This test can only be given as an individual examination and to people who understand spoken English. The presence of other people in the room where the test is being given is frequently the cause of low scores.
This test is borrowed bodily from the Binet series, in which it has won a distinct place for itself as a useful measure of the ability to think about symbols and abstract ideas.
This test will be of little value as an entertainment feature but will be useful to the public school teacher, or to the employer who wishes to have a brief but fairly accurate test to apply to individual people whom he may be considering for positions of responsibility. The reliability of the test is unusually high for an examination taking no more time than is required for this.
Directions for Giving the Test.
The examiner should read the following instructions clearly:
“I have twelve lists of numbers to read to you. I want you to listen carefully as I read each list, and when I say ‘Now’ you are to repeat the same numbers backward, that is, in the reverse order. For example, if I should read the numbers, 3, 4, 5, when I said ‘Now’ you should repeat them 5, 4, 3. If I read 9, 8, 7, you should say 7, 8, 9. You are to say the same numbers I read, but you are to say them just backward from the way I read them.”
The examiner should read each series very distinctly and at the rate of one digit per second. About five seconds before the reading of each series the examiner should call the candidate’s attention by saying, “Now listen to this set.” Allow two seconds after reading the last digit of each series before saying “Now,” or, “Now say them backward.” If the candidate has not begun to repeat the digits within thirty seconds the examiner should say “Now try this set” and should read the next list to him.
| First | Series | 5 | 8 | |||||
| Second | 〃 | 6 | 4 | |||||
| Third | 〃 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| Fourth | 〃 | 8 | 4 | 9 | ||||
| Fifth | 〃 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 4 | |||
| Sixth | 〃 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||
| Seventh | 〃 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Eighth | 〃 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 6 | ||
| Ninth | 〃 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | |
| Tenth | 〃 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 7 | |
| Eleventh | 〃 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Twelfth | 〃 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
Directions for Scoring the Test.
The score in this test is the number of series repeated backward without error. Any misplacement in the order of the digits should be considered an error and no credit should be given for that series. The examiner will need to keep a record of just which series were correctly repeated, and will need to keep this record from the view of the candidate being examined, at least until after the examination is complete.