Abstract
The characteristics of professional groups who use tests in 44 countries are reviewed. Sixteen professional groups were identified. Those most likely to employ tests include school or educational psychologists, teachers, counselors, and clinical and general psychologists. Also, school or educational psychologists are most likely to use all of the 10 common types of tests (e.g., intelligence, personality, achievement). Psychologists are more likely to use foreign-developed tests, while teachers are more likely to use tests developed in their own country. The services provided by most professional groups are thought by the respondents to be adequate to superior. Most professionals learn tests through coursework. The mean years of post-secondary education among all professional groups is 5; professionals who use individually administered measures tend to have more education than those who use group tests. The correlation between perceived adequacy in test use and years of post-secondary education is significant. Implications for the uses of tests by professionals are discussed.
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