Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores

Aptitude, Achievement & Intelligence Scores

High School Survey

During April through October 1980, a separate survey was conducted of U.S. high schools attended by civilian NLSY79 respondents. This school survey obtained information about the characteristics of each school. It also gathered respondent-specific information that included scores from various intelligence and aptitude tests administered during the respondents' schooling. 

Data are available for tests such as the:

  • California Test of Mental Maturity
  • Differential Aptitude Test
  • Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
  • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

A variety of other tests are available including college entrance examinations such as the:

  • Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)
  • Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
  • American College Test (ACT)

The following types of information are available for each test taken: 

  • IQ score
  • national percentile score
  • date (month/year) the test was administered
  • student's grade level at the time of testing

A modest number (1,058 or 9.1 percent) of civilian NLSY79 respondents has one or more such scores available from the high school survey; additional scores may be available from the transcript survey.

Transcript Surveys

High school transcript information was collected during 1980, 1981, and 1983 for those civilian respondents who were expected to complete high school in the United States. While the focus of these surveys was course and grade information, math and verbal scores from the PSAT, the SAT, and the ACT were also collected. One or more (sub)scores for at least one test are available for 2,434 (21.3 percent) of civilian NLSY79 respondents. Additional information, including references to technical reports on these surveys, can be found in the School & Transcript Surveys section of this guide.

Table 1 provides an alphabetical listing of the tests from the high school, and transcript surveys and the number of respondents for whom scores are available.

Table 1. Aptitude & Intelligence Tests: NLSY79 School Survey and Transcript Survey Testing

Intelligence Test Reference Number Area of interest Number of Respondents with Scores
American College Test (ACT) R06201.
R06202.
R00173.86=9
R00173.92=9
Misc. 1981
Misc. 1981
School Survey
School Survey
1,127
1,124
72
17
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) (Profiles)
R06150.-R06159.
R00173.86=6
R00173.92=6
Profiles
School Survey
School Survey
11,914
16
3
California Achievement Test R00173.86=14
R00173.92=14
School Survey
School Survey
71
17
California SFTAA R00173.86=1
R00173.92=1
School Survey
School Survey
203
14
California Test of Mental Maturity R00173.11 School Survey 599
California Test of Basic Skills R00173.86=11
R00173.92=11
School Survey
School Survey
172
27
Cognitive Abilities Test R00173.86=5
R00173.92=5
School Survey
School Survey
59
28
Coop School &College Ability Test R00173.41 School Survey 164
Differential Aptitude Test R00173.36 School Survey 569
General Aptitude Test Battery R00173.86=16
R00173.92=16
School Survey
School Survey
27
1
Henmon-Nelson Test of Mental Maturity R00173.26 School Survey 201
Iowa Test of Basic Skills R00173.86=12
R00173.92=12
School Survey
School Survey
75
7
Iowa Test of Educational Development R00173.86=13
R00173.92=13
School Survey
School Survey
53
9
Kuhlman-Anderson Intelligence Test R00173.31 School Survey 176
Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test R00173.21 School Survey 691
National Educational Development R00173.86=10
R00173.92=10
School Survey
School Survey
22
1
Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test R00173.16 School Survey 1,191
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Battery (PSAT) R06197.
R06198.
R00173.86=3
R00173.92=3
Misc. 1981
Misc. 1981
School Survey
School Survey
1,386
1,386
77
41
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) R06199.
R06200.
R00173.86=2
R00173.92=2
Misc. 1981
Misc. 1981
School Survey
School Survey
951
948
41
16
SRA Assessment Survey R00173.86=20
R00173.92=20
School Survey
School Survey
32
2
SRA - Primary Mental Abilities R00173.86=4
R00173.92=4
School Survey
School Survey
40
2
Stanford Achievement Test R00173.86=17
R00173.92=17
School Survey
School Survey
40
2
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale R00173.46 School Survey 101
Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP) R00173.86=18
R00173.92=18
School Survey
School Survey
0
0
STS High School Placement Test R00173.86=15
R00173.92=15
School Survey
School Survey
64
3
Terman-McNemar Tests R00173.86=8
R00173.92=8
School Survey
School Survey
1
0
Tests of Academic Promise R00173.86=7
R00173.92=7
School Survey
School Survey
13
1
Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children R00173.51 School Survey 120

References

National Center for Research in Vocational Education and Center for Human Resource Research. NLSY High School Transcript Survey: Overview and Documentation.  Columbus, OH: CHRR, The Ohio State University.

Parnes, Herbert S. and Kohen, Andrew I. "Occupational Information and Labor Market Status: The Case of Young Men." Journal of Human Resources. 10 (1): 44-55, 1975.

Parnes, Herbert S., Miljus, Robert C. and Spitz, Ruth S. Career Thresholds: A Longitudinal Study of the Educational and Labor Market Experience of Male Youth. Vol. I.  U.S. Department of Labor Manpower Research Monograph No. 16. Washington, DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office, 1970.

Knowledge of the World of Work

One assessment, an abbreviated version of the "Knowledge of the World of Work" scale, was directly administered to the young men and women of the NLSY79 in 1979. This set of questions (R00260.-R00268.) asks respondents to pick one of three statements that best describes the duties of each of 10 commonly held jobs. A total score can be calculated by awarding one point for each correct answer (Kohen and Breinich, 1975; Parnes and Kohen, 1975; Parnes, et al., 1970).

This question has an age restriction in that all respondents were asked questions concerning their thoughts on certain kinds of jobs that people actually do. Respondents who were 14-15 years old were skipped out at Q.2. 

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Extensive information on the cognitive development of children born to female respondents of the NLSY79 is available. The NLSY97 collected three specific achievement tests reported by the respondent--the SAT I, American College Test (ACT), and Advanced Placement (AP) test.  Achievement test scores were collected during special transcript or school surveys for the Young Women, and the Young Men. Available scores for respondents in the Young Men's and Young Women's cohorts are primarily from the California Test of Maturity and the Otis/Beta/Gamma; a few respondents have SAT I or ACT scores recorded, and a wide variety of other tests are also included.

From the summer of 1997 through the spring of 1998, most NLSY97 round 1 respondents participated in the administration of the computer-adaptive form of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (CAT-ASVAB). AFQT scores were generated by NLS staff for the NLSY97 and can be used comparatively with the NLSY79 AFQT-3 scores. NLSY97 respondents were also administered The Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT). For more precise details about the content of each survey, consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide using the tabs above for more information.

Survey Instruments and Documentation ASVAB Test questions from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery are not available to the public. 

High School Survey Copies of the high school survey and transcript survey instruments can be found within NLSY High School Transcript Survey: Overview and Documentation, which contains background information on the sample design and field work of these special surveys, a summary of the types of variables collected, and coding information.

Areas of Interest ASVAB ASVAB variables collected during the 1980 Profiles testing are located on the NLSY79 main data set within the "Profiles" area of interest (R06150.-R06183.). The NLSY79 documentation item Attachment 106: Profile of American Youth provides general and technical information on the Profiles testing and an annotated bibliography of related publications. An addendum discusses the creation of AFQT-1, AFQT-2, and AFQT-3.

High School Survey and Transcript Survey Variables collected during the High School Survey are located on the main NLSY79 data set within the "School Survey" area of interest (R00173.11-R00173.97). Test scores from the Transcript Surveys are located on the main NLSY79 data set within the "Transcript Survey" area of interest (R06197.-R06202.)

Knowledge of the World of Work These questions are found in the "Attitude" area of interest.