The term intelligence refers the individual differences in mental ability.

Intelligence test can be administered

individually or in group.
Distinction between individual and group tests:
Individual Tests: A test can be said individual test in the sense that they can be administered to only one person at a
time. Many of the tests in these scales require oral responses from the examinee or necessitate the manipulation of
the materials.
Individual intelligence tests are preferred by psychologist in clinics, hospitals and other settings where clinical
diagnosis are made, and where they serve not only as measures of general intelligence but also as means of
observing behavior in a standard situation.
Group Test:
Group test was developed to meet a pressing practical need. Group test can be administered to a group of persons
at a time.
Group tests were designed as mass testing instruments; they not only permit the simultaneous examination of large
groups but they also use simplified instruction and administration procedures. There by requiring a minimum of
training on the part of examiner.
Advantages and Disadvantages of individual tests:
Advantages:

1. Examiner can pay more attention to the examinee.

2. Examiner can easily encourage the examinee and observe his behavior during the test more closely.
3. Scores on individual tests are not as dependent on reading ability as scores in group tests.

Disadvantages:

1. It is very time consuming

2. This type of tests requires a highly-trained examiner.
3. It costs more than the group test.

Advantages and Disadvantages of group tests:

Advantages:

1. can be administered to very large numbers simultaneously

2. simplified examiner role
3. scoring typically more objective
4. large, representative samples often used leading to better established norms
5. A highly verbal group test can have a higher validity co-efficient than an individual test.

Disadvantages:

1. Scores on the group test are generally dependent on the reading ability.
2. Information obtained by the group test generally less accurate than the individual tests
3. examiner has less opportunity to establish rapport, obtain cooperation, and maintain interest
4. not readily detected if examinee tired, anxious, unwell
5. evidence that emotionally disturbed children do better on individual than group tests
6. examinee’s responses more restricted
7. normally an individual is tested on all items in a group test and may become boredom over easy items and
frustrated or anxious over difficult items
8. Individual tests typically provide for the examiner to choose items based on the test takers prior responses –
moving onto quite difficult items or back to easier items. So individual tests offer more flexibility.