Page 85 - All About History - Issue 28-15

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One of the tests in Army
Beta assessed the recruits’
geometrical construction ability

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In a bid to avoid a random selection of soldiers
as officers or cannon fodder, the USA introduced
aptitude tests for their military personnel
In 1916, Professor information.” Beta was a non-verbal
Lewis M Terman of test and examiners used charts
Stanford University and mime.
developed the first The results of both were graded
13test to examine the A (‘very superior’ or potential
aptitude of military personnel. officer class) to E (‘very inferior’
More than 170,000 US soldiers resulting in a low rank or even
took it during the war. discharge). The Beta results were
Originally, it comprised two additionally checked against men
examinations: those who were in institutions to ensure the soldier
literate took the Alpha test while being tested was of genuine low
any illiterate and non-English- intelligence and not a malingerer.
speaking soldiers took the Beta test. Both Alpha and Beta were
The Alpha test measured “verbal discontinued after World War I and
ability, numerical ability, ability to the results were published in The
follow directions, and knowledge of Army Report in 1921.

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Illiterate, unschooled and non-English-speaking recruits © Alamy, Corbis, Alex Pang, Sol 90 Images
were given this test to complete. Would you have passed?
Can you tell what’s missing from each image?

85
18) Speaker; 19) Arm in mirror; 20) Diamond
9) Strings; 10) Corkscrew 11) Trigger; 12) Tail; 13) Claw; 14) Shadow; 15) Ball; 16) Net; 17) Arm;
Answers: 1) Mouth; 2) Eye; 3) Nose; 4) Hand; 5) Chimney; 6) Ear; 7) Filament; 8) Return address;