
test is concerned with how many
questions you can answer correctly in
the allotted time.
A power test on the other hand will
present a smaller number of more
complex questions.

Use
Speed tests tend to be used in
selection at the administrative and
clerical level.
By contrast, power tests tend to be
used more at the graduate,
professional or managerial level.

Conclusion
Psychological Tests can be classified on various
dimensions. One classification which is based
on the rate of performance distinguishes
between Speed Test and Power Test. Speed
Tests are the ones in which individual
differences depend entirely on the speed of
performance. A power test contains items that
vary in difficulty to the point that no subject is
expected to get all items right even with
unlimited time.
However, speed tests do give an accurate
indication of performance in power tests,
though this is not always the case. In other
words, if you do well in speed tests then you will
also do well in power tests.

Works Cited
Chadha, N. K. (2009). Norms inApplied Psychometry.
New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd.
Domino, G. and Domino, M. (2006) Psychological
Testing, USA. Cambridge University Press
Harris, D. (1986). Testing English as a Second Language.
Singapore: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Psychological Testing. Encyclopdia Britannica.
Retrieved May 12, 2013 from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/481664/p
sychological-testing/23854/Written-group-versus-or
al-individual-tests
"Speed and Power Tests." Psychometric Success.
Retrieved May 14, 2013, from
http://www.psychometric-success.com/aptitude-test
s/speed-versus-power-tests.htm
"Speed Tests." Psychology Glossary. Retrieved May 14,
2013, from
http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?
term=Speed%20Tests
Taiwo, AdedIran. (1995). Fundamentals of Classroom