Read through these instructions first, then:

1. Go to http://lectica.org . Click on "log in" in the menu at the top of the page. Complete the log in form with your username and password. If you are unsure of your username or password, click on the "forgot password" link.

Please note: choose "generation" from the drop down list when asked "who directed you to take an assessment".

2. After logging in, you will arrive on the assessment selection page. To take an assessment, click on the assessment icon, then follow the link to begin. For example, to take the LDMA, click on the LDMA icon, then on “take the LDMA.”

3. After beginning an assessment, you will arrive on the "How to take a Lectical Assessment" page. Read through the instructions. Remember, what you get out of a Lectical Assessment will depend on what you put into it. Give yourself the time and space to provide a sample of your best thinking and writing.

4. Write your responses directly into the fields on each page. Unless you have been instructed otherwise, you do not have to complete this assessment in a single sitting.. However, if you stop working on a page for more than 15 minutes at a time, you may lose the work you have done on that page if you have not saved it. If you must leave your computer, always click "SAVE YOUR WORK". If you are using an older browser, it is a good idea to click "SAVE YOUR WORK" every 10-15 minutes.

5. If you’re not able to complete your assessment in one sitting, or if you’d prefer to answer in stages, submit the last page you were working on and log out. You’ll be able to use your username and password to log in and continue the assessment. Never try to return to an assessment by using "bookmarks" or leaving the assessment page open.

6. When you wish to resume the assessment, log in. Click on the assessment icon, then follow the link to continue. For example, to resume your LDMA, click on the LDMA icon and then on “continue your LDMA." Click through the completed pages until you reach the page you’d like to work on.

7. When your assessment results have been released, you will receive an email with instructions for viewing your report.

If you want to a full report, you must select a management
level. If you are not a manager at present, please choose the management level for which you think you are qualified. That will ensure that you get all of the feedback possible.

Important: It is best to put your answers into a Word document and copy and paste them onto the website so you have a record of your answers. Also, make sure you completely finish by clicking submit on the last page or your answers will be lost.

Your report requires up to three weeks to fully score and process, your coach will send your report to you when it is completed.

HOW TO TAKE A LECTICAL™ ASSESSMENT

Important note: What you get out of a Lectical assessment will depend on what you put into it. Give yourself the time and space to provide a sample of your best thinking and writing.

The mechanics

Please read these instructions carefully, even if you’re the kind of person who tends not to do so!

Go to http://devtestservice.org
If you have not already registered, complete the registration form, by selecting "create an account" under "test takers" in the main menu (on the right-hand side of the page).
Once you’ve created a user name and password, please write it down in a secure location.
Log in to the site by completing the log in form.
After logging in, click on “test takers” in the main menu (on the right), and then “take an assessment.”
Read the instructions carefully. Only register once on this site. Registering twice may cause you to lose all of your previous work. For confidentiality, feel free to use a personal email address. Avoid using a yahoo or AOL email address. For some reason the spam filters for those two services tend to cause problem).
Click on “Lectical assessments and reports.”
Locate the name of the assessment you have been directed to take. Click on “ABOUT” to learn more.
When you’re ready, go back to “Lectical assessments and reports” and click on “START.”
Before you begin filling in your personal information, follow the link “taking Lectical assessments.” It is very important to read this.
Write your responses directly into the fields on each page. To be on the safe side, before submitting each page, always save your essays in a word processor or text editor to protect yourself against time-outs or lost connections.
You may have a block of time to complete the assessment in one sitting. If you’re not able to, or if you’d prefer to answer in stages, you’ll be able to use your username and password to log in and continue the assessment. But again, don’t forget to save everything, just in case!
If you need to leave the assessment before it is finished, submit the last page you were working on and log out.
When you wish to resume the assessment, log in and return to the selection page. Select the link (it will be a number.) under “complete assessment” to finish the assessment you have already begun. Click through the completed pages until you reach the page you’d like to work on. If work was lost due to a time out or lost connection, you can paste your saved work into the appropriate field(s).
If you have already started an assessment, please DO NOT start again. Instead, select the link under “complete assessment” to finish the assessment you have already begun.

How to answer the questions: Answering versus explaining

When you take a lectical assessment, you will be asked a series of questions that require you to explain your thinking.

You provide answers all of the time. An answer is a decision, a choice, or a fact. Most tests require factual answers. Lectical assessments are different. When you take a lectical assessment, you are required to explain your thinking. For example, here is a reflective judgment dilemma like those we use in the LRJA:

There have been frequent reports about the relationship between chemicals that are added to foods and the safety of these foods. Some studies indicate that such chemicals can cause cancer, making these foods unsafe to eat. Other studies, however, show that chemical additives are not harmful, and actually make the foods containing them safer to eat.

This dilemma, if it was part of an LRJA, would be followed by a series of probing questions—questions that ask for judgments and justifications. One such question would be:

How is it possible that experts can come to such different conclusions?

This question does not have one correct answer. It’s like most real-life questions; there are many ways to think about it, so people disagree—even the experts.

When you answer a question like this one on a lectical assessment, we can’t score your answer unless you show us your thinking. To provide an accurate score, we need you to show off your best thinking. Here is an example of a poorly explained response:

They disagree because they are all biased. Everyone is biased.

This is what we call an unscorable response. Even though it is clear that this student believes bias is the reason experts disagree, the response doesn’t tell us enough to provide a score. We need to know how this person thinks about bias and how it works to create disagreement. Here is a well-explained response:

They disagree because they are all biased. Everyone is biased. Even though experts like scientists use special methods to gather evidence and evaluate it, different scientists with different backgrounds will see things differently. This could be because they look at different evidence, do different kinds of experiments, or have different attitudes about risk. Sometimes an expert who is employed by a company that adds chemicals to food will prefer to look at evidence that shows chemicals to be safe. Even if he is trying to be fair, he will probably be biased.

It is not what this person says that makes this a scorable response, it is the amount and clarity of the explanation she provides. We can understand how she is thinking. Before you take a lectical assessment, consider how you would answer this question. What kind of explanation would you provide?

How to deal with any problems that arise

At DTS, we are constantly improving our assessments, incorporating what we have learned from test-takers and academic research. This means that Lectical assessments are never “finished”. Each time we make a change to an existing assessment, we run the risk of introducing a bug or two. You may find one of these, especially if you are taking a research assessment. If you have any problems with the site, please contact us immediately. We respond promptly.