Research Guides: Tests and Measurements : Finding Tests Online

Searching Online

Getting Copies of Tests Online

Some tests, especially ones that are created/used by government agencies or universities, can be found with Google or other search engines.

CAUTION: Anyone can post something on a website, so there are many unofficial, altered, and incomplete tests online. For professional and research purposes, you should use versions posted by the correct authors and publishers. Here are some tips for finding them:

First, try the official name of the test
If that doesn't work, try Google Scholar to locate “scholarly” papers, articles, and websites
If that doesn't work, try to find the author's personal or institutional website by Googling her/his name
If you can't find the test author's website, visit the website of the company or university where they work. You may be able to find the author's contact information in a “directory,” list of employees or faculty, or on the webpage for their department

If you have questions about applying eduction and psychological testing standards, check out this webinar from the Buros Center for Testing on the latest Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014) published by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education.

Credit: Penn State University Libraries - PSYC 571: Tests and Measurements (Harrisburg) by Bernadette Lear

Tests Available Online

CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
The BRFSS questionnaire is designed by a working group of BRFSS state coordinators and CDC staff. The questionnaire is approved by all state coordinators. Currently, the questionnaire has three parts: 1) the core component, consisting of the fixed core, rotating core, and emerging core, 2) optional modules, and 3) state-added questions.
CHIPTS Surveys & Scales
Tests relating to alcohol/drug use, HIV-AIDS, and other community health issues (Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services, UCLA)
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)
The DASS is a 42-item self report instrument designed to measure the three related negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and tension/stress.
The DASS questionnaire is in the public domain, and may be downloaded from this website.
Family Empowerment Scale (FES)
The Family Empowerment Scale (FES), a 34-item rating scale, was developed to measure empowerment in families with children who have emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders.
Gordon Commission Resource on the Future of Assessment in Education
This study culminated in 2013 with a technical report and a public policy statement, which can be found here.
HSRR (Health Services and Sciences Research Resources)
Information about research datasets and copies of instruments/indices employed in Health Services Research, Behavioral and Social Sciences and Public Health with links to PubMed.
International Personality Item Pool
IPIP includes over 3,000 items and over 250 scales in the public domain.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Screening and Assessment Tools Chart
Screening and assessment tools from the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of
stress. It is a measure of the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Items were
designed to tap how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded respondents find their lives.
Positive Psychology Center Questionnaires
Downloadable questionnaires from the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation
A peer-reviewed electronic journal covering assessment research, evaluation, and teaching practice.
RAND Health Surveys
RAND's researchers and survey experts have developed numerous health-related surveys. Available for free in the public domain, these surveys are designed for a wide range of purposes, including assessing patients' health, screening for mental health conditions, and measuring quality of care and quality of life. Many of these surveys are intended for the general population, but can be tailored to specific groups, such as the elderly, Medicaid recipients, veterans, and families with small children.
Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS)
The Relationship Assessment Scale was designed to assess to measure an individual's satisfaction with their relationship.
Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ)
The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was developed by the WHO as an instrument to screen for mental disorders, including depression, anxiety-related disorders and somatoform disorders.
Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)
As part of the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), a multi-year, multi-site study to explain variations in patient outcomes, RAND developed the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). SF-36 is a set of generic, coherent, and easily administered quality-of-life measures. These measures rely upon patient self-reporting and are now widely utilized by managed care organizations and by Medicare for routine monitoring and assessment of care outcomes in adult patients.
Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13)
The Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) is a simple function-based tool for screening community-dwelling populations to identify older persons at risk for health deterioration developed by RAND.
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)
You can sign up to download the non-commercial use version of the WEMWBS