1 · ORIGINS
From a head-injury protocol to a developmental study
Rey, 1941Archives de Psychologie 28
The figure appeared in André Rey's monograph on the psychological examination of traumatic encephalopathy, written while he was at the University of Geneva. Rey wanted to separate the primary effects of a head injury from secondary effects arising from the patient's reactions to it.1,10 The same 1941 paper is also the source usually cited for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test.9
Osterrieth, 1944Archives de Psychologie 30
Osterrieth, a research assistant to Rey in Geneva, divided the figure into 18 elements scored for presence, completeness and placement, and supplied initial norms for 230 children (ages 4–15) and 60 adults (16–60).2,3,5 His own interest was developmental — when children begin to treat the figure as a gestalt rather than a set of parts, which he placed around age nine — and he classified copies into seven "types" by approach.4,10
Note on page ranges: citing sources disagree for both primary papers — Rey (1941) appears as 286–340 and 215–285; Osterrieth (1944) as 206–356 and 286–356. The references below give both.1,2
2 · ADMINISTRATION
The standardized protocol (Meyers & Meyers, 1995)
Procedures varied for decades. The most widely used standardized version today is the Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial (RCFT), with demographically corrected norms for ages 18–89 plus a children's supplement.6,7
1Copy trialThe figure is placed in front of the examinee, who copies it freehand; rotating the card or using measuring tools is not allowed. The RCFT sets a 10-minute limit.8
2RemovalWhen the copy is finished, both the stimulus and the drawing are removed from view immediately.8
3Immediate recallAfter about 3 minutes of unrelated verbal activity, the examinee draws the figure from memory on a blank sheet.6
5RecognitionImmediately after delayed recall, the examinee circles figure segments they recognize (an RCFT addition).6
3 · QUANTITATIVE SCORING
Osterrieth's 18 units, 0–2 points each, 36 maximum
UNITDESCRIPTION (paraphrased from standard score sheets)
1Cross, upper-left corner, outside the large rectangle
2Large rectangle
3Diagonal cross
4Horizontal midline of the rectangle
5Vertical midline
6Small rectangle inside the large one, left side
7Small segment above unit 6
8Four parallel lines inside the rectangle, upper left
9Triangle above the rectangle, upper right
10Small vertical line inside the rectangle, below unit 9
11Circle with three dots inside the rectangle
12Five parallel lines crossing the diagonal, lower right
13Sides of the triangle attached to the right of the rectangle
14Diamond attached to the end of unit 13
15Vertical line inside the triangle (unit 13)
16Horizontal line inside unit 13, continuing the midline
17Cross attached to the lower centre
18Square attached to the rectangle, lower left
4 · QUALITATIVE SCORING
Not just how much was drawn — how it was drawn
Osterrieth typology1944
Seven "types" by global approach — Type I starts with the central rectangle; Type VII is unrecognizable. Interrater r = .87 in Troyer & Wishart (1997).4Configural score (Binder)1982
Credits continuous completion of five core components: vertical and horizontal midlines, each diagonal, and the vertex of the large triangle. Interrater r = .86.4Boston Qualitative Scoring System1994
Stern et al. score fragmentation, planning, organization, placement, size distortion, perseveration, rotation, neatness and symmetry across copy and recall; interrater reliability reported as excellent.11DSS-ROCFChildren
A developmental scoring system with a professional manual for ages 5–14.65 · RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY
What the published numbers say
A 2021 review lists the functions drawing performance can reflect: attention and concentration, fine-motor coordination, visuospatial perception, non-verbal memory, planning and organization, and spatial orientation.5 The RCFT manual reports that its trials discriminate mildly brain-injured from healthy examinees.7 Scores decline with age, so demographically adjusted norms are required.13
6 · ALTERNATE AND DERIVED FORMS
Solving the retest problem
1969
Taylor Complex FigureDevised by L. B. Taylor as an alternate figure for post-operative memory testing. Scores tend to run higher than on the Rey figure.14
1991
Rey vs. Taylor comparedTombaugh & Hubley report four comparison studies of the two figures.18
1993/2003
Medical College of Georgia figuresFour parallel forms (Meador, Taylor & Loring) for repeated assessment.16
2002
Modified Taylor FigureHubley & Tremblay adjust the Taylor figure to match Rey total scores more closely.15
2010
Practice effects testedSwitching MCG figures on retest removed the practice effect seen with the same figure.17
7 · TRY THE PARADIGM
1 · Copy2 · Wait3 · Recall4 · Score
Copy the model onto the copy sheet as accurately as you can.
MODEL (ORIGINAL, NOT REY'S)
COPY SHEET
RECALL SHEET · LOCKED
Our own 8-element figure (max 16) with a 20-second wait in place of the 3-minute delay. Rey's figure is not reproduced; scores here have no clinical meaning.
8 · REFERENCES
Sources cited on this page
- [1]Rey, A. (1941). L'examen psychologique dans les cas d'encéphalopathie traumatique (Les problèmes). Archives de Psychologie, 28, 286–340. [Some sources give 215–285.]semanticscholar.org record
- [2]Osterrieth, P. A. (1944). Le test de copie d'une figure complexe: Contribution à l'étude de la perception et de la mémoire. Archives de Psychologie, 30, 206–356. [Also cited as 286–356.]as cited in Rivera et al. (2015)
- [3]Rivera, D., Perrin, P. B., Morlett-Paredes, A., et al. (2015). Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure – copy and immediate recall: Normative data for the Latin American Spanish speaking adult population. NeuroRehabilitation, 37(4), 677–698.doi:10.3233/NRE-151285
- [4]Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure copy scoring systems in a dementia clinic sample (2025). ResearchGate preprint; reports Troyer & Wishart (1997), The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 11(4), 381–390.researchgate.net
- [5]Zhang, X., Lv, L., Min, G., Wang, Q., Zhao, Y., & Li, Y. (2021). Overview of the complex figure test and its clinical application in neuropsychiatric disorders, including copying and recall. Frontiers in Neurology, 12, 680474.doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.680474
- [6]Meyers, J. E., & Meyers, K. R. (1995). Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial: Professional manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.parinc.com/products/RCFT
- [7]PAA. Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial — product description (ages, duration, factor structure).paa.com.au
- [8]Rey Complex Figure Test and Recognition Trial in clinical neuropsychological assessment (60 neurological patients; IR–DR r = .93). ResearchGate.researchgate.net
- [9]Test performance and classification statistics for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test in selected clinical samples (2006). Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 21(7), 693.sciencedirect.com
- [10]Wikipedia contributors. Rey–Osterrieth complex figure (tertiary overview; accessed 29 Sept 2026).en.wikipedia.org
- [11]Stern, R. A., Singer, E. A., Duke, L. M., et al. (1994). The Boston Qualitative Scoring System for the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure: Description and interrater reliability. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 8(3), 309–322.doi:10.1080/13854049408404137
- [12]ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03512301 — ROCF outcome definition: 18 design elements scored 0, .5, 1 or 2 by accuracy and placement.clinicaltrials.gov
- [13]Rey Figure Test with recognition trial: normative data (American University of Beirut ScholarWorks).scholarworks.aub.edu.lb
- [14]Taylor, L. B. (1969). Localization of cerebral lesions by psychological testing. Clinical Neurosurgery, 16, 269–287.cited in Yamashita & Yasugi (2008)
- [15]Hubley, A. M., & Tremblay, D. (2002). Comparability of total score performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and a modified Taylor Complex Figure. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 24(3), 370–382.doi:10.1076/jcen.24.3.370.984
- [16]Loring, D. W., & Meador, K. J. (2003). The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Complex Figures: Four forms for follow-up. In J. A. Knight & E. Kaplan (Eds.), The handbook of Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure usage (pp. 313–321). PAR.med.emory.edu (PDF)
- [17]Yasugi, M., & Yamashita, H. (2010). Medical College of Georgia Complex Figures in repeated memory testing. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 110(1), 181–184.doi:10.2466/PMS.110.1.181-184
- [18]Tombaugh, T. N., & Hubley, A. M. (1991). Four studies comparing the Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor complex figures. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 13(4), 587–599.doi:10.1080/01688639108401073
HOW TO CITE THIS PAGE
What's Your IQ. (2026). Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (1941). In Historical IQ Tests Archive. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from /en/historical-iq-tests/rey-osterrieth-1941
EDITORIAL RECORD
First published2026
Last reviewed29 September 2026
Sources18 cited; primary sources in French
Canonical URLwhats-your-iq.com/en/historical-iq-tests/rey-osterrieth-1941
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Part of the Historical IQ Tests Archive. Editorial content under CC BY-SA 4.0. The Rey figure and modern scoring manuals (RCFT, BQSS, DSS-ROCF) are not reproduced.