Psychological Assessment and Testing

Psychological Assessment and

Testing

Approved: 1987Revised: 2005, May 2013

November 2021

2Practice Guideline - Psychological Assessment and Testing

CONTENTS

Role of The College of Alberta Psychologists ��5

Introduction ��5

Definitions ��6

Psychological Assessment ��6

Psychological Tests ��6

Formal Assessment ��6

General Assessment �� 7

Important Caveats �� 7

Psychological Assessment Core Competencies ��8

Knowledge for General Assessment (Core) �� 8

Practice Skills and Judgement for General Assessment (Core) ��9

Optional Knowledge and Skill Areas for General Assessment (Optional)��9

Additional Knowledge for Formal Assessment (Includes all Core plus the following) ��9

Practice Skills and Judgement for Formal Assessment �� 10

Selected Setting/Training-Specific Assessment Area �� 11

Clinical Neuropsychology ��11

Forensic Assessment ��11

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Assessment �� 12

Parenting Assessment ��12


Rehabilitation/Health Assessment ��12

School Psychology �� 13

Therapeutic Uses of Assessment �� 13

Informed Consent Considerations in Formal Assessment �� 14

Control and Use of Tests by Psychologists �� 16

Referral Question/Goal �� 16

Selecting and Administering Tests ��17

Currency ��17

Alternate use ��17

Administration ��17

Interpreting Tests ��17

Raw Scores ��17

Interpretation of Scores ��17

Computer Generated Reports ��17

Testing Materials �� 18

Test Purchasing �� 18

Test Security and Storage �� 18

Cleaning and Disinfecting Test Materials and Devices �� 18

Disposal of Test Materials �� 18

Remote/Online Testing �� 19

Requests for Psychological Test Information�� 20

Responding to Client Requests for Access to TestScores and/or Test Protocols �� 20

Responding to Third-Party Requests for Access to TestsScores and/or Test Results �� 20

Use of Psychological Tests for Research Purposes �� 21

Psychological Reports �� 21

Report Writing ��21

Limitations Affecting Assessment or Opinion ��21

Freedom From Bias ��21


Timeliness ��21

Data Sources ��21

Special Issues in Assessment �� 22

Assessment Supervision ��22

Skill Matching and Supervisee Development ��22

Quality Assurance (Including Signing of Reports) ��22

File Maintenance ��22

Use and Role of Psychometrists ��22

Third-Party Observers ��23

Fundamental issues to be considered ��23

Alberta Rules of Court and TPOs ��23

Offering of Verbal Feedback orDebriefings Following an Assessment ��23

Independent Medical Examinations Done by Psychologists ��24

Pandemics and Outbreaks ��24

Jurisdictional Laws and Jurisprudence ��25

Assessment with Diverse Cultures Including Indigenous Cultures – Response to TRC ��25

Continuing Competence��26

Additional Resources ��26


The role of the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) is to protect the public and maintain their confidence by ensuring that all psychologists engage in competent, skilled and ethical practice� To this end, CAP establishes, adopts and implements good character criteria, academic (and related) requirements for entry to the profession, standards of practice, codes of ethics, and ethical decision-making principles� As a self-regulated profession, psychologists are ultimately responsible and accountable for all activities they engage in as a regulated member as well as those that link to and reflect upon the profession� As such, CAP provides general clinical and ethical guidance to members; this includes guiding members in identifying, interpreting, and applying regulatory resources (e�g�, Legislation, Standards of Practice, Practice Guidelines/Alerts) to their practice situation� CAP does not provide legal, business, or practice-specific direction� All psychologists are encouraged to seek additional expert subject matter consultations when faced with complex clinical, technical (practice or ethical), legal and/or business issues� Practice Guidelines support CAP’s primary public protection role by enhancing the practice of psychologists through the integration of standards of practice and ethical principles to specific subject areas�

The CAP Standards of Practice outline the minimum expectations of the profession� The Canadian Psychological Association’s (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists establishes the foundational ethical principles that underpin the profession of psychology� While often considered aspirational in nature, they may also reflect minimum professional expectations like practice standards and form the basis of discipline-related actions�

This Practice Guideline clarifies the professional activities of formal and general assessment as well as related topics such as control and use of psychological tests, third-party observers, and other special issues in assessment� This guideline is designed to assist the psychologist in negotiating issues associated with assessment� This guideline is not a substitute for thorough training in assessment practices and in the implementation of proper test administration principles�

Role of The College of Alberta Psychologists

IntroductionPsychological assessments may be conducted for a variety of reasons and across a variety of contexts� For example, psychologists may be requested to complete assessments for workplace, educational, health, legal/forensic, benefit eligibility, clinical and/or rehabilitation purposes� In general, the primary purpose of psychological assessment is to provide a professional opinion based upon multiple sources of information that answers a specific question(s) or informs a practical plan of action to address or ameliorate an area of need or risk factor� In forming and communicating their opinion, psychologists strive to utilize methods of assessment that are valid, reliable and fair� As a professional activity, CAP conceptually considers assessments as being divided into formal and general assessments�


DefinitionsGeneral and Formal Assessment definitions were created to distinguish between essential training requirements for those who enter practice as provisional psychologists� One training stream is predominantly geared towards those who intend to focus their assessment practices within the context of counselling or psychotherapy (General Assessment)� The other stream of training tends to emphasize the use of psychological measures and multimethod theoretical and empirical approaches for diagnosis, differential diagnosis and decision-making (Formal Assessment)� In either path, psychologists will have to demonstrate mandatory competencies in psychological assessment�

Psychological AssessmentPsychological assessment is a broad professional activity that may involve either a Formal or General assessment� Psychological assessment involves the ongoing, interactive and inclusive process which allows one to conceptualize, characterize, describe and predict the relevant client dimensions� Psychologists must choose the most appropriate assessment methods in providing an evaluation that utilizes either tests (see definition below) and/or other non-test methods (e�g�, clinical interview, observation, historical data review including any prior reports) to gain understanding about many different psychological constructs and referral questions� Both Formal and General Assessments are professional activities that involve gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information about an individual or group of individuals sufficient to draw supportable psychological conclusions�

Psychological TestsThe term psychological test instrument, as used in this guideline, refers to any structured and standardized measure of a psychological construct� Psychological constructs can include, but are not limited to, cognitive, behavioural, personality, or emotional functioning� Types of psychological test instruments include, but are not restricted to, performance tasks, structured behavioural ratings of others, self-report inventories or checklists, test record forms or other materials used in the evaluation of a psychological construct for an individual, couple, family, group, peoples, or organization�

Formal AssessmentFormal Assessment entails the use of standardized instruments (i�e�, tests and observations) that are criteria and norm referenced with empirically determined psychometric properties, in addition to direct client contact by the assessor with the person being assessed, AND one or more of the following: clinical interview; personal history; behaviour observations; anecdotal information or substantive collateral information� Formal assessment informs a practical plan of action or provides information about a person’s mental health, emotional, cognitive, vocational, adaptive, educational, social or other aspects of developmental functioning� It may result in a diagnostic classification or the identification of strengths, weaknesses, and competencies, and the findings may be communicated verbally and/or in a written psychological assessment report�

Practice Guideline - Psychological Assessment and Testing 7

General AssessmentGeneral Assessment entails a process of gathering information through direct personal contact with the person being assessed AND utilizing one or more of the following methods: clinical interview; observations; checklists; formal or anecdotal record; personal history and other commonly accepted professional methods� It may result in a diagnostic classification or the identification of strengths, weaknesses, and competencies and may be communicated verbally and/or in a written report�

Important Caveatsi� While General Assessment may be considered

sufficient to offer a mental health diagnosis in many clinical circumstances, it is important to note that Formal Assessment is often required to address specific referral questions or when engaging in some specific psychological assessment practices� That is, Formal Assessment training is required for some contextual assessment practices, including neuropsychological, forensic, parenting capacity, independent medical evaluations, learning disability and cognitive/intellectual testing� Formal Assessment is required to identify cognitive dysfunction/disorder/decline, academic skill dysfunction/learning disability/intellectual disability, executive functioning deficits, and other brain/behaviour relationships (sensory, perceptual, motor functioning) in ways that are both accurate and objective� Formal Assessment is often considered best practice when a psychologist is asked to diagnose specific clinical disorders that are difficult to differentially and accurately identify or rule out diagnostic alternatives (i�e�, differential diagnosis)� This may include assessment to identify a broad range of disorders such as (but not limited to) Autism Spectrum Disorder, Personality Disorders, Schizophrenia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Intellectual Disability and Neurocognitive Disorders (i�e�, Dementias or other forms of neurocognitive decline secondary to medical conditions or ageing)� Competency in Formal Assessment requires training and education as outlined below under “Core Competencies”�

ii� Those who primarily intend to practice as counsellors/therapists/psychotherapists frequently declare the area of General Assessment as their assessment competency at the stage of provisional licensure as part of their supervisory plan that is approved by CAP� General Assessment strategies are used for case conceptualization, developing and monitoring treatment plans, evaluating treatment progress or effectiveness, and developing diagnostic impressions that guide treatment� Those who declare General Assessment competency may still offer a mental health diagnosis/differential diagnosis, however, answering specific highly complex clinical queries or informing adjudicative decisions typically require competence in the form of knowledge, skills and judgement beyond the minimum requirements for General Assessment�

iii� Minimally, all psychologists must have the competence to recognize commonly accepted and scientifically established methods for diagnosing any condition and as found in the current revision of a recognized diagnostic classification system such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)�

iv� Those applying to become a psychologist in Alberta must be aware that if they declare General Assessment and do not declare Formal Assessment at the point of their provisional licensure, they may not be able to qualify to register or conduct the activity of psychological assessment in Alberta along with some other Canadian jurisdictions� This is because a legitimate objection has been filed by two jurisdictions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)� Until this matter is resolved, those seeking to practice outside Alberta are advised to seek training and supervision in the area of Formal Assessment�



A competent professional psychologist has the requisite knowledge, skills, judgement and diligence acquired through a developmental process of education, training, and supervised experience to engage in psychological assessment activities� Such training begins with didactic undergraduate coursework and possibly even laboratory experience� The next progression is to achieve graduate level (i�e�, Masters and, in some cases, Doctoral) coursework along with (typically) one or more supervised practicums, which culminate in the eventual readiness for practice as a provisionally licensed psychologist� Psychologists should have education, training, and supervised practice in employing a variety of reliable and valid methods for conducting psychological assessments in order to:

a) Define a problem/answer a referral question

b) Devise an assessment plan, select evaluativemethods and gather evaluative data

c) Conceptualize a case based on evaluative data

d) Design and implement treatment plansbased on evaluative data

e) Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment plans

f) Arrive at a diagnosis or professional opinion

g) Specify any limitations of their findings orevaluation

h) Communicate a diagnosis or professionalopinion

Those who select the area of General Assessment within their provisional licensure supervision plan must be able to demonstrate all the Core competencies listed below before being deemed ready for independent practice�

Psychological Assessment Core Competencies

• Theoretical, empirical, and contextualassessment methods�

• Psychopathology�

• Temperament and Personality theory�

• Epidemiological, base rates, development,and comorbidities, age ranges affected, andassociated features of disorders in clinicalor demographic populations�

• Diagnosis and differential diagnosismethods, including various classificationsystems (e�g�, DSM, AAMR, SEC, ICD)� It isrecognized that in North America, the DSMis the most dominant classification systememployed by psychologists�

• Awareness of the evidence-based actions/treatment recommendations that have ahigh likelihood of ameliorating presentingconcern(s), improving functioning, orpreventing future problems�

• Foundational knowledge (biological,cognitive, affective, social bases, individualdifferences of behaviour) as applied inevaluative contexts�

• Knowledge of Culture and Diversity

• Treatment-related measures for clientprogress, outcome, and feedback�

Knowledge for General Assessment (Core)


• Formulating or clarifying a referral question or questions�

• Selecting the most appropriate methods of evaluation�

• Employing and administering the method of evaluation to collect information�

• Analyzing and synthesizing of information�

• Formulating hypotheses and making a diagnosis when appropriate�

• Program planning and evaluation�

• Identifying limitations of opinions�

• Communicating results in both written and verbal ways that are understandable to the audience it is intended for�

• Formulating an action plan as required and as based upon results�

• Assessing and interpreting client progress/change, therapeutic alliance�

• Using feedback measures with clients�

• Career and vocational theory and evaluation�

Practice Skills and Judgement for General Assessment (Core)

Optional Knowledge and Skill Areas for General Assessment (Optional)

Those who select the area of Formal Assessment within their provisional licensure supervision plan, or add the area in the future through continuing competence efforts, will have to demonstrate additional competencies in addition to the Core competencies listed below�

• Test and Measurement theory�

• Assessment methods which include standardized administration and scoring of a wide range of psychological measures (i�e�, tests) for individuals, couples, groups, families and peoples�

• Knowledge of a wide range of psychological measures as related to mental disorders or other referral questions�

• Factors that affect test performance�

• Psychometric theory and concepts�

• Interpretative considerations for a wide variety of measures�

• Differential diagnosis�

• Recognize how diversity (including SES, language, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation) and development have an impact upon assessment, interpretation and choice of assessment measures�

Additional Knowledge for Formal Assessment (Includes all Core plus the following):

In addition to ensuring sufficient formal assessment knowledge, psychologists are also to be knowledgeable about the legal requirements and protections for test-takers that are relevant to the type of test being administered, the setting in which the test is administered and the specific purpose of the test result�

Further, psychologists are reminded to ensure they are familiar with legislation applicable to their area of practice, including provisions regarding the disclosure or withholding of test materials embedded in the legislation� Some examples of related legislation are the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Health Information Act, and the Personal Information Protection Act�

Lastly, as part of providing psychological assessments, psychologists are to ensure they have awareness and competency in working with

persons and peoples from diverse backgrounds and engage in culturally appropriate practices, using testing instruments in ways that are both culturally sensitive, safe, and appropriate and within the bounds of the limits of testing, including consideration of possible biases towards certain cultures or peoples� The Canadian Psychological Association’s (CPA) response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report outlines how it is particularly important that psychological assessments with Indigenous peoples need to be mindful of the culturally situated definitions of health, including mental health and pathology� This value of understanding and respecting diversity is also echoed within the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (2017)� As such, psychologists would benefit from specialized training on test selection, administration, and/or interpretation considerations when assessing diverse populations, including Indigenous peoples�

• Standardized administration and accuratescoring of tests�

• Integrating (when appropriate) norm-referenced data with other sources ofinformation to answer a referral question(s) orformulate a case�

• Exercising clinical judgement regardingfactors which can impact reliability andvalidity of results�

• Applying judgement regarding contextualfactors which may impact recommendationsor professional opinions�

• Report writing for a wide range of audiencesand contexts�

• Debriefing results with clients and referralsources�

Practice Skills and Judgement for Formal Assessment



There are many different training areas of formal assessment within psychology� The goal in this guideline is not to identify specialty areas that the College identifies or approves (as the College currently does not identify specialty areas), but to outline some of the recommended selective knowledge, training and skills required for some setting/training-specific assessment areas in order for a psychologist to be able to declare themselves as competent� Currently, the Standards of Practice require that psychologists only practice within areas in which they have established their professional competence through knowledge, training, and supervised experience� The list below is not exhaustive of all setting/training-specific psychological assessment areas and some of these assessment areas may overlap with one another to some extent� However, outlined below are some of the most common areas where psychologists do assessment work� For all of these setting/training-specific areas, Formal Assessment training and competencies are required� However, for each area there are additional recommended or required knowledge, training, and skills for minimum competence to offer assessment services in these contexts� Of note, for each area, there are also corresponding intervention competencies expected for those who practice within the area� These intervention competencies are not provided as part of this guideline which is only focused on assessment�

Clinical NeuropsychologyNeuropsychology is the application of knowledge about brain-behaviour relationships to the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of individuals with known or suspected central nervous system dysfunction�

For members who declare themselves to have competence in Clinical Neuropsychology, they

should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills, in addition to Core and Formal Assessment Competencies:

• knowledge of neuroanatomy, physiology and pharmacology;

• knowledge of human neuropsychology and neuropathology;

• knowledge of neuropsychological assessment;

• knowledge of psychodiagnostics;

• knowledge of clinical and neuropsychological intervention techniques;

• the ability to administer, score and interpret a wide array of appropriate neuropsychological assessment measures;

• the ability to plan, execute and evaluate an appropriate neuropsychological intervention�

Forensic AssessmentForensic Assessment is the assessment and application of knowledge about human behaviour to the understanding, diagnosis and/or treatment of individuals within the context of criminal and/or legal matters�

For CAP members who declare themselves to be competent in forensic assessment, they should be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills in addition to the Core and Formal Assessment competencies

• knowledge of criminal justice/legal systems;

• knowledge of the application of psychological principles within the federal and provincial legal systems;

• knowledge of psychopathology/abnormal psychology/personality/individual differences as it relates to criminal behaviour including criminal responsibility;

Selected Setting/Training-Specific Assessment Areas


• knowledge of a wide range of standardized assessment measures commonly used in forensic settings, including risk assessment/management;

• knowledge of intervention procedures/psychotherapy within the context of federal and provincial legal systems; and,

• knowledge of evaluation of change�

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) AssessmentIndustrial-organizational psychology (also called I/O psychology) is characterized by the scientific study of human behaviour in organizations and the workplace� The four employment sectors in which I-O psychologists primarily work include academia, consulting, industry, and government� This area of psychology focuses on deriving principles of individual, group and organizational behaviour and applying this knowledge to the solution of problems at work�

Within the assessment domain, I/O psychologists require a specific set of skills for assessing, interpreting, and communicating distinguishing characteristics of individuals for a variety of work-related purposes� The two primary purposes of individual assessment can be defined broadly as selection (e�g�, hiring, promotion, placement) and development (e�g�, career planning, skill and competency building, rehabilitation, employee counselling, coaching)�

Individual assessment may help attain multiple goals, many of which are aimed at achieving some form of person-environment fit, including assessed client fit to a specific job or career track and assessed client fit within a specific organizational context (e�g�, department, work group)� I/O assessment may also focus on the assessment of teams, projects, programs, and the organization as a whole across a variety of constructs�

Those who conduct I/O assessment should have additional knowledge competencies, including:

• Attitude Theory, Measurement, and Change

• Career Development

• Criterion Theory and Development

• Psychology of Groups and Teams

• Job/Task/Work Evaluation, Performance Appraisal, and Compensation

• Psychology of Leadership

• Occupational Health and Safety

• Organizational Development Theories

• Personnel Recruitment, Selection and Placement

• Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

• A breadth of knowledge on human motivation

• Consumer Behaviour

Parenting AssessmentPsychologists who perform parenting assessments examine various aspects of a parent’s ability/capacity, including possible risks to a child, and strengths including the parent-child attachment in a variety of contexts� Most typically, such assessments occur in private practice at the request of a parent directly, or on behalf of Children’s Services (CS), or as per a Court Ordered Assessment under Family Law Practice Note (7 or 8)� There is already a CAP published guideline for the latter context, which lists recommended areas of knowledge psychologists should have acquired to competently do such complex assessments� Arguably the list of knowledge areas found within the existing guideline would also apply for parent capacity assessments done privately and in the context of CS� Of course, in a CS context, a psychologist may have to have increased scientific knowledge of child maltreatment, including risk and protective factors, the impact of maltreatment on the child, knowledge of CS practices, policies, and the legal knowledge relevant to this context�

For further information, please see the separate Guideline entitled “Psychological Assessment for Parenting Time and Responsibility�”

Rehabilitation/Health AssessmentPsychological assessment within rehabilitation addresses factors affecting the functioning of persons with disabilities or chronic health conditions� In some cases, psychological assessment in the context of rehabilitation may evaluate individuals who have suffered work-related injuries, military-related injuries, or injuries sustained in accidents� Assessment may focus on an individual’s range of psychological, physical, psychosocial, personal, cognitive, mental health and behavioural functioning that may impact their cognitive abilities, sensory functioning, emotional-behavioural functioning, degree of dependency/independence, physical mobility, personal safety, self-identity/self-perception, self-esteem/self-confidence, self-determination, independence/adaptive skills for daily living, education, employment, coping and quality of life� Rehabilitation or health assessments may be completed in a variety of settings that include, but are not limited to acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centres, other health care centres,


and community public or private agencies servicing persons with special needs/disabilities or health conditions� Assessments in this area can be completed on an inpatient or outpatient basis and often can be conducted at the request of third parties such as insurance companies, Courts, and the Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB)�

Those who conduct Rehabilitation assessment should have additional assessment knowledge competencies including:

• Adjustment to disability for both patient and family

• Identification of the extent and nature of the disability and preserved abilities

• Educational and/or vocational capacities

• Assessment of personality and emotional functioning

• Assessment of cognitive abilities

• Healthy adult sexual functioning

• Decision-making capacity and competence

• Pain assessment

• Substance use or abuse assessment

• Assessment and management of social and behavioural functioning

• Knowledge of various legislation including Worker’s Compensation, Guardianship/Trusteeship, and familiarity with injury law, including the role of expert testimony

School PsychologySchool Psychology is the application of knowledge about human behaviour, mental health, and development to the understanding of the social, emotional and learning needs of children, adolescents and adults, and to the creation of learning environments that facilitate learning, mental health and well-being� To declare competence in school psychology, members should have knowledge of educational systems where they work, some knowledge of the operation and culture of schools, and the application of assessment data to this context�

Members who declare that they have competence in School Psychology should be able to demonstrate the following specific knowledge competencies in addition to the CORE and Formal Assessment competencies listed above:

• Knowledge of intellectual, academic, social, behavioural and emotional assessment

• Knowledge of psychodiagnostics common to school populations and the impact of these in the school setting

• Knowledge of exceptional students and Alberta Education current categories and definitions of exceptionalities

• Knowledge of normal lifespan development and cross-cultural differences in learning and socialization

• Knowledge of developmental factors and observed behaviour as they relate to psychopathology

• Knowledge of academic, instructional and remedial techniques

• Knowledge and skills in working within interdisciplinary teams for case management, program planning and crisis intervention

• Knowledge of consulting, counselling, and primary, secondary and tertiary intervention programs and techniques for school-aged populations, teachers and families

• Knowledge of systems and group behaviours within, and related to, the school organization, including school climate and culture

Therapeutic Uses of AssessmentUses of assessment (including Therapeutic) is typically a short-term intervention model in which traditional psychological tests are used collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves better and find solutions to their persistent problems� Within this model, assessment tools are primarily used for providing feedback and gaining important insights into their functioning and to set goals for change� Thus, the goal of therapeutic assessment is oriented towards using assessment tools for insight and intervention rather than diagnosis� Assessment tools typically used within therapeutic assessment include self-report and performance personality measures, cognitive measures, and selected other assessment tools for specific questions formed in collaboration with a client� Psychologists who conduct therapeutic assessment must have strongly developed skills in case formulation, understanding and integrating (when appropriate) norm-referenced assessment data, and a strong ability to provide both verbal and written feedback in a way that can lead to positive change for clients� As this area is intervention-focused, a more detailed list of competencies will not be provided within this guideline� However, it is understood that psychologists conducting therapeutic assessment should have formal assessment competencies together with intervention competencies and supervised practice in order to competently apply this model�



Informed consent requirements are already clearly outlined in the Standards of Practice� Below are outlined some assessment-specific considerations for each requirement of informed consent

1.1.1 purpose and nature of the activity;

It may be important to ensure the informed consent process covers things such as the purpose of the testing, who may receive information about the assessment, including any written reports, and how recommendations or conclusions resulting from the assessment may be implemented� Psychologists should have skills in terms of clarifying the goals or questions that are to be addressed in an assessment� Psychologists are advised to be cautious about potential competing goals for assessment and, when possible, work to bring all goals to light prior to assessing�

1.1.2 mutual responsibilities;

In assessment, it may be important to outline client responsibilities being assessed� This may include such things as effort requirements, length of time it may take to complete all testing, what sorts of tasks and activities they will be asked to do� The psychologist can also outline their responsibilities in the assessment such as review of background documents, calling collateral contacts (if any), scoring and interpreting, report writing, and approximate timelines�

1.1.3 confidentiality protections and limitations:

In assessment, this discussion may include the normal protections and limits of confidentiality but also may include who may receive a psychological assessment report and the limits or possible consequences of providing reports to third parties�

Informed Consent Considerations in Formal Assessment

1.1.4 likely benefits and risks;

Some common risks of assessment which could be mentioned include (but are not limited to) the risk of making a possible diagnosis that could be upsetting to the client or their family, the risk of not getting a clear answer to a referral question, querying rather personal or sensitive information during an assessment, the risk of how assessment results may be used or impact a person, the impact of providing a report to a third party with consent and how they might use the information�

Some common benefits of assessment may include (but are not limited to) providing certainty about the type of issue or problem, the ability to design more effective treatment plans and other recommended action plans, access to specific programs should they meet identified criteria, a client may obtain insight into oneself, aiding in decision making�

1.1.5 alternatives;

Psychologists should acknowledge to clients that there may be other options available for assessment which could include options for the assessment to be completed by other service providers (i�e�, other psychologists or allied health providers), or using alternative assessment tools (test) or models, or the option to not seek the assessment at all�

1.1.6 likely consequences of non-action;

Those who elect not to follow through on assessment following an informed consent process might be told what possible consequences could exist� This might be especially important for assessments arranged and paid for by third parties (such as Courts, Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB), Child and Family Services (CFS), Private Insurers, Schools, etc�)� The particular consequences for non-action might vary for each third-party assessment context�


1.1.7 option to refuse or withdraw at any time, without prejudice by the psychologist;

If a psychologist is contracted to assess someone by a third party, it must be clear how and when a report will be released� As well, once the report has been provided to a third party, it must be clear to a client that there is no further opportunity to rescind consent� Also, it is advisable to foster a discussion as to how a client might address any perceptions of factual inaccuracies in reports and/or disagreements with what is reported�

Assessment of minors and individuals who may not currently have the mental capacity to make reasonable independent decisions requires the assent of the client and the informed consent of the legal guardian or substitute decision-maker� While consent forms are not required to provide a service, they are advised� At a minimum, psychologists must document in the clinical file the informed consent and assent discussions held prior to providing the service�

The subject of a psychological evaluation, in some instances, is not an individual person but a couple, family, organization, or system at some other level of organization� In such cases, psychologists are advised to identify all parties from whom consent and/or assent is required�

Lastly, informed consent is required for third parties asked to provide information as a collateral source to inform the assessment findings� For example, third parties who offer information in an assessment process (e�g�, teachers, parents, spouses, co-workers, medical professionals, etc�) ought to receive information to help them determine whether they might want to participate�

Information should minimally include a sufficient description of the purpose of the assessment, what information will be requested from the collateral, an indication that their information may be used in a report of findings, who may receive the report, along with their right to choose not to participate in the assessment process�


Control and Use of Tests by PsychologistsPsychological tests have evolved substantially over time, and many legislative changes that affect psychologists have emerged and are continuing to do so� Therefore, psychologists are advised to consult and keep abreast of the relevant provincial and national acts, ethical codes and legal standards regarding the use and control of psychological tests, protocol forms and test materials in general�

Psychologists should only employ test instruments within a psychological assessment when they are competent through education, training and supervised practice to administer and interpret tests� Tests should only be used when they are appropriate for the purpose of the assessment� Psychologists are to uphold the ethical principle of fairness when administering psychological test instruments, including following standardized test procedures, obtaining information from a variety of sources, and evaluating the accuracy of results and their relative weight�

Psychologists should recognize the substantial impact assessments and results can have on clients both positively and negatively�

Companies who sell psychological tests distinguish between various levels of tests in terms of the qualifications required to access or use such tests� The highest level of tests in terms of access and qualifications are referred to as Level C tests� These include intellectual, personality, clinical syndrome/diagnostic, neuropsychological, and other advanced measures� In general, psychologists in Alberta should have competence in the area of Formal Assessment to have access to and be able to use and interpret Level C tests� In addition, they should have knowledge of and direct supervised experience in using any particular test in a clinical context�

As indicated within the Standards of Practice, psychologists who wish to add formal assessment as a new area of competent practice must abide by the following Standard:

4.3 A psychologist, when developing competency in a professional service area that is new to the psychologist, shall engage in ongoing consultation with a psychologist or other professional who has expertise in that area, and shall seek appropriate education, training and supervision in the new area. The psychologist shall advise the College in writing of the steps taken to acquire the competency, prior to engaging in independent practice in the new area.

Referral Question/GoalAll forms of psychological evaluation begin with a referral question or referral goal and consider the intended audience of an assessment� Psychologists draw on diverse methods of evaluation, determining which methods are best suited to answer a referral question/goal� As per the definitions of General and Formal Assessment, the choice by a psychologist to use specific tests to answer a referral question will be determined by a psychologist’s declared area of assessment competency and the referral question itself�

It is not necessary to use formal psychological tests to answer all referral questions or goals� However, it is acknowledged that the use of formal standardized and norm-referenced psychological tests may sometimes be necessary to address some referral questions (see above) and can often add incremental validity and improve the accuracy of conclusions and action steps� Psychologists are encouraged to utilize assessment methods that have adequate scientific evidence of reliability and validity


for the purpose at hand� Psychologists ensure they have the competency through education, training, and supervised experience as well as the resources needed to address the referral question/goal accurately and validly�

Selecting and Administering Tests CurrencyPsychologists should use the most current edition of the test and norms unless there is compelling rationale to use a previous edition� Generally, it is expected that psychologists will adopt and use the current edition of a test for clinical use within one year of the release date� It would generally be considered poor practice to use tests beyond two years after a new edition has been available� Exceptions to this might occur if there are errors in a new version of a measure that are being corrected by the publisher, if there are open questions or critiques in the scientific literature about a new edition, if there are local norms for the older version of the test and these norms are still unavailable for the newer edition, and if there is unclear evidence on how a test may reliably or validly assess certain constructs or address referral questions/goals� The rationale for using newer versions of a test is that new tests often benefit from updated norms, new learnings about psychological constructs, and may have information from scientific studies that help improve construct reliability and validity�

Alternate usePsychologists should avoid using tests for purposes other than those recommended by the test publisher unless there is good evidence to support an alternative intended use or interpretation� Should psychologists use a test for a purpose other than that recommended by the test publisher, they should be careful to note the rationale for this choice, or limitations to their conclusions� Further, psychologists should use tests developed for screening purposes only for identifying test-takers who may need further evaluation�

AdministrationPsychologists should administer and score tests accurately and fairly, following established standardized procedures for administering and scoring tests� Modifications to standardized test content or procedures should be made only based on carefully considered professional judgement in response to specific client circumstances/barriers

such as language, physical impairments, certain telehealth evaluations, cultural considerations and the like� The rationale and potential limitations of the modifications on the validity of the scores should be noted when reporting the results�

Interpreting TestsRaw ScoresUninterpreted raw scores should only be released to psychologists or other allied regulated health professionals, provided they have training in formal assessment� This applies unless raw scores are ordered to be released by a Court of competent jurisdiction� Derived scores such as standard scores, percentiles, or age/grade equivalents should only be disclosed to clients within the context of either an interpretive report or verbal debriefing that contains appropriate descriptions of score meanings and with appropriate cautions about the limitations of the reliability and validity of the scores�

Interpretation of ScoresPsychologists should interpret test scores following established procedures, interpretive considerations from the scientific literature, and the publisher’s instructions� Psychologists are cautioned against using a single test item and/or subtest score as the sole determinant of interpretive decisions such as a diagnosis or other conclusions about a client� Composite scores and use of multiple data sources are generally more robust in offering any such interpretation� Test items/scores must be used in conjunction with other information to draw definitive conclusions about the subject of an assessment�

Computer Generated ReportsThe psychologist should not rely solely on interpretive reports which are generated automatically by a computer based on a profile of scores� The psychologist has the responsibility to evaluate the computer-based interpretation of test performance in light of other clinical information�

Furthermore, the simple submission of a cut-and-paste of generic computer-generated interpretations into the final report is not acceptable� Aspects of such reports should be integrated into the body of an individually written report or; directly quoted materials from computer-generated reports should be referenced appropriately� This is to ensure the assessment accurately reflects the individual and their circumstances�

Testing MaterialsTest PurchasingWhere possible, psychologists assume responsibility for the ordering and purchasing of psychological tests that are under their control� For example, the psychologists whose name has been used to order a test should have the authority to determine who is able to access or utilize the test� Where tests are ordered under a psychologist’s name, but a non-psychologist, such as a manager or director, who claims authority and control over the use of tests, the psychologist is urged to make them aware of these guidelines� It is important to recognize that the access and use of psychological tests is not restricted to psychologists but may also be accessible to appropriately trained allied regulated health professionals�

As well, psychologists who purchase psychological test materials from test publishers enter into a contractual arrangement with the publisher and should be aware of and respect their contractual duties unless compelled to do so otherwise by law� For example, publishers may establish a policy of non-disclosure of psychological test materials�

Test Security and StoragePsychologists are responsible for protecting the security of standardized tests, including respecting copyrights and eliminating opportunities for unauthorized persons to obtain test information, protocols, or scores by inappropriate means� This includes ensuring client files are securely stored as per the CAP Standards of Practice�

Cleaning and Disinfecting Test Materials and DevicesPsychologists are to be mindful of the need for practices that ensure materials that are touched by clients are appropriately cleaned and disinfected� Psychologists are encouraged to reference Health Canada and Alberta Health websites regarding requirements/recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting shared test materials�

Disposal of Test MaterialsOutdated testing materials should be disposed of in a secure manner� This might include secure shredding services that could handle larger test kit items, the resale of usable test materials to a qualified colleague, returning products to the publisher, or secure storage options�



Remote/Online Testing

(a) Maintain competence in remote psychology assessment services�

(b) Maintain competence in the use and knowledge of the technology required to conduct remote assessment services�

(c) Keep the integrity of standardized administration procedures as much as possible�

(d) Devise a method for confirming the identity of clients being assessed�

(e) Devise a plan that addresses technology failures�

(f) Communicate the need for clients to ensure a confidential space�

(g) Work to ensure test security�

(h) Note in their report that the assessment was conducted through remote/online delivery�

There are many possible reasons why a psychologist may consider providing an assessment service, including administration of tests via remote/online delivery� Psychologists should, at a minimum:

Additionally, psychologists should be generally aware of the scientific literature in regards to providing assessment services and interpreting assessment measures through alternative delivery methods� Several useful guides have been recently published in this regard�

Psychologists are recommended to review the guidance found within (but not limited to) the following documents:

(August 2020) Guidelines for best practices in psychological remote/tele assessments Version 1� A joint task force publication of the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) and Canadian Association of Psychologists in Disability Assessment�

Wright, J�, Mihura, J�L�, Pade, H� and McCord, D�M� (May 1, 2020) Guidance on psychological tele-assessment during the COVID-19 crisis� APA�

The BC College of Psychologists has a useful Telepsychology Assessment Checklist�


Requests for Psychological Test InformationResponding to Client Requests for Access to Test Scores and/or Test ProtocolsIn responding to clients who seek access to the psychological test protocols or specific test scores, the psychologist’s response to such requests should consider their obligations to maintain test security, the needs of any third-party referral source (if any), and the client’s needs and/or best interests� The following courses of action may be considered in response to such requests:

1) explain their contractual and ethical obligations to not provide test protocols or raw scores directly to the client;

2) offer to review test results directly with the client in order to clarify the meaning of results and answer client questions;

3) offer to provide test results in a summarized format to give meaning and context, without providing copies of test materials themselves;

4) offer to provide test results, including raw scores and a copy of protocols to another service provider with the client’s expressed consent;

Responding to Third-Party Requests for Access to Tests Scores and/or Test ResultsAs per the Standards of Practice, psychological assessment results are confidential and are to be shared only with the signed informed consent by the client, unless required by law� When a client is referred by a paying third party for assessment, informed consent for the release of the report to the third party should be covered at the outset during the informed consent discussion and the psychologist should obtain a signed release form from the person being assessed�

As a general rule, the psychologist should fully disclose interpreted psychological test findings and test data to their clients, or third-party referral sources with consent, but should refrain from releasing or disclosing test materials, other than to another psychologist, unless required to do so by law�

Psychologists should also exercise judgement for requests to release psychological test material and/or raw test data (with client consent) to allied health and other professionals at the request of a client, even including other psychologists� This is because not all psychologists in Alberta necessarily have foundational formal assessment training� Also, some, but not all, allied regulated health professionals may have requisite training/competence in the interpretation and use of psychological tests� A psychologist is advised to exercise clinical judgement in making the decision to release test protocols and data� It may be advisable, prior to release of such information, to make an inquiry of the health professional in question as to their background preparation and training in administering and interpreting psychological assessment measures, including the specific measures used in your assessment� This step may ensure that the professional identified to receive psychological test data has agreed to take on such data and the responsibilities that go along with it� Of course, it is the individual professional responsibility of the receiving professional to only accept psychological test data on behalf of a client if they have the competence required to do so�

The psychologist should carefully weigh the demands and requests of competing interests (such as lawyers, employers, and test publishers), and should consider seeking a consult with CAP, colleagues and/or legal counsel when requests for access to test materials are made and it is not clear whether complying with the request is advisable�


Use of Psychological Tests for Research Purposes

Psychological Reports

In general, psychologists who use psychological tests for research purposes must exercise the same precautions for test security and have adequate competence to correctly administer such tests� Test results used for research purposes should not individually identify the clients who participated in the research�

Report WritingPsychologists typically communicate the results of the assessment within a report� Typical sections included in traditional psychological reports are the reason for referral, assessment procedures, interview information, psychometric results, assessment limitations, conclusions and recommendations� Psychologists are not required to follow a traditional report writing style and may employ alternative report writing styles/formats as supported by the context they work in and the scientific literature on best practices in report writing� It is generally considered best practice to write reports using language that is understandable for the intended audience of the report� Also, psychologists should be mindful to describe and consider a client’s strengths and not solely focus upon symptoms, weaknesses, disabilities, impairments and diagnoses�

Limitations Affecting Assessment or OpinionAs per the CAP Standards of Practice, psychologists shall include some form of statement in a psychological report on the limits of the validity, reliability of results� Psychologists should also state any limits on their interpretations/opinions based on those results�

Freedom from BiasPsychologists abide by the CPA Code of Ethics which requires that they provide professional interpretations/opinions in a manner that is understandable, reflective of the multiple assessment data points, fair, and as free from bias as possible� Psychologists should be open to concerns raised by others about potential unrecognized biases and take appropriate actions

in such circumstances� Psychologists should take into consideration of how one’s own biases, external pressures, personal needs, self-interest, or cultural, social, historical, economic, institutional, legal, or political context and background might influence a psychological assessment�

Timeliness As per the CAP Standards of Practice, psychologists shall produce required reports in a timely manner and that honour any agreements made with clients� A reasonable length of time to complete an assessment may be quite variable depending on the context of a particular assessment� While not meant to be prescriptive, psychologists are generally recommended to complete written reports within 4-8 weeks after the last professional contact or last receipt of psychological test data and/or information� Where deadlines for delivery of the psychological report or results are specified and agreed upon during informed consent, or by a contract, Court Order, or other informal agreement, psychologists should honour such agreements� When psychologists become aware of factors that could lead to unexpected delays in the production of a report or having complete results, they should inform the affected parties as soon as possible, providing a new estimate of when their report may be expected� Psychologists should be open to concerns about untoward delays and work to take appropriate actions to minimize any negative impacts delays may have on others�

Data SourcesPsychologists are diligent in documenting and securely retaining information used in the forming of their professional opinion�


Special Issues in Assessment

Assessment SupervisionSkill Matching and Supervisee DevelopmentSupervisors are to monitor and support their supervisees development of foundational knowledge, technical assessment skills, report writing and communication of results, and integration of multiple data sources to determine appropriate answers to questions and action plans during an assessment� Supervisors are expected to play a role in the decision to accept assessment referrals by a provisional psychologist/supervisee in light of their supervisee’s current level of professional competence and the degree of supervision support required�

Quality Assurance (Including Signing of Reports)The role of the supervisor entails overseeing all aspects of the registered provisional psychologist’s work, including but not limited to the accuracy, quality, timeliness, and outcome of all aspects of the assessment process� All supervised written work going to clients must be signed by the provisional psychologist/supervisee and countersigned by the supervisor�

File MaintenanceSupervisors of registered provisional psychologists are to ensure the proper storage and secure maintenance of the files of their supervisee(s)�

Use and Role of PsychometristsPsychologists who complete assessments involving the use of tests may elect to utilize the services of a psychometrist� A psychometrist

is typically responsible for the administration and scoring of psychological tests under the supervision of a psychologist� While CAP does not select the minimum standards or have authority over psychometrists, a psychometrist generally is recommended to have education and training that emphasizes accuracy, validity, use of appropriate norms, accurate behavioural observations, and standardization in test administration� In some cases, a psychometrist, with appropriate training and supervision, may also be responsible for collecting selective demographic information from a client/patient� The minimum recommended education level for a psychometrist by the National Association of Psychometrists is a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology or a related field from an accredited college or university� Psychologists must supervise psychometrists according to the published guidelines for supervising non-psychologists (Psychologists Supervising Persons Not Regulated by The College of Alberta Psychologists, 2013)�

Psychologists are advised, as per the Guidelines on Informed Consent, that they must not permit someone else to establish informed consent with a client on their behalf� This includes psychometrists� However, psychometrists should have guidance on when and how to seek informed consent from clients for the provision of their services�

Also, it is generally advised that psychometrists not be given more advanced clinical responsibilities (e�g�, clinical interviewing, test interpretation, and/or report writing) unless they have sufficient requisite knowledge, education, clinical judgement and supervised experience in such activities� Importantly, psychologists remain responsible for the overall psychological assessment, the results and the written report�


Psychologists also must take responsibility for the supervision and conduct of psychometrists in carrying out psychological services�

Third-Party ObserversA third-party observer (TPO) is an individual, other than the client and the psychologist (and the psychometrician or translator, if applicable), who is physically present in the room at the time of the provision of psychological services� An involved TPO (such as an attorney, a psychologist or a parent) is one who, directly or indirectly, has a stake in the outcome of a client examination and/or has been hired by only one of the parties� An uninvolved TPO (such as a student observing an assessment) does not have a stake in the outcome�

Healthcare providers are increasingly under scrutiny by the public, colleagues, regulators and the legal system� Consequently, psychologists are often asked to allow TPOs to be present during their assessments, or to act as TPOs during assessments performed by other psychologists� Involved TPOs are most widely used in litigation and are typically interested in the process being followed and the examinee’s responses� While often perceived as adversarial and divisive for the profession, TPOs may also provide support for the client�

Fundamental issues to be considered:A key issue in psychological assessment is the reliability and validity of test findings� A critical objective of any assessment is to minimize any deviation from standardized administration procedures in order to obtain the most reliable and valid comparison to the normative reference group upon which the test was developed� Norms for standardized tests are developed under specified conditions; failure to meet the specified conditions may affect the validity of scaled scores obtained from the application of test norms� There is no normative base for interpreting scores obtained with TPOs present� When two sets of assessment data are compared, if one is performed with a TPO and the other is not, direct comparisons are dubious� As well, the role of differential observational modalities (audiotaping, videotaping or observing through one-way glass) that involve the implied presence of an observer may also result in observational effects�

Test security is another reason to consider restricting TPOs (including differential observational modalities) as their presence may violate copyright provisions; psychologists

have a contractual obligation to protect trade secrets and the intellectual property of the test publisher�

Lastly, there is some evidence with specific assessment types that the presence of TPOs, including the presence of audio and video recording devices, can have a negative impact on certain types of test performance�

Due to these fundamental issues, test publishers and numerous professional bodies (for example, the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Pearson Education Inc�) advise against permitting the use of either involved or non-involved TPOs� Furthermore, exceptions to the above position are endorsed only under exceptional circumstances wherein the assessment could not proceed otherwise�

Alberta Rules of Court and TPOs:The terms “healthcare professional” and “medical examination” are broadly defined in the Alberta Rules of Court and would include a psychologist undertaking a psychological or neuropsychological assessment� The Alberta Rules of Court deal with medical examinations by healthcare professionals and allow the presence of TPOs but do not compel a psychologist to participate� The Alberta Rules of Court allow a judge to limit the presence of an observer� Note that psychologists may request the judge to limit the presence of an observer, if appropriate� The request may involve limiting the presence of an observer to the interview portion of the assessment, using a professionally acceptable protective cover for test stimuli (if testing is observed) and requiring the sealing, destruction or return of copyrighted material at the close of the matter� Psychologists who participate in a TPO situation should document the rationale for consenting to a TPO and, in accordance with the College’s Standards of Practice, shall include, in the explanation of results of an assessment, or the provision of opinion, any circumstances that limit the validity, reliability or interpretation of results�

Offering of Verbal Feedback or Debriefings Following an AssessmentIt is generally considered best practice to offer a verbal feedback session with the person(s) being assessed following an assessment for a majority of psychological assessment contexts�


Such verbal feedback about assessment results should be communicated in ways that are developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate, and that are meaningful and helpful� Verbal feedback sessions permit a psychologist to obtain feedback from clients on the impact of their assessment which can guide improvements in their professional work�

There may be circumstances/contexts where a verbal feedback session may not be offered by a psychologist to the person(s) being assessed� Where a verbal feedback session is not offered, the psychologist should make this clear at the outset of the service as part of the informed consent process�

Contexts where a verbal feedback session may not be offered vary and may be for a variety of reasons including the inaccessibility to provide such a session to a client (e�g�, incarcerated individuals), potential safety concerns, legal restrictions, and concerns regarding impacting the objectivity of the assessor�

Having said this, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists should be considered by the psychologist involved in offering to make themselves available or to respond to requests for feedback after an assessment� First, there is a general responsibility to ensure that information provided is understood and to correct any possible misunderstandings which may be derived from a written report� Second, there is an obligation to be willing to review and correct any factual errors made in a report as per both the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Practice� Third, verbal feedback sessions of assessment results may provide the psychologist with an opportunity, in appropriate circumstances, to clarify interpretations and encourage the client to follow recommendations meant to assist the client in addressing any identified needs, having a healthier perspective about themselves, taking steps to ameliorate client distress or mental illness, and/or supporting their development� Finally, a psychologist may need to fully explain their reasons for any actions to those impacted by their actions if appropriate and if asked� This is as per the following Code of Ethics Standard which states:

III.16 Fully explain reasons for their actions to the individuals and groups (e.g., couples, families, organizations, communities, peoples) that have been affected by their actions, if appropriate and if asked.

It is a matter of clinical judgement on the part of the psychologist to determine the appropriateness of providing additional verbal explanations for

assessment findings and/or recommendations� Psychologists should also exercise judgement in terms of whether any third parties are permitted to be present during a verbal feedback session of assessment results�

When an assessment recipient is a minor child, it is generally accepted practice for verbal feedback sessions to be provided to parents/guardians� If a feedback session is offered with a child present the psychologist should exercise good clinical judgement in how feedback is given that is mindful of the child’s developmental understanding and is geared toward positive encouragement and support of the child’s best interests�

Psychologists may offer to assist clients in providing explanations and clarification regarding the psychological assessment (or report) completed by another professional, provided they have the formal assessment competence to do so and that they recognize the limits of what opinions they may express not having completed the assessment themselves�

Independent Medical Examinations Done by PsychologistsIndependent Medical Examinations can be requested by insurance companies, benefits providers, Human Resources managers, lawyers, WCB, and/or employers� In most cases, an IME is conducted when an individual has been injured and requires an objective third-party assessment to confirm the existence and/or extent of any possible injuries� The IME report is often used to confirm or deny benefits, coverage, or settlements to the individual and the report can also provide steps for safe return to work procedures for employers to follow�

There is legislation in the WCB Act Alberta and the Alberta Rules of Court that pertain to IME� A psychologist who conducts IME should be familiar with the relevant legislation� Despite the use of the term “Medical” for such evaluations, psychologists are qualified to conduct Independent Medical Examinations (IME)� Psychologists who conduct IME should minimally have formal assessment competency but may also require the additional competencies listed in the specialization areas listed above� For example, some IME may be requested to make an objective assessment for a possible brain injury/concussion following an injury� In such cases, a psychologist may require competence to conduct neuropsychological assessment in order to objectively and competently offer opinions� Additionally, psychologists may need to be familiar with issues related to symptom validity and effort when conducting an IME�


An IME is expected to be wholly objective and impartial on the part of the psychologist� This does not mean the psychologist is to be professionally “unsympathetic,” brusque or indifferent to the client/claimant’s concerns/complaints/reported injury� A psychologist who conducts IME can be helpful and supportive to the client/claimant, can employ procedures designed to facilitate rapport, as well remain as objective and impartial as possible, offering a professional opinion on the client’s/claimant’s issues including diagnosis, causation, recommended interventions and prognosis�

Pandemics and OutbreaksPsychologists must exercise professional judgement in the provision of assessment services in person during times of outbreak/pandemic� The introduction of COVID-19 has brought to the forefront the importance of professional judgement in making informed and well-reasoned decisions regarding if/how best to safely provide in-person testing or whether to offer remote services� In times of pandemics or outbreaks when the province declares an Emergency under the Emergencies Act or issues Public Health Orders, it is the psychologist’s responsibility to ensure they stay informed and follow any such orders� Likewise, psychologists should seek to stay informed of guidance provided by CAP in such circumstances, as this will often have additional information about how to adjust one’s practice in light of public health circumstances to ensure public safety and their own safety� It is important that psychologists remember to exercise their clinical judgement during such ambiguous times and consider safety as being paramount in all decision making�

Jurisdictional Laws and JurisprudencePsychologists conducting assessments are to be licensed in the jurisdictions where the client is and/or where the assessment is taking place, as well as to be aware of all relevant laws and regulatory requirements for the jurisdiction in which they are practicing� It is important to recognize that legislation may vary across jurisdiction for key issues such as age of consent, mandatory reporting, record retention, etc�

Assessment with Diverse Cultures Including Indigenous Cultures – Response to TRCCAP initiated a new Standard of Practice in 2019 which requires that psychologists be aware of

the current and historical injustices suffered by Indigenous populations� Standard #18�1 states:

18.1 A psychologist shall take reasonable steps to familiarize themselves with the current and historical injustices suffered by Indigenous peoples prior to providing services, and ensure all professional activities are performed in a culturally sensitive, safe and competent practice.

For assessment, there are a number of recommendations for psychologists to be mindful of in providing assessment to Indigenous or other culturally diverse populations that are in the spirit of the TRC� It is recommended that:

1) Psychologists need to consider that broad definitions and operationalization of assessed constructs may be largely situated within a mainstream cultural context that is unique and should not necessarily be superimposed upon those individuals they assess� Psychologists should consider the influence of the unique cultural, historical and situational context of the person in terms of how one interprets the constructs that are being assessed�

2) Psychologists who include direct observation as part of an assessment process within a person’s home, school or community should be mindful of the concrete lived experience of the person they assess�

3) Assessment procedures need to be flexible and respect a person’s desire to include others such as parents, grandparents, caregivers, elders, community or other family members�

4) Psychologists should be mindful of the potentially harmful and stigmatizing influence of diagnostic terminology or labelling someone with a diagnosis in their assessment with diverse cultural groups including Indigenous peoples� Thus, the focus should be on helpful descriptions and on informing treatment�

5) Psychologists should become familiar with cultural conceptualizations of pathology and consider these in their assessments�

6) Psychologists have a broad responsibility to work to develop and promote the development of local norms and culturally appropriate psychological tests and procedures�

7) Psychologists will need to carefully consider the use of psychological tests that have a limited normative basis for interpretation of results for certain diverse groups such as Indigenous peoples�

8) Psychologists are advised to work collaboratively with individuals and communities to develop the most culturally appropriate tests or procedures as possible�

9) Psychologists should be mindful of their client’s autonomy and seek to empower those they assess by providing feedback that is focused upon their potential to learn, have success, create, or contribute to the community�

10) Psychologists should be mindful that many clients may have a natural and inherent barrier to trusting an assessor based upon the current and historical factors that have served to lower trust� Psychologists should thus spend time to build or facilitate trust with those they assess�

11) Psychologists should be mindful of their obligations for continuity of care by being available for ongoing consultation, monitoring the impact of their assessment recommendations, treatment and long-term findings� Psychologists should work to avoid the practice of drop-in/fly-in assessment services with no follow-up with the clients or the community regarding their professional work�

12) Psychologists would do well to be reminded that their highest ethical responsibility lies with those who are most vulnerable when they are assessing a person� This is typically the person being assessed� This is true regardless of who may be paying for a service

Continuing CompetenceIt is a Standard of Practice that psychologists are expected to maintain their competence in assessment and adhere to the Continuing Competence Program as approved by Council�

Psychologists have a responsibility to remain current in the knowledge and skills in their declared areas of assessment competency�

Additional ResourcesThe Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, a good general reference on assessment, was jointly developed initially in 1999 by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education (American Educational Research Association), American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education� It was revised in 2013�

CAP Practice Guideline: Psychological Assessment of Parenting Time and Responsibilities (2019)

CAP Practice Guideline: Telepsychology Services (2018)


Documents

Psychological Assessment and Testing