Tests & Measures | Palo Alto University

The PAU Library provides a variety of tools to assist you with evaluating and locating published and unpublished assessment materials. These tools include the WorldCat Discovery library catalog; databases such as APA PsycTests, APA PsycInfo, and Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print; print and digital reference books; and the open web.

To guide you through the process of searching for assessment materials, we suggest following a series of steps, as detailed below.

By following these steps, you will find tests, measures, and research instruments designed for assessing an array of relevant constructs. Some can be found in published books and journals available through the library, and some can be freely accessed online. Information for requesting copies and use permissions directly from the author(s) is typically provided for materials that have not been published or otherwise distributed.

Assessment materials that are commercially published and/or distributed by companies such as Pearson and Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR) are not available through the library and require specific qualifications for purchase and use. However, the library does offer a small collection of commercially published psychological test manuals, including manuals for the WAIS-IV and WISC-V, which are provided for reference, scoring, and results interpretation. Qualified users may check out these test manuals from a librarian in person on weekdays, by appointment.

Please note that published psychological test kits used for assessment classes are available only through the Psychology Department. For more information, please email testkits@paloalto.edu.

To make an appointment to check out a test manual or any of the print resources described on this page, or to ask for assistance with your search for assessment materials, please email the librarians at librarian@paloaltou.edu.

Step 1: Search the APA PsycTests Database

APA PsycTests is the American Psychological Association's repository of psychological assessment instruments used for research. This database of tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessment instruments includes descriptive information about each item and its development and administration, as well as information on how to find it.

When searching APA PsycTests, your task is to click on the title of interest to open the APA PsycTests record and see the full details about the instrument. The record will indicate if the item is a commercially published test, a measure published in a scholarly journal or book, an instrument available for full-text download, or an assessment that must be requested by permission from the author(s) and/or publisher.

Use the link below if you need help with searching in this database.

Database Searching Guide

Step 2: Search WorldCat Discovery

Use WorldCat Discovery, PAU's library catalog, to search for commercially published test manuals that are available for in-person checkout from the PAU Library. Please note that due to publisher use restrictions, test manuals are only available to current faculty, staff (if appropriately licensed), and doctoral students for education and training purposes only; furthermore, we are prohibited from borrowing published test materials from another institution via ILL on behalf of anyone at PAU.

To find a manual for a specific test, enter the following in the search box:
(test name) AND "test manual"

Example: (Rey Complex Figure Test) AND "test manual"

Alternatively, you can enter the following in the search box:
test acronym AND "test manual"

Example: RCFT AND "test manual"

Use the link below to get started with searching in WorldCat Discovery. Please note that all Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR, NOT) must be entered in ALL CAPS when using this search platform.

Introduction to WorldCat Discovery

Step 3: Search Google

If a test or measure has been published for commercial use, you can search the open web using Google to locate the publisher's website for information about use permissions and purchasing.

You can also use Google to search the open web for unpublished tests and measures to see if they have been posted online. If not, you may be able to locate email or website information for requesting the materials and obtaining permission for research use from the author(s). When contacting the author(s), explain your affiliation with PAU, specifically request the instrument you need as well as the scoring instructions, and provide an explanation of how you plan to use the instrument in your research.

To aid in locating tests and measures in the published literature using Google Scholar, you can set up links to full text at the PAU Library. Get started using the links below.

Google Scholar Guide with Full-Text Linking Instructions Search Google Scholar

Photo of Measures for Clinical Practice 6th ed.

Step 4: Search Measures for Clinical Practice and Research (6th edition)

The current (sixth) edition of Measures for Clinical Practice and Research is available in print format only and may be checked out in person from the PAU Library. This seminal work for practitioners and researchers in the helping professions includes reproduced measures along with editorial critiques and guidance for selection and scoring. Volume 1 covers assessment instruments for use with couples, families, and children, and Volume 2 covers assessment instruments for use with adults.

Use the links below for online access to the fourth edition of Measures for Clinical Practice and Research, which is available in electronic format through the PAU Library.

Search Measures for Clinical Practice and Research, Volume 1 (4th edition) Search Measures for Clinical Practice and Research, Volume 2 (4th edition)

Step 5: Search Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print

Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print is a database you can use to search for commercially available tools for assessing a specific symptom, disorder, or characteristic.

Produced by the Buros Center for Testing at the University of Nebraska, this resource is designed to help users with test evaluation and selection. It contains full-text reviews covering assessment instruments in psychology, education, and business and leadership, and it provides a bibliography to all known commercially available English-language tests currently in print. It does not include any actual measures that can be used for assessment purposes.

When searching, click on the title of each test to view descriptive information as well as reviews of the test. NOTE: If you click on the HTML link in the results list, you will only see the reviews for that test, with no descriptive information.

Step 6: Search the APA PsycInfo Database

Finally, you can find assessment materials that have been used in research studies but are not commercially available using the American Psychological Association's PsycInfo database. This database will enable you to search the published literature to identify a specific test or to find a specific type of test that has been used to measure a particular symptom or disorder or other characteristic. In the latter case, you can use the following search string, including the first part with the parentheses as-is and substituting any keyword for "depression" to specify the type of test you need:

(test OR measure OR assessment OR scale OR questionnaire OR survey) AND depression

Next, skip down to the oldest results to see if the author(s) published the complete measure in the article in which the measure was first described (not typical). If you find the article in which the measure was first described, but the measure itself is not included, you will need the name(s) of the author(s) in order to proceed. If you cannot find the original article describing the test, look at full-text articles in which the test was used, and then look in the reference list for the matching citation(s) to identify the author(s). Then you can go back to Step 3 and do a Google Scholar search to find contact information for the author(s).

Use the link below if you need help with searching in this database.

Database Searching Guide

Step 7: Contact the PAU Librarians

If you cannot locate a test or measure, or if you need help with any of the steps presented on this page, contact the PAU librarians for further assistance using this link. Your PAU librarians are always happy to help!