Education Endowment Foundation: British Ability Scales – Third Edition

SubscalesⓘList of subscales (if applicable)

15 tests measuring particular types of knowledge and/​or skills, assessing aspects of intellectual functioning and basic academic skills. Verbal skills: word definitions and verbal similarities. Non-verbal reasoning: matrices and quantitative reasoning. Spatial skills: pattern construction and recognition of designs. Achievement: word reading, spelling and number skills. Diagnostic: recall of objects: immediate; recall of objects: delayed; recall of digits forward; recall of digits backward; speed of information processing; recognition of pictures.

Publisher

GL Assessment

Test source

https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/sellingline/BAS3?productNodeId=3954

Guidelines available?ⓘAdministration guidelines available to the review team

Yes

Norm-referenced scores

Yes

Age rangeⓘSpecific population and age range that publisher states the test is intended/​suitable for. 

3 – 17;11 years

Key Stage

Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

UK standardisation sample

Yes

Publication date

2011

Re-norming date

N/​a

Additional information about what the test measures

Subtests measure literacy and maths.

Are additional versions available?

This is the third edition of the BAS. Within the test there are separate record forms and subtests for early years and school age. We focus on school age here as early years does not fit our selection criteria. There are two parallel reading tests.

Can subtests be administered in isolation?

Yes (in particular, the literacy and maths tests can be used without the ability tests; however, it is advised that all six core tests are used if ability testing).

Administration Group Size

Individual

Administration duration

Full battery: 90 minutes. Attainment tests only: 20 minutes.

Description of materials needed to administer test

Test kit — administration manual, test booklets, response forms, stopwatch, pencil and paper.

Any special testing conditions?

Tests should be administered in the sequence suggested.

Is any prior knowledge/training/profession accreditation required for administration?

Yes

Is administration scripted?

Administering the BAS cognitive tests takes practice and in most cases training. However, the achievement tests are straightforward to administer. The interpretation of score should be done by a trained professional. Quote: As the person who will administer, score and interpret the BAS3, you should have a relevant psychology background. This should include formal training in the individual administration and interpretation of cognitive test batteries for children. The Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing provides valuable background training. However it is not sufficient in itself because it does not include the use of individual batteries the disciplines you should be familiar with include, for example: establishing and maintaining rapport; eliciting optimum performance; following standard administration procedures; probing responses and maintaining test security.

Rating Construct

Does it reflect the multidimensionality of the subject?

Specific literacy (word reading, spelling) and generic mathematics

Construct validity comments (and reference for source)

The technical manual (Elliot & Smith, 2011b) provides a good deal of information about the rationale of the assessment. Construct validity is supported by statistical evidence including factor analyses. The evidence for the assessment as a whole is excellent. However, although correlations are reported between the core scales and the YARC, they are not reported between the achievement scales and other measures.

Rating Reliability

Summarise available comparisons

Excellent internal consistency is reported in the technical manual for achievement scores, and good for cognitive scores (Elliot & Smith, 2011b) — split half reliability is reported for each age and each subscale, as well as overall. Overall reliabilities: spelling 0.96; number skills 0.95; word reading A 0.98; word reading B 0.97; word definitions 0.85; verbal similarities 0.88; matrices 0.84; quantitative reasoning 0.88; recognition of designs 0.76; pattern construction (std) 0.92. SEM are reported in t‑score units for cognitive measures and standard score units for achievement tests: spelling 3.00; number skills 3.48; word reading A 2.54; word reading B 2.76; word definitions 3.91; verbal similarities 3.48; matrices 4.05; quantitative reasoning 3.50; recognition of designs 4.94; pattern construction (std) 2.96. Good temporal stability is also reported at 2 to 7 week test-retest intervals (Elliot & Smith, 2011b). However, note that this is based on random samples from standardisation of previous editions (BAS2 and DAS2). Inter-rater reliability was reportedly excellent for subtests that require judgement (Elliot & Smith, 2011b). Intraclass correlations were 0.99 for verbal similarities and word definitions and 0.95 for copying.

Sources

Elliott, C. D., & Smith, P. (2011a). British Ability Scales 3: Administration and scoring manual: GL Assessment.Elliott, C. D., & Smith, P. (2011b). British Ability Scales 3: Technical Manual: GL Assessment.