Description
General Assessment of Instructional Needs (GAIN) is specifically designed to measure basic skills in terms of the six Educational Functioning Levels as defined by the National Reporting System (NRS) for the U.S. Department of Education. GAIN was developed in response to the feedback of hundreds of educators looking for an effective, efficient and reliable measure of basic English and math skills with reduced test administration time and lower overall assessment expense.
GAIN is unique in that it was expressly developed using current NRS content descriptions for each level, and scores are reported in terms of those levels. This simplifies the required reporting process for providers and assists the administrator in placing participants in the proper program.
Content
GAIN measures the basic English and math skills of adult learners and workforce participants. The six NRS Educational Functioning Levels range from little or no knowledge of English and math to secondary school level comprehension and application of skills.
The GAIN report provides educators with various types of feedback at the group and individual level including:
- NRS Level Reports
- Test Taker Skill Progression
- Recommendations for Further Study
- Average NRS Educational Functioning Level
- Performance Details
There are two forms of GAIN English and math tests. The English test consists of 80 items and the math test has 75 items. The English and math tests are timed for 45 minutes each. GAIN measures basic skills for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Workforce Development (WIA) programs. It can be administered via paper or online. The test is scored and reported online in a private database.
Purpose
Wonderlic designed the GAIN to meet the needs and requirements of adult educators and proposed NRS reporting. GAIN reports learner progress and provides individual feedback for specific areas, helping educators determine where future training may be beneficial.
