The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – Third Edition (PPVT-III) is an individually administered, untimed, norm-referenced, wide-range test. It serves two purposes: (1) as an achievement test of receptive vocabulary attainment for standard English; and (2) as a screening test of verbal ability. However, it can be used for this second purpose only when English is the language of the examinee’s home, community, and school.

We develop tests in compliance with the Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing, published jointly in 1985 by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education.

By Standard 1.1, evidence of the validity is presented in the test manual for the major types of inferences for which use of the test is recommended. By the standards, examiners are cautioned against making interpretations of results for uses other than the ones specified in the test manual. We do not support the use of PPVT-III for any purposes other than the two described above.