About the Buros Center for Testing
What does the word Buros mean?
Buros is the surname of our founder, Oscar Krisen Buros, who in 1938 published The Nineteen Thirty Eight Mental Measurements Yearbook. In addition to his efforts to improve the quality of tests with yearbook publications, Oscar Buros sought to develop an organization capable of providing evaluation services and research leadership essential to making substantive improvements in the science and practice of testing. Read more about the Buros Center for Testing’s history.
What does the Buros Center for Testing do?
The Buros Center for Testing operates as an independent, non-profit organization that functions as the world’s premier test review center, as well as a provider of outreach efforts related to its mission to improve testing, assessment, and measurement practices through consultation and education, with special emphases in education and psychology. For details, see the About Us section of our website. Buros shares its expertise in assessment-related endeavors by (a) providing critical appraisals of tests and descriptive information, (b) offering psychometric consultation services, and (c) developing content and programming that encourage a deeper understanding of testing and assessment practices.
Is it possible to ask the Buros Center for Testing to review a specific test?
If you are aware of a commercially available test that is in print and that is not listed on Test Reviews Online, please feel free to email us so we may pursue it. Please note that the Buros Center reviews commercially available English language tests meeting sufficient technical standards that are provided to us by test publishers. Tests developed as research instruments as well as those in the public domain are not subject to review.
If the specific test in question is a proprietary test (e.g., licensure or certification test) or is part of a testing program (e.g., statewide or K-12 testing), the owners of the test may wish to have the test evaluated by the Buros Center via our audit and accreditation program. Click here for additional information.
What kind of psychometric consulting services can the Buros Center for Testing provide?
We offer services including standard-setting studies, equating and calibration, placement testing, audits, and evaluations of testing programs in K-12 education for large-scale programs as well as within local school districts. We serve as consultants to state departments of education and their school districts to determine collaboratively how to implement effective testing programs that respond to legislative mandates at state and federal levels. For details, see the Psychometric Consulting section of our website.
How long has the Buros Center for Testing offered psychometric consulting services?
Psychometric Consulting—previously named the Buros Institute for Assessment, Consultation, and Outreach—was established in 1994 in accordance with the wishes of our primary benefactor Luella Gubrud Buros, who donated funds to support its founding.
What kind of resources does the Buros Center for Testing offer to increase understanding of measurement practices?
The Assessment Literacy pages provide a variety of resources including webinars, on-demand videos, guides on a variety of topics addressing fairness, validity, reliability, as well as specific testing challenges such as the testing of English Language Learners and students with disabilities. An example is the SEL Assessment Technical Guidebook, which is a complimentary resource to help PreK-12 educators select technically sound assessments that can appropriately guide practices and contribute to valid interpretations of student learning related to social-emotional learning.
Identifying and Selecting Tests
What pieces of information can I use to search for a test review?
The search engine in Test Reviews Online offers keyword searches for title, purpose, publisher, acronym, author, and scores.
I am hoping to find a scale to measure a particular construct, but I do not know the titles of any specific tests that measure it. How do I begin my search using the Buros website?
From the Buros Center for Testing home page click the Test Reviews Online link from the Test Reviews & Information menu. You will have the option to search for an appropriate test alphabetically, with a category search to narrow the topic, or with a keyword search. If you select to search for a construct with a keyword search, selecting only the "scores" field will identify tests that include this word as a scored component of the test.
I am looking for a test that measures anxiety to use in my clinic. What assessments are reviewed that measure anxiety?
If you know a certain type of assessment you are looking for, but do not know a specific title, you can search our Test Reviews Online database by entering a specific keyword or phrase (e.g., anxiety). The search engine will examine all tests with the word "anxiety" in the selected field(s), and the results will be displayed on your screen. If you wish to search for an exact phrase or word order, enter the word or phrase in quotation marks.
What kinds of tests are reviewed by the Buros Center for Testing reviewers?
The Buros Center for Testing publishes descriptions and critical reviews of commercially available English language tests across a broad array of categories including achievement, behavior, development, hearing, intelligence, language, personality, neuropsychology, speech, vocations, and others. A test qualifies for review if it meets the general criteria of documenting at least a minimal level of technical or psychometric data (e.g., development history, reliability estimates, validity evidence).
How can I use a Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) test review to evaluate a test?
We provide two short lessons on how to use an MMY test review and other resources to judge the quality of a test for your particular use. Because tests can play an important role in decision making it is important to carefully examine and evaluate any tests under consideration. These two short lessons can be found on our Guides & Digital Resources page.
The test I am considering for use is not reviewed in the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY). Are there any guidelines available to help me evaluate this test’s quality?
When selecting or evaluating a test it is important to consider content coverage, intended use, administration guidelines, validity evidence, reliability evidence, reporting recommendations, and bias investigations (for additional details consult our Guides & Digital Resources page). The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) provide comprehensive criteria for evaluating the quality of tests and assessments. Criteria for Buros MMY reviews are informed by these and other industry standards. More information about other standards, codes, and guidelines that inform appropriate testing practices in the professions can be found on the Assessment Literacy page.
How do I obtain an actual test after I've read the review?
The Buros Center for Testing does not publish, distribute, or administer tests. To acquire tests or testing materials, you will need to contact the test publisher. Publishers' addresses (and in many cases phone numbers, email addresses, and websites) are available by searching the publisher field on Test Reviews Online. The Tests in Print book series also provides contact information for test publishers.
Test Reviews Online and Ecommerce Site
What is Test Reviews Online?
Test Reviews Online is a search engine that provides access to the same test reviews that appear in the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) series. Information is available on more than 3,500 tests beginning with reviews published in The Ninth Mental Measurements Yearbook (1985). The most current test reviews for each test may be downloaded for $15 per test title. Reviews of older versions of a test are not available through Test Reviews Online. Older reviews of tests remain available in previously published volumes in the MMY series and are available from subscription databases offered by EBSCO and Ovid. Read a sample review.
What other resources are available from the Buros Online Shop?
In addition to providing a place to search for information about tests and purchase test reviews, the Buros Online Shop houses the Buros Center’s Video Library, where interested parties can purchase on-demand access to informative talks from experts on testing, measurement, and assessment topics. Users can also purchase videos from previous Buros Center webinars as well as a digital copy of Pruebas Publicadas en Español.
What is the relationship between the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) and Test Reviews Online?
Reviews available through Test Reviews Online are the same as those published in a corresponding MMY volume. Online reviews are offered for sale on a per-test-title basis, with most test titles having two reviews. Once a test has been revised, only the reviews of the most recently published version of the test are available for purchase from Test Reviews Online.
How can I access reviews of tests published in the Mental Measurements Yearbook?
There are three options for accessing test reviews published in the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY). First, many academic libraries subscribe to our database products through EBSCO or Ovid Technologies. You can search your library’s listing of databases by using the keywords “Mental Measurements Yearbook” or “MMY” or ask your reference librarian if your library subscribes to one of our databases. Second, you can search for test reviews through Test Reviews Online. This service, which is available through the Buros website, provides an option to purchase reviews on a per-test-title basis for $15 per title. Third, you can ask your reference librarian if your library has a print copy of the MMY volume in which reviews of a particular test were published.
How do I determine if a specific commercially available test has been reviewed and included in a Mental Measurements Yearbook?
You can view the complete list of available test reviews by clicking the Test Reviews Online link on the Buros Center for Testing homepage. From there, you will be able to search the database for test reviews by keyword, by alphabet, or by test category. Keyword searches may be limited to any (or any combination) of six potential areas including title, publisher, author, purpose, acronym, and scores.
I am searching for reviews of a recent test but cannot find the test title on Test Reviews Online. Did the Buros Center for Testing choose not to have it reviewed?
Recently published or revised tests may be under review for the next edition of the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY). You will find information on the current status of many tests by typing your test's name in the keyword search field and reading the "Notes" section in the returned results. If you are unable to find the test name on the website, you may want to contact the test publisher, access a specialized database (such as PsycTESTS) at your library, or check the Test Collection at ETS database.
You also may try checking our Tests Reviews Online service periodically because test reviews are made available through this service as soon as the reviews are completed, which often is well ahead of publication in the MMY series. Because Buros reviewers only review commercially available tests, research instruments and proprietary tests are not part of our review process.
It is possible that the test publisher has not provided us with copies of their testing materials that are necessary to conduct a test review. In these situations, we are unable to provide a test review. If you know the publisher of the test, you may wish to contact them and ask for the specific details you wish to examine.
I know the acronym of a test, but I do not know its full title. Will I have trouble finding its test review on your website?
When using the search engine in Test Reviews Online, enter the acronym into the corresponding search field, and click the "find" button. If you are not able to locate the test, try shortening the acronym. You also should be aware that acronyms are listed only if the test author or publisher uses the acronym when referring to the test or if the test is widely known by that acronym. Note that multiple tests may use the same acronym.
I am having trouble downloading or opening a test review that I purchased. Where can I find help to access the review?
Within the Test Reviews Online webpage, look for the Problems? button on the screen. Simply click that button, fill out the requested information about your problem, and we will contact you as soon as possible (usually during the next business day) to resolve the problem.
Can I access a list of all the tests that have been evaluated by the Buros Center for Testing?
Yes, you can view a cumulative listing of all tests that have had reviews published in The Ninth Mental Measurements Yearbook (published in 1985) through the current date, as well as lists of tests that appeared in any particular Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) volume. On the MMY page, click the link below the volume of interest to see a list of test titles reviewed in that volume. The introduction to the list provides a link to the “complete index” of test titles reviewed in the MMY series. Note that reviews of older editions of tests are not available through Test Reviews Online. Older reviews remain available in previously published versions of the MMY series and are available through the electronic subscriptions offered by EBSCO and Ovid.
What kind of information will I get with my purchase of a test review through your online service?
Typical reviews provide descriptive information about a test, discuss its developmental history, and evaluate its technical characteristics. Test reviewers offer their own commentary and provide specific psychometric evaluations. For most tests, reviews are completed by two independent reviewers. Sample reviews are available on this website.
Specialized Testing/Test Accreditation
What is the Buros Center for Testing’s audit and accreditation program?
The audit and accreditation program represents a mark of quality and excellence in the testing industry. Through our independent, in-depth review of the policies and procedures related to your testing program, we can provide guidance to further improve or refine your testing practices. Testing programs accredited by the Buros Center display high standards of psychometric quality as articulated in professional standards and the expectations of the testing community.
What standards are applied to determine whether a proprietary test should be accredited by the Buros Center for Testing?
The Buros Center for Testing’s Standards for Accreditation of Testing Programs reflects current guidelines promulgated by the testing community. Click here for additional information.
Why should my organization participate in the Buros Center for Testing’s audit and accreditation program?
Testing programs demonstrate their commitment to quality by participating in the Buros Center for Testing’s audit and accreditation program. If the testing program receives accreditation, your organization can market the assessment services as meeting accepted professional testing standards. The accreditation seal also strengthens the legal defensibility of the testing program.
What are the requirements to apply for the audit and accreditation program?
The Buros Center for Testing’s audit and accreditation program is intended for testing organizations with testing products and services that are proprietary. In order to evaluate the quality of a testing program according to Buros’ standards, your organization must be able to supply documentation of the policies and procedures governing critical components of your testing program. Further details about the kind of information that must be submitted are available in the Buros audit applications for Stage 1 audit and Stage 2 audit.
Commercially available tests cannot be reviewed under this program. We encourage commercial test publishers to submit their testing products to be considered for review in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series.
How long will it take for my testing program to be audited or accredited?
The Buros Center for Testing’s audit and accreditation program is offered as a two-stage program. Stage 1 provides a general audit of processes and procedures employed in the testing program. It requires review of extensive documentation on the testing program as well as completion of a site visit. This component of our audit program typically takes two to three months to complete excluding the amount of time required by your organization to prepare the documentation.
The Stage 2 audit provides a focused evaluation of specific tests within the testing program. It is performed after the Stage 1 audit has been successfully completed. Documentation required for this audit stage is less extensive and thus requires less time to prepare and review. Stage 2 audits take approximately one month to complete.
Print and Digital Publications
What is the Mental Measurements Yearbook?
The Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) includes timely, consumer-oriented test reviews, providing evaluative information to promote and encourage informed test selection. Typical MMY test entries include descriptive information and two reviews written by professionals in selected fields.
How can I access a list of the tests that have been reviewed in a particular yearbook?
You can view a list of tests that have had reviews published in each volume of the Mental Measurements Yearbook by clicking on the link below the cover image of the volume appearing on our webpage. You can also access a comprehensive index of all the tests reviewed in the MMY series.
How many tests have been reviewed during the more than 80-year history of the Buros Center for Testing?
Reviews of more than 7,500 tests (or revisions of tests) have been published by the Buros Center for Testing from its founding (c. 1935) through the present day.
I am interested in purchasing the latest editions of the Mental Measurements Yearbook, Tests in Print, and Pruebas Publicadas en Español. What is the purchase price and how can I order them?
The books are sold separately. The price of The Twenty-First Mental Measurements Yearbook is $210, the price of Tests in Print IX is $325, and the price of Pruebas Publicadas en Español II is $79. All volumes are available through our distributor. Contact: University of Nebraska Press or call 800-848-6224. Ordering information for these three publications can be found by clicking on our Mental Measurements Yearbook, Tests in Print and Pruebas Publicadas en Español pages.
What is Tests in Print?
Tests in Print (TIP) serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language. Information includes test purpose, test publisher, in-print status, price, test acronym, intended test population, administration times, publication date(s), and test author(s). TIP also guides readers to candidly critical test reviews published in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series.
What is Pruebas Publicadas en Español?
Pruebas Publicadas en Español (PPE) serves as a comprehensive bibliography to commercially available tests that are published in part or wholly in Spanish. Information includes test purpose, test publisher, in-print status, origin, norms, adaptation/translation process, test components available in Spanish, test components available in English, price, test acronym, intended test population, administration times, publication date(s), and test author(s). For each test entry, information appears in Spanish and English. PPE also guides readers to candidly critical test reviews published in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series.
I work with Spanish-speaking clients, but I don't speak much Spanish. Will Pruebas Publicadas en Español (PPE) be helpful to me?
Yes! Because all information in PPE is presented in both Spanish and English, it is useful for speakers of either language.
Does the Buros Center for Testing sponsor a journal?
Yes, the Buros Center sponsors and owns the journal, Applied Measurement in Education (AME), published quarterly by Taylor & Francis. AME is the official journal of the Buros Center. It is a scholarly journal devoted to the application of educational and psychological measurement to the educational process. Its audience includes researchers and practitioners interested in research likely to have an impact on educational measurement practices. Click here for details.
What kinds of articles are published in the Buros Center for Testing’s journal, Applied Measurement in Education (AME)? How do I submit a manuscript?
A major aim of the AME journal is to provide both a greater understanding of educational measurement issues and improved use of measurement techniques. The journal aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice of educational research with innovative strategies for solving educational measurement problems. The journal considers manuscripts that (a) report original applied research focused on measurement issues within an educational context, (b) present innovative strategies for solving existing educational measurement problems, or (c) provide integrative reviews of research pertaining to contemporary measurement issues. AME does not publish studies of the development and/or validation of new or existing measures. Click here for additional information.
Does Applied Measurement in Education (AME) publish special issues? If so, how would I submit a proposal for a special issue?
The editor welcomes proposals for special issues. AME publishes a special issue approximately once each year. (Click here to view a list of special issues.) Potential editors of special issue should contact the journal editor to assure the editor’s interest in the topic and to obtain guidance about drafting the proposal. The editor consults the associate editors to decide whether to approve the proposal and move forward with the special issue.
We have just gained access to the Mental Measurements Yearbook through EBSCO’s electronic database. Does this product also include the information found in Tests in Print or do we need to continue to purchase the Tests in Print series separately?
The electronic subscription services EBSCO and Ovid may include data from Mental Measurements Yearbooks as well as Tests in Print. You will need to check with your institutional librarian to determine to which of our three databases your institution has subscribed.
Does the EBSCO database include the information found in Pruebas Publicadas en Español?
Yes. Through its electronic subscription service, EBSCO offers an inclusive database product that includes data from all three of our major reference works: Mental Measurements Yearbook, Tests in Print, and Pruebas Publicadas en Español. For further details, contact EBSCO and ask about “Mental Measurements Yearbooks with Tests in Print Internacional.”
Do the Ovid databases include the information found in Pruebas Publicadas en Español (PPE)?
No. Currently, the electronic subscription service offered by Ovid Technologies does not include a product with information found in PPE. Ovid offers two database products that include information from the Mental Measurements Yearbook series and the Tests in Print series. We hope to work with Ovid to develop a database product that will include PPE data in the future.
Resources for Students and Professionals
I would like to use the Buros Center for Testing resources to support my teaching of testing courses. Where should I begin?
Learn more about accessing Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) reviews and using the MMY in your teaching through the MMY Instructional Modules. You also may wish to select videos from the Video Library. Some videos are available at no charge.
In addition, several volumes with historical value may be downloaded from Digital Commons. These books derived from a symposium series that Buros co-sponsored during the 1990s as the Buros-Nebraska Series on Measurement and Testing. You are welcome to download specific chapters or entire volumes.
I need more information about a psychometric concept for educational or instructional purposes. Where can I find that information?
We provide resources to help individuals become more responsible developers and users of tests primarily through our Assessment Literacy effort, which develops resources appropriate for various audiences. More information can be found on our Guides & Digital Resources webpage. To support appropriate test selection/use and research involving the assessment of social-emotional learning (SEL), please refer to our SEL Assessment Technical Guidebook. In addition, we have identified resources from other organizations that can be found on our Assessment Literacy webpage. If you cannot find the resources you are looking for, please contact us.
I am unfamiliar with some of the technical terms used in a test review. How can I find out what these terms mean?
The Buros Center for Testing has identified three glossaries of testing, assessment, and measurement terms. One or more of these sources should assist in your understanding of these terms. These glossaries and other useful references are listed under our Assessment Literacy page.
I am a researcher looking to use a test in my next study. I have narrowed down my list of possibilities but cannot decide which one to use. Will you advise me which one would work best in my research?
Buros Center for Testing staff members do not recommend specific tests to agencies or individuals. Our test reviews help researchers and practitioners determine which tests to consider and select for their specific intended use. If your study involves assessing social-emotional learning (SEL), our SEL Assessment Technical Guidebook will assist your search.
Does the Buros Center for Testing provide continuing education for psychologists?
The Buros Center for Testing is approved as a provider of continuing education (CE) by the American Psychological Association and of continuing professional development (CPD) by the National Association of School Psychologists. Most webinars and content offered via our video library qualify for CE/CPD credit. In addition, being the sole author of a test review may qualify for CE/CPD credit. Get details here.
Does the Buros Center for Testing provide continuing education for professions other than psychology?
We continue to explore continuing education options for professions other than psychology. In the meantime, the programs we offer may be acceptable to national/state/local licensing boards for other professions. We suggest that you save the program description(s) and your certificate of completion and contact the licensing board for your profession regarding specific requirements for receiving credit.
Reviewers
Who qualifies to review tests for the Mental Measurements Yearbook?
To qualify to review tests for the Buros Center for Testing, individuals must have completed a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, PsyD, EdD) and have had training in psychometrics. Reviewers are selected for their specialized content knowledge and their training in the fields of testing and measurement.
How can I become a reviewer for the Mental Measurements Yearbook?
If you have received your PhD, PsyD, EdD, or other doctoral level training in your respective field and have had training in psychometric evaluation (statistics and measurement), you may qualify to become a test reviewer for us. You may submit your information by clicking Become a Buros Reviewer on the Information for Reviewers webpage. You will be asked for identifying information and for your specific areas of interest and expertise.
Why should I become a reviewer for the Buros Center for Testing?
Reviewing a test is an extremely important professional responsibility with critical implications for test authors, publishers, and users. Benefits of serving as a reviewer for the Mental Measurements Yearbook series include:
- Professional Service—Reviewing tests serves to improve the science and practice of testing.
- Stewardship—By providing vital information to prospective test users and test takers, reviewers help ensure appropriate testing practices.
- Continuing Education—Invited reviewers who complete a publishable test review as sole author are eligible to receive two hours of APA CE or NASP CPD credit.
- Authorship—For each test review published, credit accrues to the reviewer, who has been invited to write a review on the basis of his or her professional experience and expertise.
- Affiliation—Reviewing tests establishes a professional association with a center renowned for its contributions to the field of measurement.
- Complimentary Copy—Reviewers receive a free copy of the yearbook in which they served as sole or first author of one or more reviews.
I am interested in serving as a manuscript reviewer for the journal, Applied Measurement in Education. How should I proceed?
The editor welcomes reviewer nominations and self-nominations. Email your interest directly to the journal editor.
Procedural Concerns
I am the author of a new (or revised) test. How can I have my test listed in a Buros Center for Testing publication?
If your test is commercially available and has not been listed or reviewed in a previous Buros publication, please contact us. Descriptive listings for commercially available tests published in English or Spanish are provided in Tests in Print and Pruebas Publicadas en Español, respectively. English language tests that provide minimal psychometric documentation (e.g., development history, reliability estimates, validity evidence) are eligible for review in the Mental Measurements Yearbook series. Test information and reviews of tests in English that meet our review criteria are included on our Test Reviews Online search engine. In addition, our databases are offered in several formats via electronic subscription services (please see our Test Reviews & Information page for details).
What steps does the Buros Center for Testing take to maintain test security?
We rely on our established practices for handling test materials and our editorial policies as well as relevant professional codes to ensure that tests remain secure before, during, and after the test review process unfolds. Our “Policies for Maintaining Security of Test Materials” document provides detailed information about our security procedures. This document is posted on the Information for Test Publishers area of our webpage.
I have some older editions of several tests that I no longer need or use. How should I dispose of these test materials?
Outdated or unwanted test materials should be disposed of in a secure manner, such as that used to dispose of patient’s medical or psychological records. A secure shredding process may be effective. Outdated/unwanted test materials also may be returned to their respective test publisher to ensure secure disposal. This service may be available at no charge. Some test publishers provide pre-paid shipping/mailing labels. Providing old test materials to unqualified individuals violates ethical standards and guidelines. For additional information, consult the guidance provided by the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment, referenced here https://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/test-security-faq.
Does the Buros Center for Testing permit quotations or summaries of its published test reviews to be used in product advertising?
With our approval, quotations of 50 words or less from its copyrighted materials (either in print or electronic form) may be used for commercial purposes. For specific conditions and requirements, please click Copyright and Permissions on the navigation bar.
How do I cite works published by the Buros Center for Testing? What about citing test reviews obtained from Test Reviews Online or from the Mental Measurements Yearbook series?
Detailed information about how to cite our works, including individual test reviews, appears here.