What is a psychological test, what is it used for and how are results read? Learn about test types, the assessment process and the limits of online tests.
"Does my child have an attention problem, can we have them tested?", "Can I find out whether I am depressed with a psychological test?", "Does the personality test I took online really describe me?" These questions are among those most often asked about psychological assessment. Psychological tests are valuable tools that help in understanding a person's mental state when they are used for the right purpose and by the right person. However, a score on its own is not enough to define a person or the difficulty they are experiencing. In this article we cover what these tools are, which types exist, how the assessment process works and how to make sense of the results.
What Is a Psychological Test?
A psychological test is a structured tool aimed at measuring, by a standard method, areas such as a person's thinking, emotions, behaviour, cognitive skills or personality traits. The word "standard" is very important here: the test must be given with the same instructions each time, scored by the same criteria, and its results interpreted against a particular comparison group.
A good measurement tool has two basic properties:
- Reliability: The test gives consistent results. When the same person takes the same test at short intervals, similar results should be obtained if conditions have not changed.
- Validity: The test really measures what it claims to measure. A tool developed to measure anxiety is expected to capture anxiety, not other things such as tiredness or reluctance.
For a test to be used in a different culture, it also needs to go through adaptation work. Simply translating a test developed in another language is not enough; its reliability and validity need to be examined in a Turkish-speaking sample, and the comparison norms to be used in interpretation need to be established.
Are psychological assessment and testing the same thing?
No. Psychological assessment is a process that includes tests but is much broader than them. In an assessment, a clinical interview, developmental and life history, observation, information from family or teachers when needed, and one or more measurement tools are brought together. The test is only one part of this whole. The specialist makes an assessment by combining all this information; they do not decide on the basis of a single test score.
What Are the Types of Psychological Test?
Tests are divided into different groups according to the area they measure and the way they are administered.
Cognitive and developmental tests
These assess areas such as attention, memory, language, problem solving, visual-spatial skills and general mental functions. They are often used with children who have difficulty with school achievement, who are thought to have delays in developmental milestones, or who are suspected of having a learning difference. In adults too, they may play a part in understanding complaints about attention and memory. Some of these tests can be administered only by specialists who have received particular training.
Symptom scales and screening tools
These are mostly short self-report scales that assess what a person has experienced recently in areas such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, stress, sleep quality and post-traumatic reactions. They give an idea of the severity of symptoms and can also be used to monitor progress in therapy. However, a high score on a screening tool does not mean a diagnosis; it only indicates that a more detailed assessment may be needed.
Personality inventories
These are comprehensive lists of questions aimed at assessing a person's general tendencies, emotional response styles and patterns in relationships. Inventories used for clinical purposes are long and carefully developed tools; they should not be confused with entertainment-oriented personality tests online.
Projective methods
The person is presented with an ambiguous stimulus (such as a picture, unfinished sentences or a drawing instruction) and is expected to reflect their inner world. Drawing techniques used when working with children are an example of this group. Rather than giving a direct "diagnosis", these methods help develop hypotheses about the person's feelings and relationships, and must always be interpreted together with other information. You can find details on the assessment of children's drawings in the article on analysing children's drawings.
Parent and teacher forms
Particularly in assessments of children and adolescents, forms completed by adults who observe the child in different settings are used. For example, with complaints about attention and hyperactivity, it is important to get information on the child's behaviour both at home and at school, because how symptoms appear in different settings is part of the assessment.
In What Situations Is a Psychological Assessment Carried Out?
A psychological assessment can serve different purposes. Some of these are:
- Understanding the situation and building a formulation: Seeing more clearly the nature and severity of the difficulty the person is experiencing and the factors maintaining it.
- Examining developmental concerns: Assessing question marks around delayed speech, learning difficulties, attention problems or social communication.
- Contributing to the diagnostic process: Together with a clinical interview, assessing whether a particular diagnosis is likely; for some diagnoses an assessment by a psychiatrist is also needed.
- Planning therapy: Determining which areas to prioritise and which methods may be suitable.
- Monitoring progress: Seeing change concretely by using the same scale at the beginning, middle and end of therapy.
- Supporting school and education decisions: Working with family and school by identifying the child's strengths and the areas needing support.
Say the teacher of a child in the third year of primary school says that the child often drifts off in class and struggles to complete homework. In this case, looking at an attention test alone can be misleading. When the child's sleep pattern, stress at home, relationships at school, level of anxiety and learning skills are assessed together, it may emerge that behind the attention problem there is actually anxiety, lack of sleep or a reading difficulty. You can read general information about attention deficit and hyperactivity in the article on ADHD symptoms.
A test score is a photograph; an assessment is a story that tries to understand the setting in which the photograph was taken, and what came before and after.
How Does the Psychological Testing Process Work?
Although the assessment process varies according to the specialist, age and the purpose of the assessment, it generally involves these steps:
- Initial interview: The reason for seeking help, expectations, and developmental and life history are discussed. With children, this interview is mostly held with the parents first.
- Selection of tools suited to the purpose: The specialist determines the tests most suited to the question to be answered. The same test battery is not administered in every case.
- Administration: Tests are administered in a calm environment with few distractions. Some assessments are completed in a single session, while comprehensive assessments may require several. With children, breaks are given, taking tiredness and motivation into account.
- Scoring and interpretation: Results are scored according to the test's comparison norms and interpreted together with information from the interview and observation.
- Feedback session: The results are conveyed to the person or family in understandable language, questions are answered and recommendations are discussed.
How to prepare for an assessment
- Take care to sleep well the night before; tiredness can affect the results of cognitive tests in particular.
- Give your child an explanation that does not cause anxiety, such as "we will do some games and activities together" rather than "exam".
- If glasses, a hearing aid or similar aids are used, bring them with you.
- Share previous assessment reports, school reports and any health documents.
- Answer questions not to seem "right" but as you really feel.
How should you read the assessment report?
At the end of an assessment, sometimes a written report and sometimes only verbal feedback is given. If you are given a report, the scores in it need to be read together with the explanations, not on their own. For example, an area being "below average" shows that the person may need support in that area; but it does not determine who they are or what they can achieve. If there is a term, score range or recommendation in the report that you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask in the feedback session.
You also decide who you will share the report with. If a document is needed for a school, another health professional or an institution, it is recommended that you discuss in advance with your specialist what information will be included. In reports prepared for children, including the child's strengths and concrete recommendations that can be applied at home or at school makes the report a roadmap rather than just a label. Finally, remember that assessment results are a snapshot of that period: as children develop, and as adults progress through therapy or changes in their life circumstances, results may change too.
How Reliable Are Tests Found Online?
On social media and websites there are countless tests such as "Are you depressed?", "Which personality type are you?" and "Is your relationship toxic?" Some of these can be useful for raising awareness; however, a few important limitations need to be kept in mind:
- Their source is unclear: Many are entertainment-oriented questions that have not been scientifically developed and have had no reliability or validity studies.
- There is no context: The meaning of a score cannot be interpreted without knowing the person's life circumstances, history and state on that day. A scale completed at the end of an exhausting week may paint a more negative picture than is the case.
- They can lead to labelling: Results such as "I came out as a narcissist in the test" or "I definitely have ADHD" can squeeze a person into a wrong identity or cause needless anxiety.
- They can create a falsely reassuring impression: Conversely, a low score can lead someone who actually needs support to think "there's nothing wrong with me".
If you have filled in a scale online and the result worries you, see this result as a starting point: it can be a reason to talk to a specialist about what you feel, but it is not a diagnosis in itself.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
You can consider asking a mental health professional for an assessment in the following situations:
- If there are concerns shared by family, teachers or the paediatrician about your child's development, learning, attention or behaviour,
- If school achievement has fallen markedly and you cannot understand the reason,
- If, as an adult, difficulties with attention, memory, mood or anxiety that you have had for a long time are affecting your work and relationships,
- If you have heard different views on a diagnosis and want to see a clearer picture,
- If you want to monitor progress in the therapy process more concretely.
If during an assessment, or at any moment, you have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, do not wait for a test or an appointment; in an emergency, call 112 (emergency services).
Assessment in children is generally supported by play and observation; on the child and play therapy page you can find information about the work carried out with children.
How Is Psychological Assessment Used in Therapy?
In the therapy process, assessment is not a procedure that is done once and set aside; it is a perspective that runs through the whole process. In cognitive behavioural therapy, the comprehensive interview in the first sessions is supported, when necessary, by short scales. These scales help both to establish the starting level of symptoms and, repeated every few weeks, to monitor progress. In this way the question "Am I feeling better?" can be answered not only according to the mood of that day but according to a concrete comparison.
In schema-focused work, scales aimed at understanding a person's core beliefs about themselves, others and the world may be used. The results of these scales are treated not as a label but as a map of themes to be talked about in therapy. Dwelling together with the client on questions such as "What does this item mean for you, what memories does it bring up?" makes the assessment personal and meaningful.
When working with children, assessment is carried out holistically, through parent interviews, play observation, drawings and, when necessary, developmental tests. A child may behave differently in a testing environment; so the themes that emerge during play are assessed together with parent and teacher observations. When results are shared with the family, not only the child's difficulties but also their strengths are emphasised.
Ethical principles apply at every stage of assessment: the person's informed consent is obtained, results are kept confidential, and they are shared with others only to the extent the person permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a psychological test result mean a definite diagnosis?
No. Test results are information that must be assessed together with the clinical interview, history and observation. A diagnosis can be made only when the specialist considers all these data together; in some cases an assessment by a psychiatrist is also needed.
What happens if I give a "wrong" answer on tests?
In symptom scales and personality inventories there are no right or wrong answers; what matters is answering sincerely. Trying to present yourself as different from how you are can make the results misleading. In cognitive tests, it is enough to do your best.
How should I explain to my child that they will be tested?
It is recommended that you use language that is age-appropriate, calm and does not cause anxiety. An explanation such as "You will do games and activities with a specialist to understand better how you think and learn" is often enough. Avoid presenting the test as a reward or a punishment.
Can a psychological assessment be done online?
Some self-report scales and clinical interviews can be carried out online. However, some cognitive and developmental tests must be done face to face because they require standard administration conditions. You can discuss with your specialist which method is suitable according to the purpose of the assessment.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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