Brief Description

The VSQ is a multiple-choice questionnaire consisting of 45 questions related to vocabulary and general information. Each question has five possible answers, of which only one is correct. The questions cover three main domains: numerical ability, general information, and vocabulary. The aim is to assess verbal cognitive level in a short period of time.

Purpose

The purpose of the VSQ is to provide a reliable and valid measure of verbal skills that can be used in educational and career guidance, in the evaluation of academic performance, and in the early diagnosis of learning difficulties.

Scoring Method

Each correct answer is scored with 1 point, and each incorrect answer with 0 points. The total score is the sum of correct answers and can also be analyzed by skill domain.

Validity

The validity of the VSQ was examined through correlations between its results and other measures, such as the Mental Development Test (ΔΝΑ) and teachers’ grades. The correlation coefficients for the three factors (numerical ability, general information, vocabulary) ranged from 0.66 to 0.29 and from 0.34 to 0.21, respectively.

Reliability

The internal reliability of the tool ranges from 0.72 to 0.87, while test–retest reliability coefficients range from 0.39 to 0.51.

Data Analysis and Use

Data can be analyzed both overall and by subscale to assess specific areas of verbal skills. The tool is used in educational planning, career guidance, research studies, and in identifying areas where students’ verbal abilities need improvement.

References

Alexopoulos, D. (2003, November). Construct validity of the Verbal Skills Test (VSQ). In Proceedings of the 1st Conference of the Psychological Society of Northern Greece (Book of Abstracts, p. 84). Athens: Ellinika Grammata.