Qualifications policy

Pearson is committed to maintaining professional standards in testing as presented in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). A central principle of professional test use is that individuals should use only those tests for which they have the appropriate training and expertise. Pearson supports this principle by stating qualifications for the use of particular tests and selling tests to individuals who provide credentials that meet those qualifications. The policies that Pearson uses to comply with professional testing practices are described below.

The “Qualified User” is the individual who assumes responsibility for all aspects of appropriate test use, including administration, scoring, interpretation, and application of results. Some tests may be administered or scored by individuals with less training, as long as they are under the supervision of a Qualified User. To assist the qualified user, each test manual will provide additional detail on administration, scoring, and/or interpretation requirements and options for the particular test.

Qualification Level A

There are no special qualifications to purchase these products.

Qualification Level B

Tests may be purchased by individuals with:

A master’s degree in psychology, education, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, social work, counseling, or in a field closely related to the intended use of the assessment, and formal training in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessments.

A degree or license to practice in the healthcare or allied healthcare field.

Formal, supervised mental health, speech/language, occupational therapy, social work, counseling, and/or educational training specific to assessing children, or in infant and child development, and formal training in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessments.

Qualification Level C

Tests with a C qualification require a high level of expertise in test interpretation, and can be purchased by individuals with:

A doctorate degree in psychology, education, or a closely related field with formal training in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessments related to the intended use of the assessment.

Licensure or certification to practice in your state in a field related to the purchase.

Certification by or full active membership in a professional organization (such as APA, NASP, NAN, INS) that requires training and experience in the relevant area of assessment.