It is often easier to secure copies of non-commercial tests. They may appear in Compendia or in scholarly articles. The following tools will help you find non-commercial tests relevant to particular research questions:
If you are an undergraduate student (PSYC 4000 & 4170), start with non-commercial tests since these tests are more accessible, shorter, and easier to administer.
Use the checklist created by the Psychology Resource Centre (PRC) as your guide.
PsycTESTS is a research database that provides access to psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessments as well as descriptive information about the test and its development and administration. It focuses on unpublished tests developed by researchers. Therefore, it is a good place to start a search for non-commercial tests.
When you access PsycTESTS, it is best to only select the box for PsycTESTS. De-select the other databases that are available.
See this APA website about PsycTESTS
The Psychology Resource Centre (available to psychology faculty, graduate students and 4th year undergraduate thesis students) has a Compendia Test Database. Consult the database to see if a suitable test is available through a compendia.
Keep your search very simple and search on alternate versions of your construct(s). For example, if you are looking for a scale measuring narcissism, try searching both narcissism and narcissistic.
If you find a test in that database, note the Compendia code. Check the Compendia Legend for further information about what is available (e.g., full tests, descriptions only).
Note the call number and location of the Compendia. It may be available in the Psychology Resource Centre or in one of York University's libraries.
Search Health and Psychosocial Instruments to identify tests that score on measures of interest. If you need to get the actual test, use the Limit to Primary Source function (see below) to increase likelihood that tests are available.
In some cases, the tests may be available in the cited document.
Available in the Scott Reference section (2nd floor): BF 431 D49
Use the subject indexes at the back of the volumes to find tests that score on a particular measure. The indexes will give you an entry number for tests in previous volumes. The entries provide basic descriptive information about tests that appeared in scholarly psychology and education journals. If you find an appropriate test, look for the journal citation in the entry, and then check library holdings for the article. Some of these journal articles provide the actual test itself; others only provide information about the test, in which case you could check Health and Psychosocial Instruments for potential availability in other resources or you could try to contact the author to obtain the test.