Army Beta The Army Beta is a non - verbal complement of the Army alpha — a group - administered test that was developed by Robert Yerkes and six other committee members to evaluate some 1 . 5 million military recruits in the United States during World War I . It was used for the purpose of evaluating illiterate , unschooled and foreign speaking army recruits . It has been recognized as an archetype of future cognitive ability tests . The time to administer the test was 50 to 60 minutes and was generally administered to 100 - 200 men in a group ( . The test was discontinued after WWI Structure . The Army Beta is divided into 7 tests . Army recruits are asked to complete each test as quickly as they possibly can . The materials needed for this test are a blackboard frame , blackboard chart and cardboard pieces . Test 1 . This test assessed the ability of army recruits to trace the path of a maze . In order to administer this , the administrator has a demonstrator trace a maze in front of the recruits slowly with a crayon . While doing so , the demonstrator would at one point purposefully make a mistake and wait until the administrator corrected him . After the administrator did so , the demonstrator would trace the rest of the maze and indicate that it must be done quickly . After this , the administrator would order the army recruits to take the maze test in their books by pointing to the subjects , then the books and telling them to " hurry up " . While they are taking the test , the demonstrator would attempt to rush the army recruits and after 2 minutes , tell them to stop Test 2 . This test assessed the ability of cube analysis . In order to administer this , the administrator would point to a three - cube model on the blackboard and have the army recruits count how many there were . He would then do the same with a 12 - cube model . After demonstrating how the test works , he would then have the army recruits turn the next page in their books and begin . The test had 17 items ascending difficulty : 1 ) 2 - cube model , 2 ) 4 - cube model , 3 ) 6 - cube model , 4 ) 8 - cube model , 5 ) 12 - cube model , 6 ) 27 - cube model , 7 ) 15 - cube model , 8 ) 15 - cube model , 9 ) 18 - cube model , 10 ) 19 - cube model , 11 ) 40 - cube model , 12 ) 10 - cube model , 13 ) 22 - cube model , 14 ) 13 - cube model , 15 ) 20 - cube model , 16 ) 50 - cube model . After 2 minutes and 30 seconds , the test was over and the administrator would tell them to stop Test 3 . This test assessed the ability of pattern analysis using an X - O series . In order to administer this , the administrator would first point to the blank rectangles at the end , then draw an O . The demonstrator would then draw the rest of the pattern in . The administrator and the demonstrator would do the same with another pattern using an X . The administrator would then have the army recruits do the same with the problems in their books . After 1 minute and 45 seconds , the test was over and the administrator would tell them to stop Test 4 . This test assessed the ability of coding digits with symbols . In order to administer this , the administrator would first point to the first digit of the key on a blackboard then point to the symbol under it . He would then do the same for all nine digits in the key . Afterwards , the demonstrator would fill in all of the appropriate symbols for the digits . The administrator would then have the army recruits do the same with the problems they have in their books . After 2 minutes , the test was over and the administrator would tell them to stop Test 5 . This test assessed the ability of number checking . If digits were the same for both groups of numbers , then army recruits were to mark that they were the same with an ' X ' . In order to administer this , the administrator would first need to try and get a " Yes " or " No " response from the group when pointing to the first number of the first group and first number of the second group and asking if they are the same . If army recruits gave the wrong response , the administrator would point to the two numbers again and tell them the right answer . Afterwards , the administrator would have the demonstrator make an imaginary cross in order to communicate with army recruits that this was the way to indicate they are the same . The administrator and demonstrator would do this with three more sets , then the administrator would point to the page and tell the army recruits to begin . After 3 minutes , the test was over and the administrator would tell them to stop http : / / books . google . com / books / reader ? id = xhECAAAAYAAJ & printsec = frontcover & output = reader & pg = GBS . PA86 . The following are the problems used : 1 ) 650 . . . 650 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 25 ) 10243586 . . . 10243586 ( X ) 2 ) 041 . . . 044 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 26 ) 659012534 . . . 659021354 3 ) 2570 . . . 2570 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 27 ) 888172902 . . . 381872902 4 ) 3281 . . . 3281 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28 ) 631027594 . . . 631027594 ( X ) 5 ) 55100 . . . 55102 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 29 ) 249901354 . . . 2499901534 6 ) 39190 . . . 39190 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30 ) 2261059310 . . . 2261659310 7 ) 658049 . . . 658049 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 31 ) 2911038227 . . . 2911038227 ( X ) 8 ) 3295017 . . . 3290517 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 32 ) 313377752 . . . 313377752 ( X ) 9 ) 63015991 . . . 63019991 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 33 ) 1012938567 . . . 1012938567 ( X ) 10 ) 39007106 . . . 39007106 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 34 ) 7166220988 . . . 7162220988 11 ) 69931087 . . . 69931087 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 35 ) 3177628449 . . . 3177682449 12 ) 251004818 . . . 251004418 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 36 ) 468672063 . . . 468672663 ( X ) 13 ) 299056013 . . . 299056013 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 37 ) 9104529003 . . . 9194529003 14 ) 36015902 . . . 360155902 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 38 ) 3484657120 . . . 3484657210 15 ) 3910066482 . . . 391006482 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 39 ) 8588172556 . . . 8581722556 16 ) 8510273301 . . . 8510273301 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 40 ) 3120166671 . . . 3120166671 ( X ) 17 ) 263136996 . . . 263136996 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 41 ) 7611348870 . . . 76111345879 18 ) 451152903 . . . 451152903 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 42 ) 26557239164 . . . 26557239164 ( X ) 19 ) 3259016275 . . . 3295016725 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 43 ) 8819002341 . . . 8819002341 ( X ) 20 ) 582039144 . . . 582039144 ( X ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 44 ) 6571018034 . . . 6571018034 ( X ) 21 ) 61558520 . . . 61588520 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 45 ) 38779762514 . . . 38778765214 22 ) 211915883 . . . 219913883 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 46 ) 39008126557 . . . 39008126657 23 ) 670413822 . . . 670143822 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 47 ) 75658100398 . . . 75658100398 ( X ) 24 ) 17198591 . . . 17198591 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 48 ) 41181900726 . . . 41181900726 ( X ) Test 6 . This test assessed the ability of pictorial completion . Army recruits are present with pictures with something missing and they are supposed to draw it . In order to administer this , the administrator shows the demonstrator a picture of a hand with a missing finger and tells him to " Fix it " . At first , the demonstrator does nothing and looks puzzled , then the administrator would point to place where the finger is missing and repeat to the demonstrator " Fix it ; fix it " . The demonstrator would then draw the missing finger . The administrator and demonstrator would then do the same procedure for a fish that is missing an eye . After which , the administrator points to four more samples and has the demonstrator solve all of them . The administrator would then have the army recruits solve the problems in their books . The test lasts 3 minutes , then the administrator would tell them to stop . Examples of missing items in pictures include a missing mouth on a face , missing eyes on a face , missing nose on a face , missing strings on a violin , missing trigger on a gun and missing net on a tennis court . Test 7 . This test assessed the ability of geometrical construction . Army recruits would need to make a rectangle out of pieces of cardboard . In order to administer this , the administrator would draw a figured on the blackboard . He would then take two pieces of cardboard and fit them together so it looks like the figure on the blackboard . The administrator would then remove the pieces and signal the demonstrator to draw the solution on the blackboard . The same procedure is done for the second and third samples , then the demonstrator would work through the fourth sample by himself . After the demonstrations are finished , the administrator would tell the army recruits to do the same with the problems they have in their book . After two minutes , the test was over and the administrator would tell them to stop . Grading . The Army Beta yield numerical scores or intelligence scores which for practical military purposes are translated into letter grades . The several letter grades used in the Army , with their score - equivalents and appropriate definitions are presented in the following table . " Intelligence grade " . . . " Definition " . . . " Score ( alpha ) " . . . " Score ( beta ) " A . . . Very superior . . . 135 - 212 . . . 100 - 118 B . . . Superior . . . 105 - 134 . . . 90 - 99 C + . . . High Average . . . 75 - 104 . . . 80 - 89 C . . . Average . . . 45 - 74 . . . 65 - 79 C - . . . Low Average . . . 25 - 44 . . . 45 - 64 D . . . Inferior . . . 15 - 24 . . . 20 - 44 D - . . . Very Inferior . . . 0 - 14 . . . 0 - 19 E grade was reserved for men who were recommended for rejection , discharge , development battalion , or service organization . All men deemed satisfactory for regular military duty were graded D - or higher . A = Very superior intelligence . This grade is ordinarily earned by only four or five percent of a draft quota . The " A " group is composed of men of marked intellectuality . " A " men are of high officer type when they are also endowed with leadership and other necessary qualities . B = Superior intelligence . " B " intelligence is superior , but less exceptional than that represented by " A " . The rating " B " is obtained by eight to ten soldiers out of a hundred . The group contains many men of the commissioned officer type and a large amount of non - commissioned officer material . C + = High average intelligence . This group includes fifteen to eighteen percent of all soldiers and contains a large amount of non - commissioned officer material with occasionally a man whose leadership and power to command fit him for commissioned rank . C = Average intelligence . It includes about twenty - five percent of soldiers . Excellent private type with a certain amount of fair non - commissioned officer material . C - = Low average intelligence . This group includes about twenty percent . Although below average intelligence , " C - " men are usually good privates and satisfactory in work of a routine nature . D = Inferior intelligence . It includes about fifteen percent of soldiers . " D " men are likely to be fair soldiers , but they are usually slow in learning and rarely go above the rank of private . They are short on initiative and so require more than the usual amount of supervision . Many of them are illiterate or foreign . D - and E = Very inferior intelligence . This group is divided into two classes ( 1 ) " D - " men , who are very inferior in intelligence but are considered fit for regular service ; and ( 2 ) " E " men , those whose mental inferiority justifies their recommendation for development battalion , special service organization , rejection , or discharge . The majority of " D - " and " E " men are below ten years in " mental age . " Criticisms . In the 1920s , Walter Lippman , a columnist , criticized use of the Army Alpha and Army Beta , arguing that they did not actually test intelligence . Lippman also raised the issue of whether intelligence was gained through nature or life experiences .