Woodcock Reading

Mastery Tests-Revised
By: Lindsay Flynn
and Kelly DeCoste
APSY 652
November 1st, 2010

Introduction
The Woodcock Reading Mastery
Test can be used for:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

Identifying strengths and weaknesses in a

persons reading skills
Assist in IPP planning and writing
Selection and Placement
Research
Clinical assessment and diagnosis
Providing a starting point for remediation
Appraising gains and growth in reading

Descriptive Information
Author: Richard
Woodcock
Norm Referenced
measure
First Published in 1967
Re-normed in 1995/96
Grade K-16 (college
senior)
Ages 5.0-75+
Sample of over 3000
people

Takes between 10 and

30 minutes to
administer for each
cluster
Contains 2 forms so it
is possible to test a
child more than once
Cost $640 for both
batteries of test and
the scoring software
Qualifications: Level B

Reliability
Internal reliability
Tests median = .91
(range .68 to .98)
Clusters median = .
95 (range .87 to
.98)
Total median = .97
(range .86 to .99)

WRM Test Clusters

Total Reading

Readiness Cluster

Basic Skills Cluster

Visual Auditory
Learning Subtest

Word Identification Subtest

Letter Identification Subtest

Word Attack Subtest

Comprehension
Cluster
Word Comprehension
Subtest
Passage Comprehension
Subtest

The Two Forms in the WRMT

Form G
- Complete battery of

tests.
- Made up of four tests
of reading
achievement and a
readiness section

Form H
- Supplementary tests.
- Has the same four
tests of reading
achievement as Form
G but does not have
the readiness section

*Note: No writing is required on any of

the subtests. The students respond
orally to all parts of the WRMT.

Additional Information
*Note: unlike the WJ-III where
the start point is based on the
childs grade level, on the
WRMT the suggested starting
point is based on estimated
READING grade levels.

The Four Subtests of Reading

Achievement Common to both
Forms are:
Word Identification
Word Attack
Word
Comprehension
Passage
Comprehension

The Measures of Reading

Readiness included in Form G
only are:
Visual-Auditory Learning
Letter Identification
Supplementary Letter
Checklist

Administration
Training
Studying manual and test directions
Administering practice tests
Exact administration
Brisk administration
Practice exercises
Preparation for testing a subject
Materials, setting
Subject Information
Selective testing
Time requirements

Test 1: Visual-Auditory Learning

(Form G only)
In this subtest the student is shown visual
symbols that the examiner has labelled. The
student repeats the word associated with each
symbol and attempts to read sentences
composed of the symbols.

Test 1: Visual-Auditory Learning

(Form G only)

7 items (26 words + 2 word endings (-s, -ing)

Starting point: Introduction 1, then proceed to
test story 1
Scoring: Circle each word missed or told to
the subject (after 5 seconds)

Test 1: Visual-Auditory Learning

(Form G only)
Special instructions: Allow subject to
respond only once, then move on
Stopping point: Accumulative number
of errors reached

Test 2: Letter Identification

(Form G only)
Individual letters are
arranged in rows.
The letters are
uppercase, lowercase,
printing, handwriting,
different fonts
The students have to
say the name or
sound for each letter.

Test 2: Letter Identification

(Form G only)
51 items in a variety of forms
Special instructions: Repeat whole line if
response not clear (after page
completed)
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items
administered (or first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)
Est. Reading
Grade Level

4+

Suggested
Starting Item

11

23

35

41

Supplementary Letter Checklist

(Form G Only)
Note: This is a supplementary informal measure
that only results in raw scores.

The students are asked to give the

names or sounds of both upper and
lower case letters that are presented
to them.

Supplementary Letter Checklist

(Form G only)
Added to revised version of battery
27 uppercase/36 lowercase letters (sans
serif font)
Cannot produce derived scores
Has not been normed
Instructions can be modified
Administration does not need to follow a
standardized procedure
Usually all items are presented

Test 3: Word Identification

Students are given a row of words in isolation and
they must pronounce each word within 5 seconds.
The administrator points to a word on the page and
asks what is this word? Once they say the word
say Go ahead with the others.
The words get progressively harder as you go along.
______________

You and up
______________

Test 3: Word Identification

106 words in increasing difficulty
Examiner must know correct pronunciation of
words
Special instructions: Repeat whole line if response
not clear (sound or letter name; after page
completed)
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items administered (or
first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items administered
failed (or last page)
Est. Reading
G.L.

Suggested
Starting Item

29

3
38

4
47

5-6 7-10
56

65

11College

College
Grad

Ave.
Adult

74

83

65

Test 4: Word Attack

The administrator says I want you to

read some words that are not real
words. I want you to tell me how they
sound.
Point to the first word and say How
does this word sound?
________
tat
________

Nonsense words
and syllables are
presented to the
student and they
must read each
word aloud. This
measures the
students ability to
apply phonic and
structural analysis
skills to
pronounce
unfamiliar words.

Test 4: Word Attack

45 nonsense words
If subject has a score of 0 or 1 on
word ID test, record a score of 0 for
this test without administration
Starting Point All subjects begin
with the sample items and then #1
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)

Test 5: Word Comprehension

Measures reading
vocabulary at several
different levels of cognitive
processing. Includes 3
subtests:

1) Antonyms
2) Synonyms
3) Analogies

1) The student reads a

word aloud and then says
the opposite.
2) The student reads a
word aloud and then says
a word that means the
same thing.
3) Requires the subject to
read a pair of words and
ascertain the relationship
between the words, then
read the first word of a
second pair and use the
same relationship to supply
a word from his or her oral
vocabulary to complete the
analogy properly.

Test 5: Word Comprehension

Original battery contained only
analogies test
Revised version includes vocabulary in
general reading, science-mathematics,
social studies and humanities
Administer all 3 tests - for each, subject
reads the entire item aloud and then
responds
Yields a combined W score (sum of all 3
scores)

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Antonyms Subtest)
Starting Point: All subjects begin with
sample items and then proceed as
below
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items
administered (or first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)
Est. Reading
Grade Level

G. 3

G. 47

G. 8
-College
Junior

College
Senior Graduate

Ave. Adult

Suggested
Starting Item

10

16

10

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Antonyms Subtest)
Special instructions: query responses
listed in test book
(Tell me another word)
Scoring: Accept single-word responses
only
Example: big
Correct response: small, little
Incorrect response: huge

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Synonyms Subtest)
Starting Point: All subjects begin with
sample items and then proceed as below
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items
administered (or first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)
Est. Reading
Grade Level

G. 4

G. 59

G. 10
College
Freshman

College
Sophmor
eGraduate

Ave. Adult

Suggested
Starting Item

13

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Synonyms Subtest)
Special instructions: query responses
listed in test book
(Tell me another word)
Scoring: Accept single-word responses
only
Example: big
Correct response: large, huge, gigantic
Incorrect response: small

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Analogies Subtest)
Starting Point: All subjects begin with sample
items and then proceed as below
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items administered
(or first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)
Est. Reading
G.L.

G.
3

G. 4

G. 5

G.
6-8

G. 911

G. 12
College
Frehsman

College
Sophmore
to Senior

College
Grad

Ave.
Adult

Suggested
Starting Item

14

20

26

32

38

20

Test 5: Word Comprehension

(Analogies Subtest)
Special instructions: query responses
listed in test book
(Tell me another word)
Scoring: Accept single-word responses
only
Example: A dog walks; a bird
Correct response: flies, fly
Incorrect response: sings

Test 6: Passage Comprehension

Cloze Procedure
Student reads a
brief passage
that has one
word omitted
The student
must supply the
missing word

Test 6: Passage Comprehension

68 items
Read silently by subject who then
identifies the missing key word
Basal = 6 lowest-numbered items
administered (or first page)
Ceiling = 6 highest-numbered items
administered failed (or last page)
Scoring: Accept single-word
responses only

Test 6: Passage Comprehension

Starting Point: All subjects begin
with sample item and then proceed
as below

Est. Reading
G.L.

4-5 6-10

Suggested
Starting Item

19

25

29

11Freshman

Soph. Senior

College
Grad

Ave.
Adult

33

37

41

33

Scoring
Item scores recorded during
administration
1 = correct response
0 = incorrect response/failure to respond
Blank = items not administered

Exception - Visual-Auditory Learning

Test (circle errors)
Score according to final response
Record incorrect responses in error
response column for error analysis

Age and Grade Calculations

Chronological age and/or exact grade
placement must be calculated prior to
completing the Summary of Scores
section
Calculation of subjects age:

Age and Grade Calculations

Exact grade placement:

Note: If not attending school, or enrolled in a nongraded program, consider the normal grade
placement for students of this age

Raw Score Computation

Raw scores calculated after session
For all tests (except visual-auditory
learning and word comprehension
subtests) the raw score = sum of
correct answers and items below
basal
Be careful not to include scores for
sample items!

Interpretation of Scores

Hierarchy of interpretive information

available from a test:

Sample Data

Sample Data

Instructional Implications
Comprehensive basis for:

Program planning
Instructional placement
Progress evaluation

Broad to specific analysis:

1) Analyze cluster scores
2) Evaluate component test scores
3) Evaluate individual item responses
4) Evaluate results from supplementary testing
5) Evaluate aptitude-achievement discrepancies

Evaluation
Strengths:

Large sample size (re-normed 95 96)

Psychometric training (important
concepts/examiner skills)
Extensive background in test administration
not required
Practice exercises/case studies
Two forms
Easel-kit design
Comprehensive manual
Pronunciation guide cassette/study form

Evaluation
Strengths:

Starting points based on reading level, not

grade level
Easy delivery
Oral responses
Page by page delivery
Wide age-range
Error analysis (more in-depth information)
ASSIST scoring program
Report to parents

Evaluation
Weaknesses:

Norm sample from US population

Older population not included when renormed (over 22)
Limited number of participants from 1822 year range
Content and concurrent validity?
Many reporting options require longer
time commitment to become comfortable

Evaluation
Weaknesses:

15-30 minutes for 3 levels of

interpretation?
High level of English language skills
required of participants
Reading not assessed holistically
Does not assess all aspects of reading
skills

Interpretation of Scores: First

Degree
Least time commitment (5 minutes)

summary of scores section not

completed
no norm tables consulted

Analyze individual errors for

instructional implications
Plot test raw scores onto the
Instructional Level Profile or onto the
three diagnostic profiles

Interpretation of Scores: First

Degree
Provides:

approximate grade equivalent scores

instructional ranges (span between
easy and difficult tasks for that
subject)
Individual strengths and weaknesses for
skills measured

Interpretation of Scores: Second

Degree
Refer to norms tables (back of
manual)
Longer time commitment (additional
5-10 minutes)
Provides more normative information

Interpretation of Scores: Second

Degree
To plot total reading score on
instructional level profile or to gain
percentile ranks/relative performance
indexes (RPIs), complete unshaded
portions of Summary of Scores
section for relevant tests/clusters
Provides approximate grade level
equivalents

Interpretation of Scores: Third

Degree
Completion of shaded portions of
Summary of Scores for each
test/cluster labeled Optional Scores
Provides:

Exact grade equivalents

Age equivalents
Standard scores
+/- 1 SEM confidence bands for RPIs,
percentile ranks and standard scores
Additional 5-10 minutes

Profiles
5 profiles: Instructional Level,
Percentile Rank and 3 Diagnostic
Profiles to (Readiness, Basic Skills,
Comprehension)
Provide a graphic representation of
information
Useful when reporting to the subject,
parents or teachers

References
Cooter, R. B. Jr. (1988). Test Review: Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests: Revised (Forms
and H) (WRMT-R). The Reading Teacher, 42, 154-155.

Johnson, S. B. (1999). Test Reviews. Psychology in the Schools, 36, 175-176.

Pearson Education Inc.. (n.d.). Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests Revised-Normative
Update (WRMT-R/NU). In Pearson Assessment and Information. Retrieved
October 15,
2010, from http://www.pearsonassessments.com/HAIWEB/
Cultures/enus/Productdetail.htm?Pid=PAa16640&Mode=summary.
Proger, B. B. (1975). Test Review No. 18: Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. Journal of
Special Education, 9, 439-444.
Williams, T. O. Jr., & Eaves, R.C. (2001). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of
the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised with Special Education
Students.
Psychology in the Schools, 38, 561-567.
Woodcock, R. W. (1998). Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests Revised. Circle Pines,
Minnesota: AGS.