This document is a summary of the following assessment measure types used in South Africa. The measurement types are clustered into different category types: Assessing Individual Intelligence, Assessing Group Intelligence, Aptitude Measures, Personality Assessments (Level 1 and Level 2), Career-Cou...
- Individual Scale for General Scholastic Aptitude (ISGSA): a variety of items are arranged
in ascending order of difficulty. Together they measure general ability. The ISGSA was
standardized for children from 5 to 16 years, with English or Afrikaans as a mother
tongue. The target group for whom the scale had to measure well is six to twelve-year-
old’s, in other words primary school children. As the ISGSA is a revised version of the
old scale, it is still based on the Binet rationale of the old scale. The format of the old
scale was partially retained. It consists of heterogeneous items that are arranged from
easy to difficult. The scale was reduced to 80 items, which are divided into blocks of
four items each. For each age group testing should commence at a specific block. A
base (two blocks in which the testee answers all the items correctly) and ceiling (two
blocks in which all the items are failed) are determined for the testee. All the items
between the base and the ceiling are administered. The scale measures global cognitive
ability and not differentiated abilities, but qualitative analysis by the test user can shed
light on the testee’s strengths and weaknesses. The verbal content of the scale is
greater than the non-verbal content. For this reason, the term scholastic aptitude is
used in the scale instead of intelligence. The validity and reliability data in the manual
indicate that the scale is sufficiently reliable and valid for this purpose. Norms: The
ISGSA is no longer an age scale like the OSAIS, but a point scale with deviation scores.
The raw score total obtained by the testee is converted to the deviation score, the SA
score, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. The raw score total can also
be converted to a test age in years and months. Both types of norms are given for two
norm groups, namely (a) a proportionally constituted norm group that includes
environmentally disadvantaged and non-environmentally disadvantaged children, and
(b) a non-environmentally disadvantaged norm group. The SED questionnaire is used
to determine whether the testee is environmentally disadvantaged or not, and the
appropriate norm group is determined according to this result. Purpose: individual
intelligence. The test manuals of test standardization in SA includes ISGSA – contains
information on reliability & construct validity & how results can be used to predict
academic performance.
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV): Measures general
intelligence. A core battery of 10 unique subtests focuses on four specific domains of
intelligence: verbal comprehension index (VCI), perceptual reasoning index (PRI),
working memory index (WMI), and processing speed index (PSI). Co-normed with the
Wechsler Memory Scale®-IV. Updated normative data for ages 16-90 years old and
enhanced utility for older adults. Debate on local norming of the WAIS focused on the
use of population-based vs demographically adjusted norms. Population-based norms
provided for the English versions of the WAIS-III and WAIS-IV. English speaking South
Africans (not only English 1st-language speakers) were included in the norm samples
with equal and proportional representation of different racial groups. The magnitude
of socio-cultural subgroup differences, however, implies a strong possibility of under-
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, or over-estimation of an individual’s performance based on subgroup status. The
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – often used for individual assessment purposes. 4th
edition adapted for SA. The WAIS-IV is one of the most popular instruments in SA for
assessing a person’s work-related abilities. 2 broad scores which can be used to
summarize general intellectual ability, can also be derived: Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), based
on the total combined performance of the VCI, PRI, WMI & PSI. and General Ability
Index (GAI), based on only the 6 subtests that the VCI and PRI comprise. Test manuals
of test standardization in SA include WAIS-IV – contain information on reliability and
construct validity also how results can be used to predict academic performance. The
criterion for inclusion in the norm sample was sufficient understandings of the
instructions in English. Reference points were provided for an educationally
disadvantaged African first-language population % the potential advantage of using
the supplemental subtests for this group was shown.
- Grover-Counter Scale of Cognitive Development (GSC): illustrates the unique
combinations of tasks used to diagnostic measures for young children to assess the
functions associated with the developmental stages of this phase. Purpose: Individual
Intelligence. Age Range: Children and Adults. The Grover-Counter Scale of Cognitive
Development was originally developed for the testing of mentally handicapped
children and adults in an attempt to assess their level of cognitive functioning thereby
assisting in their placement and the diagnosis of their training needs. It can also be
used to supplement other intelligence tests in the case of hearing impaired children,
those with impaired verbal skills, aphasia or elective mutism or for those testees for
whom a verbal test is inappropriate for any other reason, particularly where the
language of a tester is not the mother tongue of the testee. The rationale is that
where a child may not be able to solve a problem in the form of a verbal response,
he/she may be able to do so behaviorally. The Grover-Counter Scale is based on
Piagetian theory and was developed according to Piaget’s stages of development.
Each of the sections are associated with a certain stage. The testee’s stage of
development is revealed by his or her performance on each section (not just the
score obtained, but the procedure adopted in completing the item as well). The test
consists of five sections which each measures a stage in the person’s development.
Section A consists of simple recognition of shapes and colours. Section B assesses
ability to reconstruct patterns from memory. Section C assesses ability to copy a
model made by the tester. Section D assesses ability to reconstruct from memory
once the model has been removed. Section E assesses ability to produce and
complete patterns from a design on a card within a time limit. Norms: The Grover
Scale was standardized on a sample of convenience and therefore, only provisional
norms are provided. The GSC is a behavioural test specifically aimed at individuals
with extremely impaired verbal skills. It’s also suitable in other situations where a
verbal test may not be suitable. Normative information and support for the reliability
and validity of the test are available for African-language-speaking children. SA Norms
for GCS: 3-10 years old. Test manuals of test standardization in SA includes GCS –
contain information on reliability and construct validity also how results can be used
to predict academic performance. This is a valid measure to determine the influence
of socio-environmental factors on cognitive development in the case of school-aged
children in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
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, - The Griffiths Mental Development Scale – Extended Revised (GMDS – ER) consists of 2
sets of scales (1 for infants/toddlers 0-2 years and 1 for young children 2-8 years). It
illustrates the unique combination of tasks used to diagnostic measures for young
children to assess the functions associated with the developmental stages of this
phase. Griffiths III is the product of a re-standardization of the Griffiths Mental
Development Scales (GMDS). It’s a child friendly developmental measure for
continuous use from birth – 6 years. What’s Griffiths III? It provides an overall
measure of a child’s development, as well as an individual profile of strengths and
needs across 5 areas: (1) Foundations of Learning; (2) Language and Communication;
(3) Eye and Hand Coordination; (4) Personal-Social-Emotional and (5) Gross Motor.
- Junior South African Individual Scales (JSAIS): Individual Intelligence measure with an
age range: 3 years – 7 years & 11 months (Full Battery) for White Learners; School-
going children of 6 years – 7 years & 11 months (Full Battery) for Coloured Learners;
School-going children of 6 years – 7 years & 11 months (12 GIQ tests) for Indian
Learners. The JSAIS was constructed to provide a profile of an English or Afrikaans
speaking child’s cognitive abilities. The tests were selected to provide: a reasonably
complete coverage of the intellectual skills essential for progress in the 1st year of
primary school; and a battery of tests of diagnostic and clinical value. The battery
comprises 22 tests namely: Form Board; Vocabulary; Ready knowledge; Number &
Quantity Concepts; Memory for Digits; Block Design; Story Memory; Picture Riddles;
Word Association; Absurdities (Missing Parts); Absurdities (Absurd Situations); Form
Discrimination; Social Reasoning; Grouping; Picture Association; Picture Analogies;
Word Fluency; Gestalt Completion; Picture Puzzles; Picture Series; Visual Memory for
Objects and Figures and Copying. The first 12 of these tests constitute the Global IQ
Scale. The Global IQ Scale has 4 subscales, namely a Verbal IQ Scale (VIQ Scale), a
Performance IQ Scale (PIQ Scale); a Numerical Scale (Num Scale) and a Memory Scale.
8 tests form an abridged scale, the GIQ 8 Scale, with 3 subscales, namely the VIQ 8
Scale, the PIQ 8 Scale and the Num Scale. Norms: The JSAIS is a point scale with
deviation scores and not an age scale. The composite Numerical and Memory Scales
as well as the 22 individual tests are normalized to a mean of 10 and standard
deviation of 3. For the Global, Verbal and Performance IQ Scales the mean was set at
100 and the standard deviation at 15. Tables of test ages for each of the tests are also
included. Individual Intelligence Measures in SA is based on psychometric model of
testing. This model assumes that individual’s ability to perform a variety of tasks that
require intelligence represents his/her level of general intelligence. Therefore, items
included cover a wide field & the different tasks are related to different cognitive
abilities. Measures with SA norms include the JSAIS (3-7 years old). The test manuals
of test standardization in SA includes the JSAIS contains information on reliability &
construct validity & how results can be used to predict academic performance.
Equivalent individual intelligence measures have been constructed for South Africans
whose home language is English/Afrikaans i.e. JSAIS. This measure is valid for the
evaluation of school readiness at the stage of school entrance. The JSAIS provides
considerable & valuable tips on using the test qualitatively to comment on various
aspects of the child’s readiness to cope with formal schooling. This measure
correlates with the GMDS thus making the measure suitable for early diagnosis of
problems & subsequent treatment. The JSAIS hasn’t been standardized for all cultural
groups making up the population of South African children: it was developed for use
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