Primary Test of Cognitive Skills (PTCS)

[T. Scott Frick]

Does anyone have any direct experience with the Primary Test of Cognitive
Skills (PTCS)? My son, who is in the first grade, is being given this test.
According to the publisher, CTB McGraw Hill, the PTCS is, "A reliable,
group-administered, intellectual functioning or ability test to identify
giftedness, learning disabilities, or unique developmental delays." They do
not call the PTCS an IQ test even though they have it normed with a mean of
100 and variance of 256.

I took several of these semi IQ tests when I was in school and was never
identified as having anything other than a slightly elevated IQ. I took the
older versions of the Otis Lennon, Stanford Achievement Tests and SRA
Assessment Survey. The Otis Lennon tests are all listed in my "Permanent
Record" under the heading for IQ. The others are obviously achievement
tests. In the mean time the Otis has been remade into an
achievement/abilities test. I don't have a lot of historical trust in
these, to use the jargon, instruments.

My son's teacher refers to the PTCS as an IQ test. I think that is wrong,
but I can't be sure.

Along the same lines, does anyone have any direct experience with the Buros
Institute? They seem to operate a rating service for all kinds of tests.
They seem to be a Consumer's Union of psychometrics. Their reviews of
individual tests are not free, so I wanted to know if they are legitimate
before spending any money.

[T. Scott Frick]

> >Does anyone have any direct experience with the Primary Test of Cognitive
> >Skills (PTCS)? My son, who is in the first grade, is being given this
test.
> >According to the publisher, CTB McGraw Hill, the PTCS is, "A reliable,
> >group-administered, intellectual functioning or ability test to identify
> >giftedness, learning disabilities, or unique developmental delays." They
do
> >not call the PTCS an IQ test even though they have it normed with a mean
of
> >100 and variance of 256.
>

> Don't worry about it and definitely don't get your son anxious over it
> -- or the results won't be valid.

I'm not worried. All I asked was whether anyone had any experience with the
test. I'm not really concerned about valid results. I'm more concerned
with the school incorrectly interpreting the results.