This guide was created by Adam Taves. Any updates after September 2024 were made by Kalina Grewal.
Psychological tests (or mental measurements) are standardized evaluations administered to measure psychological variables such as intelligence, cognitive ability, personality, or emotional functioning. Tests can use written, visual or verbal methods, and are commonly used in the fields of psychology, education, and management.
This guide is divided into four main sections:
Non-commercial (unpublished) tests
These tests are created for non-commercial research purposes and are often published in journal articles or collected in published volumes (i.e. compendia). PsycTESTS provides access to a large number of tests.
Non-commercial tests are generally easier to obtain because they are published in accessible sources and because there are usually no conditions placed on the qualifications of the researcher using them.
Commercial (published) tests
These tests are sold and distributed exclusively by test publishers. Commercial test publishers generally only sell these tests directly to researchers who are qualified to administer and interpret the tests. Some of the most popular (and reliable) tests are commercial tests.
Commercial tests are NOT collected by the York University Libraries; however the Psychology Resource Centre (BSB 160) maintains a collection of psychological tests (available to psychology faculty, graduate students and 4th year undergraduate thesis students).
Although these tests are often difficult to obtain, York University Libraries has reference sources that can help you:
1) Identify tests that measure specific variables; or
2) Find reviews and other information on specific tests
