Examiner-led assessment 1920

Dearborn Color, Form & Number-Memory Tests

Color–form A, Color–form B, and Ladders

The assessment

Three original Dearborn subtests combine color-and-shape discrimination, following oral directions, and immediate memory for number sequences. An examiner presents the directions and records the responses.

  • Color and form
  • Directions
  • Number memory

From the archive

Origins

Walter F. Dearborn developed group examinations for schoolchildren at Harvard. His 1920 series used pictures, marks, and orally presented directions to reach pupils at different school levels. This selection contains Color–form A, Color–form B, and the Ladders number-memory test.

Inside the test

  1. Color–form A
  2. Color–form B
  3. Ladders

Sources & further reading