BASI™ (Basic Achievement Skills Inventory) Author: Achilles N. Bardos, PhD

View the BASI Flash Demo View the manual addendum

A versatile, multi-level, norm-referenced achievement test that helps measure math, reading, and language skills for children and adults.

Developed by Achilles N. Bardos, PhD, co-author of the GAMA^® (General Ability Measure for Adults) test, the BASI series comprises multi-level, norm-referenced achievement tests for children and adults that may be group- or self-administered.

Providing both comprehensive and survey versions, the BASI series helps present a complete evaluation of academic skills. These convenient tests yield standard scores, national percentile rankings, grade equivalency, age equivalency, and performance classification by learning objective—without requiring individual administration or lengthy testing.

Normed during the 2002–03 school year and highly correlated to the leading individually and group-administered achievement and intelligence tests, the BASI series provides a current, valid, and reliable assessment tool.

Quick Facts

Choose the Comprehensive or Survey Version Based on Your Evaluation Purpose

Use the Comprehensive version:

• to aid in diagnosing learning disabilities,
• for understanding specific areas of strength or weakness at a detailed level, and
• for measuring progress.

Use the Survey version:

• for an accurate snap-shot of overall academic achievement in verbal and math skills,
• to screen for academic strengths and weaknesses, or
• to determine which level of the BASI Comprehensive test to administer to an adult or to a student performing significantly above or below grade level.

Comprehensive Test

The comprehensive test is comprised of six timed subtests:

• Vocabulary (10 minutes)
• Spelling (10 minutes)
• Language Mechanics (10 minutes)
• Reading Comprehension (30 minutes)
• Math Computation (20 minutes)
• Math Application (35 minutes)

Each of the subtests can be administered independently or in any combination. Total test administration time is just under two hours. The subtests also can be administered untimed to yield criterion-referenced performance information.

The test is organized into four grade-specific levels:

• Level 1 for grades 3–4
• Level 2 for grades 5–6
• Level 3 for grades 7–8
• Level 4 for grades 9–12

Each level has two forms: Form A has fall norms (Aug.-Dec.) and Form B has spring norms (Jan.–July).

Survey Test

The survey test is a single, brief version of the comprehensive test comprised of a math subtest and verbal subtest, each of which is a 25-minute timed instrument. The subtests can be administered together or independently and are appropriate for grades 3–12 and adults.

How to Use These Tests

The comprehensive version can help:

• Determine a child’s or adult’s academic strengths and weaknesses
• Diagnose learning disabilities in reading, mathematics, and spelling
• Efficiently complete follow-up evaluations
• Design learning interventions
• Measure progress throughout the year or over several years
• Compare a student’s performance to the national average
• Place college students
• Estimate Adequate Yearly Progress for No Child Left Behind reporting
• Evaluate offenders for educational programs

The survey version can help:

• Gain a quick overview of achievement
• Screen for giftedness
• Test groups that are diverse in age and/or ability
• Determine which level of the BASI series to administer to an adult or student performing significantly above or below grade level
• Test in situations where time is limited or where it is not necessary to gather detailed information by learning objective
• Evaluate offenders at intake

About the Author

Achilles N. Bardos, PhD, is Professor of School Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. He earned his elementary school teaching certificate in Greece. Following his studies at Wright State University (BS, Psychology), Ball State University (MA, Educational Psychology), and The Ohio State University (PhD, School Psychology, Research Methods), he held a two-year appointment (1988–1990) in the school psychology program at Alfred University in New York. Since 1990, he has been a faculty member in the Division of Professional Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. His teaching and research interests include intelligence, psychological and educational assessment, measurement, computer applications in psychology, program evaluation, and evaluation of psychological services. He has published many articles, book chapters, and presented over 100 papers and workshops at national and international conferences. He co-authored the Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (by Naglieri, McNeish, and Bardos, published in 1991). Dr. Bardos is a co-author of the GAMA^® (General Ability Measure for Adults) test. In addition, he has consulted in the development of other intelligence and personality tests. Dr. Bardos can be reached at (970) 351-1629 or abardos@comcast.net.

Norms

The BASI Comprehensive and Survey versions were standardized on a sample of more than 4,000 students (grades 3–12 and college) matched to the 2000 U.S. Census demographic information. The Survey version also was normed on a sample of 2,000 adults (ages 18–80), matched to the 2000 U.S. Census demographic data. The samples were stratified by race and ethnicity, age, gender, geographical region, and socio-economic status.

REPORT OPTIONS

BASI Comprehensive Test Reports

Student Summary Report
A one-page report that summarizes the student’s performance by skills composite, subtest and learning objectives.

A parent’s report is included with each student report. The parent’s report graphs percentile scores and includes a space for written comments.

View a Comprehensive Test: Student Summary Report – BASI Level 4.

New – the BASI College Report
A free, optional report available for level 4 of the BASI Comprehensive version, the College Report shows how a student’s BASI scores compare to the scores of a census-matched national sample at the student’s grade level, and to two samples of college students:

• those in their first year at a two-year community college, and
• those in their first year at a four-year college or university.

Percentile rank scores for the BASI subtests (Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Language Mechanics, Math Computation, and Math Application) and BASI composites (Reading Total, Written Language Total, and Math Total) indicate what percentage of the national sample the student scored as well as or better than. The student’s Growth Scale Value (GSV) scores for these six subtests and three composites are also reported, as are the corresponding GSV scores for the two college comparison samples. In addition to the college students’ average GSV scores, the range of the middle 50% of scores for each sample is shown.

View a Comprehensive Test: College Report – BASI Level 4.

Adult Summary Report

A one-page report that summarizes an adult’s performance by skills composite, subtest, and learning objectives.

View a Comprehensive Test: Adult Summary Report – BASI Level 4.

BASI Survey Test Reports

Summary Report

Summarizes a student or adult’s performance on the math and/or verbal subtests. This report is available for the entire Survey test or for either the math or verbal subtests.

View a Survey Test – Math and Verbal Skills Sample Report.
View a Survey Test – Verbal Skills Sample Report.

Scoring Options

Q Local™ Software - Enables you to score assessments, report results, and store and export data on your computer.

Mail-in Scoring Service - Specially designed answer sheets are mailed to us for processing within 24-48 hours of receipt and returned via regular mail.

Hand Scoring - Administer assessments on answer sheets and score them quickly yourself with an answer key.

Optical Scan Scoring - Allows you to score the assessments at your site.

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