Ravens Progressive Matrices
Ravens redirects here. It is not to be confused with
Raven (disambiguation) or Ravens (disambiguation).
Ravens Progressive Matrices (often referred to sim-
The cover of a test booklet for Ravens Standard Progressive Ma-
trices
ply as Ravens Matrices) or RPM is a nonverbal group
test typically used in educational settings. It is usually a
60-item test used in measuring abstract reasoning and re-
garded as a non-verbal estimate of uid intelligence.[1]
It is the most common and popular test administered
to groups ranging from 5-year-olds to the elderly.[2] It
is made of 60 multiple choice questions, listed in or-
der of diculty.[2] This format is designed to measure
the test-takers reasoning ability, the eductive ("meaning-
making") component of Spearmans g (g is often referred
to as general intelligence). The tests were originally de-
veloped by John C. Raven in 1936.[3] In each test item,
the subject is asked to identify the missing element that
completes a pattern. Many patterns are presented in the
form of a 66, 44, 33, or 22 matrix, giving the test
its name.
An IQ test item in the style of a Ravens Progressive Matrices test.
Given eight patterns, the subject must identify the missing ninth
pattern
1 Problem structure
All of the questions on the Ravens progressives consist
of visual geometric design with a missing piece. The test
taker is given six to eight choices to pick from and ll in
the missing piece.[4]
Ravens Progressive Matrices and Vocabulary tests were
originally developed for use in research into the genetic
and environmental origins of cognitive ability. Raven
thought that the tests commonly in use at that time were
cumbersome to administer and the results dicult to in-
terpret. Accordingly, he set about developing simple
measures of the two main components of Spearmans g:
the ability to think clearly and make sense of complexity
(known as eductive ability) and the ability to store and
reproduce information (known as reproductive ability).
Ravens tests of both were developed with the aid of what
later became known as item response theory.
Raven rst published his Progressive Matrices in the
United Kingdom in 1938. His three sons established
Scotland-based test publisher J C Raven Ltd. in 1972. In
2004, Harcourt Assessment, Inc. a division of Harcourt
Education acquired J C Raven Ltd. Harcourt was later
acquired by Pearson PLC.
1
2 5 REFERENCES

2 Versions ing skills, and the simplicity of their use and interpre-
tation, they quickly found widespread practical applica-
The Matrices are available in three dierent forms for tion. For example, all entrants to the British armed forces
participants of dierent ability: from 1942 onwards took a twenty-minute version of the
SPM, and potential ocers took a specially adapted ver-
Standard Progressive Matrices: These were the sion as part of British War Oce Selection Boards. The
original form of the matrices, rst published in routine administration of what became the Standard Pro-
1938. The booklet comprises ve sets (A to E) of 12 gressive Matrices to all entrants (conscripts) to many mil-
items each (e.g., A1 through A12), with items within itary services throughout the world (including the Soviet
a set becoming increasingly dicult, requiring ever Union) continued at least until the present century. It was
greater cognitive capacity to encode and analyze in- by bringing together these data that James R. Flynn was
formation. All items are presented in black ink on a able to place the intergenerational increase in scores be-
white background.[4] yond reasonable doubt.[5] Flynns path-breaking publica-
tions on IQ gains around the world have led to the phe-
Colored Progressive Matrices: Designed for chil- nomenon of the gains being known as the Flynn eect.
dren aged 5 through 11 years-of-age, the elderly, and Among Robert L. Thorndike[6] and other researchers who
mentally and physically impaired individuals. This preceded Flynn in nding evidence of IQ score gains was
test contains sets A and B from the standard matri- John Raven,[7] reporting on studies with the RPM.
ces, with a further set of 12 items inserted between
the two, as set Ab. Most items are presented on a A 2007 study provided evidence that individuals with
coloured background to make the test visually stim- Asperger syndrome, a high-functioning autism spectrum
ulating for participants. However the very last few disorder, score higher than other individuals on Ravens
items in set B are presented as black-on-white; in tests.[8] Another 2007 study provided evidence that in-
this way, if a subject exceeds the testers expecta- dividuals with classic autism, a low-functioning autism
tions, transition to sets C, D, and E of the standardspectrum disorder, score higher in Ravens tests than in
matrices is eased.[4] Wechsler tests. In addition, the individuals with clas-
sic autism were providing correct answers to the Ravens
Advanced Progressive Matrices: The advanced test in less time than individuals without autism, although
form of the matrices contains 48 items, presented erring as often.[9][10]
as one set of 12 (set I), and another of 36 (set II).
Items are again presented in black ink on a white The Triple Nine Society, a high IQ society, accepts the
background, and become increasingly dicult as Advanced Progressive Matrices form for one of their
progress is made through each set. These items admission tests. They require a score of at least 32
are appropriate for adults and adolescents of above- out of [11]36 on or before December 31, 1999 on the
average intelligence. [4] RAPM. The International Society for Philosophical
Enquiry (ISPE) similarly accepts the RAPM as a qual-
[12]
In addition, parallel forms of the standard and coloured ication for admission, and so does the International
[13]
progressive matrices were published in 1998. This was High IQ Society.
to address the problem of the Ravens Matrices being too
well known in the general population. Items in the par-
allel tests have been constructed so that average solution 4 See also
rates to each question are identical for the classic and par-
allel versions. A revised version of the SPM the Stan-
dard Progressive Matrices Plus was published at the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test
same time. This was based on the parallel version but,
although the test was the same length, it had more dicult Spatial ability
items in order to restore the discrimination that the orig-
inal SPM had among more able adolescents and young
adults when it was rst published. This new test, devel- 5 References
oped with the aid of better sampling arrangements and
developments in the procedures available to implement
Notes
the item response theory, has turned out to have exem-
plary test properties.
[1] Bilker, Warren B.; Hansen, John A.; Brensinger,
Colleen M.; Richard, Jan; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur,
Ruben C. (2012-09-01). Development of abbrevi-
3 Uses of the tests ated nine-item forms of the Ravens standard pro-
gressive matrices test. Assessment. 19 (3): 354
The tests were developed for research purposes. Because 369. doi:10.1177/1073191112446655. ISSN 1552-
of their independence of language and reading and writ- 3489. PMC 4410094 . PMID 22605785.
 3

[2] Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2009). Standardized The above Manual is only available to qualied
tests in education, civil service, and the military. Psycho- psychologists, chapter 1 of this book is a more
logical testing: Principles, applications, and issues (7 ed. generally available source
pp. 325327). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
[3] Raven, J. C. (1936). Mental tests used in genetic studies:
The performance of related individuals on tests mainly ed- 6 External links
ucative and mainly reproductive. MSc Thesis, University
of London.
Website about Dr. John Raven
[4] Domino, George; Domino, Marla L. (2006-04-24).
Psychological Testing: An Introduction. Cambridge Uni-
versity Press. ISBN 9781139455145.
[5] Flynn, James R. (March 1987). Massive IQ Gains
in 14 Nations: What IQ Tests Really Measure
(PDF). Psychological Bulletin. 101 (2): 171191.
doi:10.1037/0033-2909.101.2.171. Retrieved 13 May
2013.
[6] Thorndike, R. L. (1977). Causation of Binet IQ decre-
ments. Journal of Educational Measurement. 14: 197
202.
[7] Raven, J. (1981). Manual for Ravens Progressive Ma-
trices and Vocabulary Scales. Research Supplement No.1:
The 1979 British Standardisation of the Standard Progres-
sive Matrices and Mill Hill Vocabulary Scales, Together
With Comparative Data From Earlier Studies in the UK,
US, Canada, Germany and Ireland. San Antonio, Texas:
Harcourt Assessment
[8] Hayashi et al. (2007) http://www.freewebs.com/
adiscussion/Superior%20fluid%20intelligence%20in%
20children%20with%20Asperger{}s%20disorder.pdf
[9] Dawson M, Soulires I, Gernsbacher MA, Mottron L
(2007). The level and nature of autistic intelligence.
Psychol Sci. 18 (8): 65762. doi:10.1111/j.1467-
9280.2007.01954.x. PMID 17680932. Lay summary
ScienceDaily (2007-08-05).
[10] Dawson M, Gernsbacher MA, Mottron L (2011).
The level and nature of autistic intelligence II: What
about Asperger Syndrome?". PLoS ONE. 6: 65762.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025372. PMC 3182210 .
PMID 21991394. Lay summary ScienceDaily (2011-
09-02).
[11] http://www.triplenine.org/HowtoJoin/TestScores.aspx
[12] http://www.thethousand.com/scores.html
[13] http://www.highiqsociety.org/submit-qualifying-score.
php

Bibliography

Raven, J., Raven, J.C., & Court, J.H. (2003, updated

2004) Manual for Ravens Progressive Matrices and
Vocabulary Scales. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt As-
sessment.
Raven, J., & Raven, J. (eds.) (2008) Uses and
Abuses of Intelligence: Studies Advancing Spear-
man and Ravens Quest for Non-Arbitrary Metrics.
Unionville, New York: Royal Fireworks Press.
4 7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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