Young Children's Achievement Test
Lydia Eddy
YCAT
Test Information
Authors: Hresko, Peak, Herron, & Bridges
Publisher: PRO-ED, Inc.
Year published: 2000
Type of test: Achievement
Age level of examinees: Between 4 years, 0 monthes (4-0) & 7 years, 11 monthes (7-11)
Skills/concepts measured: Academic ability in General Information (GI); Reading (RE); Mathematics (MA); Writing (WR); & Spoken Language (SL).
Requirements for Testing
- Time Required: Depending on the child's age & ability, it is administered in 25 to 45 minutes. It is an untimed test, precise time limits are not imposed on children tested.
- Qualifications of examiner: Some formal training in administering assessment instruments and interpreting assessment data
- Training should include:
a) a basic understanding of tests and testing statistics;
b) a knowledge of general procedures governing test administration, scoring, and interpretation;
c) specific information about the evaluation of young children.
- Test materials: Examiner's Manual, a Profile/Examiner Record Booklet, a Student Response Form, and a Picture Book
Scoring & Results
Basal/ceiling guidelines: Always begin test with Item 1 on a subset and continue testing until the child misses three items in a row (ceiling established).
Types of scoring obtained: 1 point for each item passed, up to the ceiling, and 0 points for incorrect items.
- Raw scores- # of items scored correct on subtest
- Percentiles- (1-99) indicates the % of the distribution that is equal to or below a particular score
- Standard scores- (quotients) clearest indication of the child's YCAT performance, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15