Frequently Asked Questions

Licensing the SCL-90-R®, BSI®, & BSI 18 Assessments

Why is a license agreement and payment necessary for me to use the SCL-90-R, BSI or BSI 18 tests?

The tests are copyrighted instruments and are distributed exclusively by Pearson. These instruments are not available in the public domain and are not free-of-charge.

Materials for each test, including answer sheets and scoring via our Q Local™ software, mail-in scoring or hand-scoring, are available for sale in our catalog. No license agreement is required when materials are purchased from our catalog.

Legal documentation, in the form of a license agreement, is required for any special request/use of the instrument.

I am a graduate student and would like to use the SCL-90-R test in my research study. Can I receive permission to use the instrument?

The SCL-90-R test is a proprietary instrument exclusively distributed by Pearson Assessments. Graduate students can purchase SCL-90-R materials at a discount through our GSRAP (Graduate Student Research Program). Complete information, including an application, can be found at www.pearsonassessments.com/catalog/gsrap.pdf.

If you are a graduate student who wishes to utilize the test in a different manner than we sell in our catalog, the license agreement application applies and no discounts are offered.

I am not a graduate student but I would like to request permission to use the SCL-90-R in research I'm conducting. Could you please inform me of the process?

You may follow our standard ordering process to purchase SCL-90-R materials from our existing product materials included in our catalog, or you can contact the Client Relations Department at 800-627-7271.

If you are interested in utilizing the instrument in a different manner than we sell in our catalog, a license agreement is required. A license agreement is a legal document based on your request. It will outline any special permission to use the test for a specified time period and project. A non-negotiable, minimum $2500 licensing fee applies to all license agreements.

I would like to:

• Reproduce,
• Translate,
• Score using a statistical package (SPSS or SAS), or
• Administer the test in a different manner than in your catalog:

The SCL-90-R test is a copyrighted instrument. A license agreement is required for any type of special permission that involves using the test(s) in a manner we do not sell in our catalog. Complete the license agreement application to proceed with your request.

I would like to administer only certain scales (e.g.: depression and anxiety) of the SCL-90-R test (or any other variations or portions of the test). Can I receive permission to do this?

No. As a matter of practice, we do not allow the use of “pieces” of the instrument. We would suggest administering the entire instrument and analyzing only the scales that are of interest to you and your research. As a possible alternative, there are two brief versions of the SCL-90-R available – the BSI, and the BSI 18 tests. The BSI test offers the same nine dimensions with only 53 items. The BSI 18 test is 18 items and assesses Depression, Anxiety and Somatization.

Can I administer the test online?

We generally do not allow on-line, web administration of our instruments. Occasionally we do enter into license agreements for research projects, provided the proper security measures are in place for online transmission. Complete the license agreement application to proceed with your request.

What is the difference between the SCL-90 Original and the SCL-90-R? And do I need permission from Pearson to use the SCL-90?

The SCL-90 test was a prototype of the SCL-90-R test and is in the public domain. Item analysis of the original SCL-90 revealed that some items were flawed psychometrically and there were ambiguities in the test instructions. There are also no sanctioned norms for the SCL-90 test and the large volume of research in existence demonstrating the validity and sensitivity of the test has been conducted primarily on the SCL-90-R, not the SCL-90.

The SCL-90 is not available through Pearson. If you are interested in purchasing the SCL-90-R test, please review the test materials included in the catalog page or call Client Relations for more information at 1-800-627-7271.

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