Seguin Form Board Test (SFBT)

A clinician's overview of the Seguin Form Board Test (SFBT), a quick timed performance test of visual-motor ability. What it measures, how it is scored, and where it fits in Indian assessment.

What it is

The Seguin Form Board, one of the oldest performance tests, uses a wooden board with recesses of different shapes and matching blocks. The person places the blocks into the correct recesses as quickly as possible, over several trials, and the best time is used.

It gives a quick, largely non-verbal index of visual-motor coordination, spatial ability and speed, and is often used as a brief screen or ice-breaker within a wider assessment.

Who it is for

It is used mainly with children, and as a quick performance measure with clients where language-loaded testing is not suitable, including in developmental and intellectual disability assessment.

It is administered individually, with timing, by a trained examiner.

How it is administered

The examiner presents the board and blocks, demonstrates, then times the person over usually three trials, recording the shortest completion time and comparing it with norms.

The apparatus is obtained through a publisher or supplier; performance depends on standardised administration.

Use in India

In India, the Seguin Form Board is widely used as a brief performance test and screen, and appears in many assessment batteries and clinics. Indian norms exist, and it is valued for being quick, engaging for children, and independent of language and literacy.

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Citation and sources

Seguin, E. (1907). Idiocy and its treatment by the physiological method. (Form board method.)

• Édouard Séguin (background) — Wikipedia

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