SRA VERBAL TEST

ANSWER SHEET

NAME _________________________________ AGE ________ DATE ____________________

Direction: Write only the letter of the correct answer.

1. _____ 22. _____ 43. _____ 64. _____

2. _____ 23. _____ 44. _____ 65. _____
3. _____ 24. _____ 45. _____ 66. _____
4. _____ 25. _____ 46. _____ 67. _____
5. _____ 26. _____ 47. _____ 68. _____
6. _____ 27. _____ 48. _____ 69. _____
7. _____ 28. _____ 49. _____ 70. _____
8. _____ 29. _____ 50. _____ 71. _____
0. _____ 30. _____ 51. _____ 72. _____
10. _____ 31. _____ 52. _____ 73. _____
11. _____ 32. _____ 53. _____ 74. _____
12. _____ 33. _____ 54. _____ 75. _____
13. _____ 34. _____ 55. _____ 76. _____
14. _____ 35. _____ 56. _____ 77. _____
15. _____ 36. _____ 57. _____ 78. _____
16. _____ 37. _____ 58. _____ 79. _____
17. _____ 38. _____ 59. _____ 80. _____
18. _____ 39. _____ 60. _____ 81. _____
19. _____ 40. _____ 61. _____ 82. _____
20. _____ 41. _____ 62. _____ 83. _____
21. _____ 42. _____ 63. _____ 84. _____

SCORING KEY
(FORM A)
_____________________________________________________________________
LINGUISTIC QUANTITATIVE
_____________________________________________________________________

1. C 43. B 3. C 59. B
2. D 44. B 6. E 62. A
4. D 46. D 7. A 63. E
5. A 47. D 10. A 66. C
8. C 50. B 13. A 69. C
9. B 51. E 14. C 70. D
11. B 53. C 17. C 73. D
12. D 54. C 20. E 76. A
15. A 57. A 21. B 77. B
16. B 58. B 24. E 80. E
18. D 60. B 27. E 83. C
19. D 61. B 28. A 84. C
22. D 64. A 31. C
23. B 65. B 34. C
25. A 67. C 35. E
26. B 68. D 38. C
29. D 71. D 41. B
30. C 72. C 42. C
32. C 74. B 45. D
33. B 75. E 48. A
36. A 78. D 49. C
37. B 79. D 52. C
39. A 81. E 55. C
40. B 82. C 56. C
____________________________________________________________________________

NORMS USED
Applicants for Supervisory Position
____________________________________________________________________________
Percentile Linguistic Quantitative Total
Raw Scores Raw Scores Raw Scores
____________________________________________________________________________

99 (Very Superior) 44 30 72
97 43 27 68
95 (Superior) 41 66
90 39 25 60
85 (Above Average) 37 23 57
80 35 21 55
75 (Average) 33 20 52
70 30 19
65 29 18 47
60 28 45
55 27 17 43
50 25 16 42
45 (Below Average) 24 40
40 23 15 38
35 22 14 36
30 21 13 34
25 (Dull Normal) 20 12 32
20 19 11 30
15 17 10 28
10 15 9 26
5 12 7 22
3 11 6 20
1 9 4 16
____________________________________________________________________________
 SRA VERBAL
EXAMINER'S MANUAL
PURPOSE

The SRA Verbal is a test of general ability. It is used as a measure of an individual's overall adaptability
and flexibility in comprehending and following instructions, and in adjusting to alternating types of
problems.

This test has been designed for use in both school and industry. Forms A and B can be used at all
educational levels from Junior High School to College and at all employee levels from unskilled laborers
to middle management. However, it is intended only for persons who are familiar with the English
language. To determine the general ability of persons who speak foreign languages or of illiterates, a
nonverbal or pictorial test should be used.

USE OF SCORES

Since the SRA Verbal necessitates a rapid shift from one type of problem to another, a high TOTAL score
is an indication of a general ability to adapt oneself quickly and effectively to changing situations.

IN INDUSTRY

Information concerning the general ability of an applicant or an employee, as measured by the SRA
Verbal, aids the personnel manager in answering the following questions:

- Does this individual have sufficient ability to learn the operations of the job?
- Will the ability demonstrated enable him/her to be trained in a reasonable period
of time?
- Can he/she grasp and deal with the intangibles?
- If the job is routine, will he/she become bored or dissatisfied with it?
- Is he/she supervisory potential?

People who score high on general ability tests are often more likely to make an effective
contribution to a company than are low scorers. High scores on general ability tests are usually
associated with supervisory positions as well as complex sales work.

Individuals whose scores are average on tests such as the SRA Verbal can be expected to perform
quite wellin moderately complex positions once they understand the requirements of the job. In
general, these individuals are not suited for supervisory positions.

Those who score low on general ability tests most often need more time to master their jobs and
require more explanation and guidance in the early phases of training. Highly routine jobs with set series
of duties or unskilled laboring jobs are usually best filled by these low-scoring individuals.

It is recommended that each user perform validation studies and establish their own ranges of
optimal scores. In the absence of such studies, however, reference to the norm tables in this manual will
aid in establishing tentative score ranges. A user will often find that after a period of time, a particular
job will be best filled by persons scoring within a certain range. Local conditions will determine the
extent of this range. Of course, whether an individual's score falls within a certain range is only one
consideration; additional information must always be considered.

IN EDUCATION
The items in the SRA Verbal are adapted to students of high school age; separate norms are provided for
ages from 12 to 17. The SRA Verbal yields three scores: the L or Linguistic score, the Q or Quantitative
score, and the Total score. The results of this test cannot precisely indicate a student's general ability, but
it can help answer such questions as these:

- How does this student rank in ability to learn in relation to other students?
- What careers should he/she consider in terms of his/her general intelligence?
- Is he/she intellectually capable of passing the school sources required for these
occupations?
- Could he/she go on to further training?
- Should he/she be placed in a slow or accelerated section of various courses?

The L (Linguistic) score represents proficiency in the use of language and is probably most
related to the student's performance in work requiring language comprehension, such as English, foreign
languages, history, and the various social sciences. A person obtaining a high L score may be expected to
have a good mastery of the English language, to follow instructions easily, and to show facility in reading
and expression. A person obtaining a low score in his/her group will probably have difficulty handling
most verbal material.

The Q (Quantitative) score represents efficiency in perceiving and solving mathematical

problems. This score is probably most related to achievement in mathematics, bookkeeping, and science
courses. A person obtaining a high score in his/her group may be expected to adjust quickly and
accurately to situations involving numbers. A person obtaining a low scorein his/her group will probably
have difficulty handling most quantitative problems.

If a person follows normal test procedures, his/her L and Q percentiles should not be too
divergent, since the items of each type are evenly interspersed. If there is a great difference in a person's
scores, it may well be due to skipping and/or inability to deal with one type of item. Because of this
alternating of L and Q items and because the test is short, it is inappropriate to interpret the L and Q
scores separately to make predictions of success. However, widely divergent scores might be of value in
discovering a person's inability to deal with a particular type of item.

TEST CONSTRUCTION

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST

The SRA Verbal is a short test of general ability designed to measure adaptability. The items are of two
types : vocabulary (Linguistic) and arithmetic reasoning (Quantitative). Because these two item types
measure separate mental skills and are presented in an interspersed format with a restrictive time limit,
the test represents a situation in which the individual must adjust rapidly from one item type to another.

The score level depends on power (ability to handle test items) and speed of response
(adaptability). A low score can be attributed either to inability to answer items or to inability to shift
mental set. It would seem logical that this test should generally prove to be most valid in a situation
where both mental ability and speed of responses are required.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEST

Test items were selected by type (L or Q) and by level of difficulty. These items are very similar to those
in the Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness. The most important difference between the two tests is that
SRA Verbal is shorter and more appropriate for persons of slightly lower general ability.
 The items aare arranged by increasing difficulty in the following sequence: 2 linguistic, 1
quantitative, 2 linguistic, 2 quantitative. The single quantitative represents a computational reasoning
problem requiring approximately twice the time of the other item types. Item types for both Forms A
and B are matched in the 2:1:2:2 sequence and also are matched in accordance with difficulty.

RELIABILITY AND EQUIVALENCE

A study of the equivalence of Forms A and B of the SRA Verbal was conducted on a sample of 300 high
school students in the Midwest. The age range of the students was from 14 to 19 years with a mean age
of 16.3. One half of the sample took Form A first and then Form B. This sequence was reversed for the
other half of the students.

The resultant equivalent form reliabilities were in the high .70s for all three scores --- L, Q, and
Total. The means were very similar, while Form B standard deviations were somewhat greater.

The magnitude of the correlations between L and Q is evidence that this spiraled speed test does
not -- and possibly cannot -- provide separate scores sufficiently unrelated as to be of value in differential
diagnosis. It appears that only infrequently will the examiner find an individual whose L and Q ranks are
markedly different. Such cases should be reviewed, since the test format per se will normally preclude a
sharp difference between L and Q ranks. If inspection of the test shows that excessive skipping of an item
type took place, a retest using the other form and specific instructions not to skip is recommended.

In an industrial setting, the intercorrelations between the three parts of the test were calculated
for Form A for 223 production employees.

EFFECTS OF AGE

Although no exhaustive study has been done on the effects of age on the Verbal scores, there are two
small studies that give some information concerning this problem.

The first study was done on 198 production workers in a rubber plant. The age range was 18 to
48. In this group, the correlation between age and the SRA Verbal Total score was -.33. This could have
resulted from actual decrease in score due to age or from the fact that the sample might have been
composed of actual differing ability levels.

The second study was done on 223 electrical plant production workers. Their ages ranged from
18 to 62. It is shown that, of the three groups, the oldest age group (42 and over) had, in fact, the
highest average score.

In view of the inconsistency of results in these studies, no standard adjustment for age can be
recommended. It should be remembered, however, that an older person may be at some disadvantage
because he may not have had much experience in taking speeded tests. When a low score seems
incompatible with other information (such as his past work experience), the test score should be
interpreted cautiously.

Table 1. Equivalence of Forms A and B of the SRA Verbal

____________________________________________________________________________Test Score
Mean SD Correlation
____________________________________________________________________________
Form A L score 24.71 7.60 .76
Form B L score 23.01 9.05
____________________________________________________________________________
Form A Q score 18.79 6.44 .80
Form B Q score 18.79 6.94
____________________________________________________________________________
Form A Total score 43.48 13.07 .78
Form B Total score 41.73 14.77
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 2. Intercorrelations of subscores of the SRA Verrbal (Educational setting)

____________________________________________________________________________
Test Score Form A Form A Form B Form B
Q score T score Q score T score
____________________________________________________________________________
Form A L score .72 .94
Form A Q score .92
Form B L score .73 .95
Form B Q score .90
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 3. Intercorrelations of subscores of SRA Verbal Form A (Industrial setting)

____________________________________________________________________________
Score Q T Mean SD
____________________________________________________________________________
L .72 .96 16.9 10.1
Q .89 10.6 6.4
T 26.9 15.8
____________________________________________________________________________
Note: These results are quite similar to those found in educational settings.

Table 4. Effects of age on SRA Verbal scores

____________________________________________________________________________
Age groups Mean SD N
____________________________________________________________________________
27 and under 28.7 13.9 76
28 through 41 23.4 15.3 81
42 and over 29.0 17.5 66
____________________________________________________________________________
Total 26.9 15.8 223
____________________________________________________________________________

CORRELATIONS

INDUSTRIAL

Correlations between the Total score on the SRA Verbal and scores on other tests are shown. The SRA
Nonverbal test administered to three of the sample groups consistently had high correlations with the
Verbal. This should be expected, since both the Nonverbal and the Verbal are measures of general
ability. On the other hand, the correlations reported between the Verbal and other instruments
measuring specific aptitudes are generally lower.

EDUCATIONAL

Table 6 gives correlations between the Verbal and other tests in an educational setting. Since these other
tests could be classified broadly as general aptitude or general intelligence tests, correlations tend to be
high.

CORRELATIONS WITH PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT

INDUSTRIAL

Table 7 summarizes three correlational studies between job performance ratings and the SRA Verbal.
The first was conducted with 63 hourly workers in an explosive plant, using a job rating as the criterion. A
correlation of .19 was obtained between the rating and the Verbal. The second study correlates the SRA
Verbal Total score with the overall performance rating (which was derived from the sum of 15 discrete
ratings). The test was administered to 223 electrical company workers with a resulting correlation of .20.
When this same study was conducted with recently hired workers at the electric company, a significant
negative correlation was obtained. This may be due to many factors, two of which might be a tight labor
market and an influx of workers who had marked difficulties with reading and verbal tests.

The data from the second study (electrical company, hourly workers), when further analyzed
according to three separate age groups and also according to three separate educational groupings,
demonstrated the effects that can be masked by an overall correlation. As shown in Tables 8 and 9, there
was considerable variation in prediction between the different age groups and the different educational
groups.

EDUCATIONAL

Table 10 shows correlation between the SRA Verbal and educational achievement, as measured by
grades in various subject areas. The Verbal correlates highly with overall grades and in general with
school subjects demanding general ability. It correlates less well with subjects of a more specific nature.

Table 5. Industrial correlations between the SRA Verbal and other tests
____________________________________________________________________________
Test Correlation Group N
____________________________________________________________________________
SRA Nonverbal .76 Applicants of a plating company 19
.63 Electrical company hourly workers 223
.56 Electrical company new 266
hourly workers
____________________________________________________________________________
Flanagan Industrial .24 Electrical company hourly workers 223 Test-
Coordination
.22 Electrical company new hourly 266
workers
____________________________________________________________________________
Flanagan Industrial .21 Electrical company hourly workers 223
Test- Precision
.18 Electrical company new hourly 266
workers
____________________________________________________________________________
Purdue Non-Language .29 Manufacturing company hourly 40
workers

SRA Mechanical .27 Manufacturing company hourly 75

Aptitudes workers
____________________________________________________________________________
Table 6. Educational correlations between the SRA and other tests
____________________________________________________________________________
Test Correlation Group N
____________________________________________________________________________
Otis Test of Mental .80 Ninth-grade students 178
Ability
High School Placement .74 Ninth-grade students 178
Test- IQ
Highschool Placement .66 Ninth-grade students 182
Test- Reading GE
High School Placement .65 Ninth-grade students 182
Test- Arithmetic GE
High School Placement .60 Ninth-grade students 182
Test- Language Arts
High School Placement .41 Ninth-grade students 182
Test- Reading GE
High School Placement .71 Ninth-grade students 182
Test- Composite GE
Army General Classification .82 Evening students in introductory 121
Test (Form 1a) psychology course
SRA Nonverbal .81 Parochial high school boys 162
.55 Ninth through twelfth grade 327
students
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 7. Correlations with job performance criteria

____________________________________________________________________________
Criterion Correlation Group N
____________________________________________________________________________
Job ratings .19 Manufacturing company hourly 63
workers
Overall performance .20 Electrical company plant 222
rating workers
Overall performance -.12 Electrical company new 266
rating plant workers
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 8. Correlations between the SRA Verbal and job performance, by age groups
____________________________________________________________________________
Age group Correlation N
____________________________________________________________________________
27 and under .16 75
28 to 41 .09 79
42 and over .46 65
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 9. Correlations between the SRA Verbal and job performance, by levels of education
____________________________________________________________________________
Years in school Correlation N
____________________________________________________________________________
8 or less .14 52
9 to 11 .16 80
12 or more .35 85
____________________________________________________________________________

Table 10. Correlations between the SRA Verbal and criteria of educational achievement
____________________________________________________________________________
Criterion Correlation Group N
____________________________________________________________________________
Grade point total .63 Ninth-grade students 182
Grade point average .44 Ninth through twelfth-grade 300
(for 2 sems) students
Science grades .56 Ninth-grade students 147
English grades .47 Ninth-grade students 126
Home economics grades .40 Ninth-grade students 24
Mathematics grades .30 Ninth-grade students 65
Algebra grades .25 Ninth-grade students 62
Shop grades .25 Ninth-grade students 23
Typing grades .14 Ninth-grade students 23
____________________________________________________________________________

ADMINISTERING THE TEST

Even though the SRA Verbal is largely self-administering, the examiner should be familiar with testing
methods and experience in administering group tests. He should also know all the details of the test and
be prepared to answer any question that might be raised by the examinees. The following procedure is
recommended.

Testing Room

The testing room should be free from distractions such as unnecessary noise, interruptions,
uncomfortable furniiture, and poor lighting.

The SRA Verbal may be administered to groups as large as can be conveniently proctored. It is a
recommendation that there be one proctor for each 75 examinees.

Distribution of Materials

The examiner distributes a test booklet and a hard lead pencil to each examinee. In addition, each
examinee should be given a sheet of scratch paper for use in solving the arithmetic problems.

Identifying Information

Have each examinee print his/her name, group, age, and the date on the cover of the test booklet. This
information is located so that the test booklets can be filed and found easily.

Practice Exercises

The cover page of the test will familiarize the examinee with the test. He/she is told how to solve the test
problems; he/she is shown the solutions to sample test problems, and he/she solves some practice
problems him/herself. These practice exercises are not scored.
 While the examinees are reading the cover page, the examiner should walk around the room,
checking to see that they all understand how to work the problems and how to mark their answers. It is
not usually necessary to read these instructions aloud, since the test should not be given to people with
educaational or language deficiencies.

The examiner should allow as much time as needed on the practice exercises and answer any
questions the examinees might have, since it is very important that each person knows exactly what to
do in the test itself. The examiner should answer questions by referring to the appropriate sentences in
the printed instructions, for any special interpretation may disturb the standardized conditions and
produce unreliable scores.

Timing the Test

When everyone has completed the practice page and all questions have been answered, the examiner
gives the starting signal for the test to begin. At the word "BEGIN," the timing of the test starts.
Examinees should be allowed exactly 15 minutes to work on the test.

At the end of 15 minutes, the examiner should say, "STOP. PUT DOWN YOUR PENCIL AND CLOSE
YOUR TEST BOOKLET."

Scoring the Test

The SRA Verbal is scored by counting the responses recorded in the boxes on the Self-scoring Grid. The
grid not only simplifies scoring but also provides a permanent record of the applicant's performance on
the test.

Count the number of correct answers for the L (Linguistic) and Q (Quantitative) dimensions. The
sum of the L score and the Q score is the Total raw score.

Interpreting the Scores

Raw scores on either from may be converted to a percentile or stanine rank for interpretation. A
percentile rank is a value on a scoring scale at or below which a given percentage of cases fall. For
example, the 83rd percentile is the rank at or below which 83 percent of the scores fall. The stanine rank
is a standard score ranging from 1 1to 9 with a mean of 5. Stanines can be added and averaged, whereas
percentiles cannot.

To determine an examinee's rank, locate his/her raw score in the appropriate norm group. After
locating the raw score, read across to the corresponding percentile or stanine rank. Remember that L, Q,
and T raw scores must be converted separately. The L and Q ranks cannot be added to obtain the T rank.

The SRA Verbal Total score indicates an individual's general ability; however, it must be
remembered that this is only one factor. The most valid and profitable decisions will be made when the
results from this test are interpreted along with information from other areas, such as special aptitudes
and skills, interests, personality, and health.

THE AUTHORS

L. L. Thurstone was associated with the University of North Carolina as research professor of psychology
and director of the Psychometric Laboratory. Formerly distinguished service professor of psychology at
the University of Chicago, the late Dr. Thurstone was one of America's leading specialists in psychological
measurement. He wrote a number of books, including The Vectors of the Mind and Multtiple-Factor
Analysis. Dr. Thurstone also wrote such well-known tests as the Thurstone Temperament Schedule, the
Thurstone Test of Mental Alertness, and the SRA Primary Mental Abilities Test.

Thelma Gwinn Thurstone is a professor of education, project director of the Psychometric

Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, and a widow of L. L>Thurstone. Formerly research
associate at the University of Chicago, Dr. Thurstone also served for several years as director of the
Bureau of Child Study at the Chicago Public Schools. Her test publications include the Thurstone Test of
Mental Alertness and the SRA Primary Mental Abilities Tests, as well as the SRA Verbal Form.

References

Blumenfeld, W. (1960). SRA Verbal vs. High School Grades. Unpublished Report. Science

Research Associates. Chicago.

Cohen, L. (1946). To test or not to test. Personnel Journal, 25, 72-75.

Dombroski, Norman J. (1962). Survey in Value System Analysis. Unpublished Report.

University of Detroit.

Grigg, Austin E. & Filer, Robert J. (1965). Norms for Scientists and Engineers on SRA Verbal

Test. Journal of Industrial Psychology, 3, No. 2, 52.