The Otis Self-Administering Tests of Mental Ability have been used In New Zealand primary and secondary schools since the late 1930's, usually for “ability11 grouping or “streaming” but on occasion for assigning pupils to particular courses of study, i . e.for classification purposes. The author of the Tasman series of tests however, questioned the suitability of the Otis as a guide in the making of educational classification decisions, and the Tasman tests were devised to provide information about a pupil's differential abilities in addition to assessing general ability.

The major problem investigated by this study was whether there exist any significant differences between the Tosman and Otis tests as predictors of both general scholastic achievement and achievement in single subjects.

Tasman scores and Otis I Qs obtained by third form new entrants to secondary schools were correlated with single subject and aggregated marks obtained by the same pupiIs In the nationwide School Certificate examination after three years secondary schooling. Statistical tests examining the significance of differences between predictor tests were then made.