The test that put mass cognitive testing on the map
Designed in 1917 by a committee chaired by Robert M. Yerkes, it was given to over 1.7 million recruits during World War I. It proved intelligence could be measured at population scale.
This is Form 5, one of five parallel forms (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) used so neighbouring batches of recruits couldn't share answers.
Seven scoreable here, one for reference
The examiner reads spoken instructions aloud while you mark a printed diagram.
Decide whether each pair of words means the same or the opposite.
Mentally reorder scrambled words and judge whether the sentence is true or false.
Original 1918 timing, strictly kept
Each subtest has the same strict time limit given to 1918 recruits. The full test takes about 50 minutes with breaks. Take it in sequence, or one subtest at a time.
From raw score to a letter rating
Army personnel officers converted raw Alpha scores into letter ratings, combined with examiner observations. Tap a grade to see how 1918 described it.
The largest band: capable of routine military duties with conventional training.
Every answer checked against the 1918 keys
Items were transcribed in 2026 by combining OCR with manual verification against Internet Archive page scans, and each correct answer was cross-checked against the printed answer keys on pages 70–77.
Public domain in the US: published before 1929 and authorised by the U.S. War Department. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll verify and correct it.
What the Alpha measured, and what was claimed for it
References
- [1]Yoakum, C. S., & Yerkes, R. M. (Eds.). (1920). Army mental tests. New York: Henry Holt. Internet Archive.archive.org
- [2]Army Alpha and Beta tests: WWI's mass intelligence testing. Cogn-IQ (2026).cogn-iq.org
- [3]Army Alpha vs. Army Beta test: overview and significance. Study.com.study.com
- [4]Gould (1982): A nation of morons. tutor2u Psychology.tutor2u.net
- [5]Yerkes' Army intelligence tests. New Learning Online.newlearningonline.com
- [6]Intelligence testing in the U.S. Army during WWI: the Army Alpha program (course reading). Studocu.studocu.com
Related historical IQ tests
The same 8-subtest structure as Form 5 with different items — one of the five parallel forms used so recruits couldn't share answers.
The remaining three parallel forms used during WWI testing, with different items at each difficulty level.
The non-verbal partner to the Alpha, using pictures, mazes and pattern completion for recruits who couldn't read English.
The post-WWII battery that replaced the AGCT's single score with verbal, arithmetic, pattern and occupational aptitudes.
The battery given to every US military recruit today, descended from the Alpha through the AGCT and the ACB.
The foundational instrument for assessing infant and toddler cognitive development.