Abstract

Psychometric testing can form a vital part in the diagnoses of many debilitating conditions, assessing school readiness and difficulties learning, as well as in the realm of occupational competencies. In order for this information to be fair and valid, the normative nature of each test needs to be critiqued and if found to be unsound within the given context, revised. This commentary conveys an understanding of the current state of norm development of three prominent assessments used in South Africa. Namely, the senior standard South African Individual Scales-Revised, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and the Ravens Progressive Matrices [1]. The latest norm developments in relation to the diverse South African population are discussed for each of these tests as well as the strengths and limitations thereof. Evaluation of the information led to the opinion that norm development in South Africa is not moving forward steadily and is not yet representative of the diverse population.

Keywords:Psychometric assessment; South Africa; Senior standard South African individual scalesrevised; Wechsler adult intelligence scale; Ravens progressive matrices