Some history of the Army General Classification Test

Abstract

The US military services desperately needed appropriate classification procedures when World War II started. The Army General Classification Test (AGCT), a mental ability test, was taken by more than 12,000,000 soldiers and marines to help the Army classify them for specialty and officer training. In 1940, prior to Pearl Harbor, the Personnel Research Section of the Adjutant General's Office in the War Department developed the AGCT. This article describes the efforts to produce the AGCT as well as interview procedures, trade tests, and aptitude tests for mechanical and clerical work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)