Forms Used
Grade Level Range
About the TABE
The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) are norm-referenced tests designed to measure
achievement in reading, mathematics, language and spelling--the subject areas commonly found in adult
basic education curricula. TABE focuses on basic literacy skills that are required to successfully function
in society. The TABE provides information about the relative ranking of clients compared to a
norm group as well as specific individual information about the instructional needs of clients. The
tests enable counselors and teachers to diagnose, evaluate, and successfully place clients in adult education programs.
The TABE test items reflect language and content that are appropriate for adults and measure
the understanding and application of conventions and principles; they are not intended
to measure specific knowledge or recall of facts.
The TABE is used to provide;
| 1) |
pre-instructional information about a client's level of achievement in basic skills, |
| 2) |
identification of areas of weakness in these skills, |
| 3) |
measurement of growth in the skills after instruction, |
| 4) |
an opportunity for client involvement in appraisal of his/her learning difficulties, and |
| 5) |
data to assist in preparing an instructional program to meet the client's individual needs. |
The Test Battery
The TABE test battery is composed of tests in four basic content areas:
| Reading |
| Mathematics |
| Language |
| Spelling |
The test battery contains seven (7) separate tests:
| Test 1 -- |
Vocabulary; 30 items that measure same-meaning words, opposite meaning words, multimeaning words,
words in context, and the meaning of affixes. |
| Test 2 -- |
Comprehension; 40 items that measure comprehension of reading passages. Items
test ability to extract details, analyze characters, identify main ideas, and interpret events
described in passages. Items also test the ability to differentiate between writing techniques and
between forms of writing. |
| Test 3 -- |
Mathematics Computation; 48 items that measure the operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division dealing with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, integers, algebraic
expressions, exponents, and per cents. |
| Test 4 -- |
Mathematics Concepts and Applications; 40 items that measure understanding of mathematics concepts.
Specific skills include numeration, number sentences, number theory, problem solving,
measurement, and geometry. |
| Test 5 -- |
Language Mechanics; 30 items that measure skills in the mechanics of capitalization and punctuation.
Editing skills are measured in the context of passages presented in various formats. |
| Test 6 -- |
Language Expression; 45 items that measure skills in language usage and sentence structure.
The items measure skills in the use of various parts of speech, formation and organization
of sentences and paragraphs, and writing for clarity. All items in the test are based on rules
of written standard English. |
| Test 7 -- |
Spelling; 30 items that measure applications of spelling rules for consonants, vowels,
and various structural forms. Items are presented in the context of sentences with a missing word. The
examinee identifies the correct spelling of the word that would complete the sentence. |
Norming and Bias
The TABE used four reference groups for norming the tests--these were individuals participating in;
| Adult Basic Education Programs |
| Vocational-Technical Schools |
| Juvenile Correctional Institutions |
| Adult Correctional Institutions |
CTB/McGraw-Hill indicates that the TABE is free from ethnic, age and gender bias.
|
