When you see the ‘@@@’ symbols in place of the Q Scores for a test result, that means that the test administration was invalid and no interpretation can be done. Could be due to random responding on the test or an extreme impairment. The Interpretation Manual (accessible from the “Manuals” menu) will go into further detail on Invalid Tests.
A test can be Invalid for only one (auditory or visual) or both (auditory AND visual) modalities. If either auditory or visual is invalid, then you won’t see Full Scale Q Scores or the Q Scores for the invalid modality, but you will still see scores for the Valid sensory modality.
Also, on the IVA+Plus, the Symptomatic scales have a different validity check measure than the rest of the test. This can lead to scenarios where the Symptomatic scales are invalid and the rest of the test is Valid or vice versa.
Some questions to ask when the test shows as invalid:
- Was a USB wired mouse used for input. The sensitive timing nature of the test requires a USB Wired mouse. Usage of a wireless mouse or the laptop trackpad buttons could lead to an invalid test.
- Make sure that testee was not switching response buttons during the test. They should only use one button. Consult the Administration Manual for further information on guidelines on administering the test.
- Is the hardware operating properly? You can use the “Interface and Timing Check” test from the Test Battery II to check and make sure the hardware is recording responses correctly. The Interface and Timing Check will report a response time for each of the 10 stimuli per modality along with a Range and an Average (AVG). The AVG should be between 170 and 350 ms with normal operation.
- Look at the “Investigator – Raw Response Data by Trial” to get a better view of the types of errors made on the test. It will show each stimuli, whether it was a target or foil, whether it was Auditory or Visual and if the person responded (and how many times). It will also categorize types of errors and tabulate each type on the final page. This report can be very useful in understanding the types of errors that occurred and why the test is invalid.
