The Test of Written Spelling - Fifth Edition (TWS-5) is an accurate and efficient instrument that uses a dictated-word format to assess spelling skills in school-age children and adolescents. It has two forms that can be administered in 20 minutes to either individually or in groups. Each form contains 50 spelling words drawn from eight basal spelling series and graded word lists. The TWS-5 provides percentiles, standard scores, age and grade equivalents. The Answer and Record Form offers a convenient way to record and keep track of scores, summarise the results, and indicate any comments and recommendations.

The TWS-5 was normed on a representative sample of 1,634 students from 23 U.S. states. The analyses show no gender or racial bias in the TWS-5 items. Test reliability was studied in various ways: coefficient alphas, alternate form (immediate administration), test-retest, alternate form (delayed administration), and interscorer. All coefficients are over .90, which indicates the test’s high reliability. Additional studies confirmed the TWS-5’s content-description, criterion-prediction, and construct-identification validity. Especially encouraging are the new studies of the test’s sensitivity, specificity, and ROC/AUC.

The results of the TWS-5 can be used for three specific purposes: to identify students whose scores are significantly below those of their peers and who might need interventions designed to improve spelling proficiency, to document overall progress in spelling as a consequence of intervention programs, and to serve as a measure for research efforts designed to investigate spelling.