The CAS standard battery consists of three subtests for each PASS Scale (12 subtests in all) whereas the basic battery has 2 subtests for each scale (8 in total). It takes an hour to administer the standard battery and 40 minutes for the basic battery (Naglieri & Das, 1997). The CAS battery provides a standard score for each process as well as a Full Scale standard score. The average internal reliability coefficients across ages 15–17 for the PASS scales are: • Planning = .88 • Attention = .88 • Simultaneous = .93 • Successive = .93 • Full Scale = .96. Each of these scales are described in detail below. For further explanation, see Naglieri, 1999 (B), Naglieri & Das (2005). Additional details on the origin of each of the 12 tests in CAS have been discussed at some length in Das, Naglieri &Kirby (1994)).
Attention Scale Attention is a mental process that involves focusing on selected aspects of external events, internal events, or stimuli. Attention is controlled by intentions and goals. The Attention scale includes the expressive attention, number detection, and receptive attention subtests. Expressive attention (a variation of the Stroop test) has two forms, one for children 7 years and younger, and the other 8 & over. The receptive attention subtest contains two separate tasks; in the first task, targets are letters that are physically the same (e.g., BB but not Bb). For the second task, targets are letters that have the same name (e.g., Bb but not Ab). This subtest is an adaptation of Posner & Boise (1971).
Simultaneous Scale Simultaneous processing is essential for organization of information into groups or a coherent whole. It requires both nonverbal and verbal processing for the analyses and synthesis of logical and grammatical components of language and comprehension of word relationships. The Simultaneous scale has nonverbal matrices, verbal spatial relations, and figure memory. Nonverbal matrices items present a variety of shapes; it is similar to Progressive Matrices. Verbal spatial relations subtest measures the comprehension of logical and grammatical descriptions of spatial relationships. In this subtest, the child is presented with six drawings, arranged in a specific spatial manner, and a printed question (e.g., show me the triangle to the left of the circle). The child is instructed to choose one of the six drawings that best answers the question. In Figure memory, a combination of Figure-Copying and Memory for Designs, the child is presented a two- or three-dimensional geometric figure for 5 seconds and then presented immediately with a response page, on which the original geometric figure is embedded in a larger, more complex geometric pattern. The child is asked to identify the original design.
Successive Scale Successive processing is involved whenever information must be remembered or completed in a specific order or sequence. The Successive scale has word series, sentence repetition, and sentence questions. In word series, the examiner reads the child a series of words and then asks to repeat the words in the same order. Sentence repetition requires the child to read 20 sentences aloud one by one. After each sentence is read, the child is asked to repeat the sentence exactly as presented. The sentence questions subtest uses the same type of sentences that are used in the sentence repetition subtest. However, now the child is read a sentence and asked a question about it. For example, the examiner reads "The blue yellows the green" and asks the child "Who yellows the green?" In a modified form, it has been used as a test of
working memory. Speech Rate (Ages 5 to 7) is an 8-item timed subtest that requires the child to repeat a string of 3 common words, such as dog-girl-book, over and over again as fast as possible until asked to stop. The score is the time it takes the child to complete 10 repetitions before stopping. == Present use ==