Bhatia’s Battery of Performance Tests of Intelligence,

popularly known as Bhatia’s intelligence test or Bhatia’s battery is one of the popular
intelligence tests in the Indian subcontinent. The battery of tests consists of 5 subtests. i.e. Kohs’
Block Design (BD), Alexander’s Pass-along (PA), Pattern Drawing (PD), Picture Construction
(PC) and Immediate Memory (IM) Tests. The battery is standardized on Indian boys in 1950s for
ages between 11 to 16 years. The battery yields the overall Intelligence Quotient (IQ) based on
all the 5 subtests and Performance Quotient (PQ) based on the 4 performance tests (BD, PA, PD
and PC). The test’s IQ as well as PQ range is relatively restricted and range between 69 to 131
[1]. It is probably one of the pioneer tests of IQ that dealt mainly with performance
subtests/items. Despite some of the limitations, such as that it is standardized more than half a
century ago, standardized mainly on boys and that it provides IQ only between 69 and 131, many
universities as well as substantial number of M.Phil. Clinical Psychology training institutes in
India still teach this test. It is quite popular among many psychologists, who use it in their
regular work to assess intelligence. The main reasons for its popularity are, that –

1. It is a performance test and hence can be administered to people with language

incompatibility, poor verbal abilities
2. It can be used in some cases to children suspected of Specific Learning Disability
(SLD), when the examiner is sure that the child has average intelligence, but (examiner)
wants to objectively prove that the child’s intelligence is average
3. It takes relatively less time approximately 30 to 45 minutes
4. The subtests are interesting; where Block Design (BD) test has wooden blocks with
bright colors; Picture Construction (PC) test has drawings-pictures that represents the
Indian subcontinent/culture; Pass-along (PA) test have sliding parts; and Pattern Drawing
(PD) test requires drawing lines with interesting conditions. This automatically increases
the cooperation as well as motivation of the subjects/patients.
5. Has separate set of norms for literates and illiterates, which apparently seems
appropriate, given the illiteracy rates in the country and hence appeals to substantial
number of the professionals.
6. It is easy to administer and score.

In addition to the above, one of the important aspects of the test administration is that, during the
administration if the subject is unable to complete the task (fails), within the time limit, on any of
the levels, in the four performance subtests (BD, PA, PD, and PC); the examiner demonstrates
the correct procedure of doing it, before proceeding to the next item of the test. This can actually
be considered as one of the best methods to check the actual ability of the person and how well
he learns and makes use of the information taught or the feedback. Rarely any tests of
intelligence have this mechanism to demonstrate the correct technique/answer when one fails
before proceeding to the next level. Due to expectation on the part of the examiner to
demonstrate the correct technique/answer when the subject fails, many examiners themselves
find it difficult on the higher level of the test. Due to which they need to practice and master the
correct technique/answer for every level of all the four subtests. It is not surprising for one to see
the markings of the correct answers in the test manual of many students/trainee psychologists.

Seguin Form Board Test In 1856 Seguin developed a simple performance-based intelligence
test using form boards to evaluate eye–hand coordination, shape concept, visual perception, and
cognitive ability through nonverbal means. It is used to assess the participants’ motor dexterity,
visuomotor coordination, spatial organization, and speed and accuracy of performance, and can
be used in children as young as 3 years [15, 16]. The form board consists of 10 differently
shaped wooden blocks, and the participants are required to fit the differently shaped blocks into
their respective slots on the form board. This culture-fair test, which can be easily administered
in 10 min, is used for preliminary assessment of mental age in a normal population. The task
administration involved three consecutive trials with an instruction to start placement of blocks
at the command “Start.” Speed is stressed at the start of the test, with no further between cues or
assistance being provided to the child. The best time from three trials was used to determine a
mental age from the standard chart, which was subsequently used in determination of the
intelligence quotient (IQ) [17].

ADMINISTRATION & SCORING :Ten shapes need to be negotiated by children on the SFB.
The test task involves matching and  placing them on an achromatic wooden board following an
instruction to “Start, Do it as quickly as you can” by the examiner, who times each trial of
performance in seconds without 1nowledge of the child. Of course, the SFB can be innovatively
used as a power test. 6nstead of stressing on speed, children can be observed whether they are
able to place the primary, secondary or tertiary forms 'uic1ly. &when a child uses trial-error
method, it could be observed which forms are handled by insight method. There have been
discussions about children being permitted or not permitted initial sessions to get the hang on or
about the apparatus. 6deally, the subject should not see the examiner remove or pile the bloc1s.
"Therefore, some examiners recommend the use of a screen before the child is instructed to start
performance on this test. There are different opinions on whether the subject should 1now that
his efforts are being timed. The knowledge may induce test anxiety, retard speed or hinder
performance for some children. Another argument wonders if children could be given the results
on timings at the end of each trial to improve their performance. Arguably, the immediate
feedback and knowledge of results may facilitate faster performance to get the best out of the
child=s potential on the form board. There are three options for interpretation of test scores. 6t
may be the shortest time taken by the subject across three trials, or the total score over the three
trials, and three trials is the often recommended procedure for test scoring, in view of the
findings on the efficacy of having increased trials, this area requires closer research.
The phenomenon of test scatter is also reported. Also called dispersion, this involves children
showing inconsistencies in their time taken across trials to complete the test task. Expectedly, the
time taken by a child to complete one trial must decrease in the next trail. This may be due to the
effect of familiarity as well as practice. However, in some cases, when a child takes more time
and commits more errors in later trials than in the initial ones, it implies that certain extraneous
factors are at work that is impeding the optimum performance of the child Obviously, there must
be some mechanism to discount such nuisance factors while calculating the final score or
interpreting the test results. Scatter can also occur owing to temporary lack of attention,
motivation, disinterest, boredom, monotony, etc.