Notes on the original and revised Kent scales in the examination of naval recruits

The Kent Oral Emergency Test, which appeared in 1932, has been widely adopted in U.S. naval training stations, army induction centers, and army station hospitals. Its positive correlation with the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler-Bellevue tests has been demonstrated. An abbreviated form of this test has been derived, containing but 10 questions out of the original 25. Test were administered to 200 white naval recruits, referred for examination because of suspected psychologic disability, in such a way as to make possible scoring in terms of both the original scale and the shortened scale. A correlation of r = .811 ± .024 was found between the two forms of the test. The means of the IQ distributions were almost identical, but the short form gave a larger standard deviation. It is an advantage in the short form that it is likely to indicate more border-line and mentally deficient cases, since its purpose is not a final diagnosis but the screening out of such possible cases for further observation and examination. The short form permits a valuable saving of time, and the results of this study make its use seem warranted.