• Ages: 5 through 85+
• Administration Time: 30-40 minutes
• Norm-referenced
• Abbreviated Test of Working Memory Complete Kit includes: Manual, Stimulus Cards Book, 25 Record Forms, 25 Examinee Response Forms, Strategy Card, and Scoring Overlay. (©2026)
• Qualification Level: B

The Abbreviated Test of Working Memory (aTWM) is one of the first standardized assessments that is entirely comprised of working memory tasks and provides standardized scores related to both verbal and visual-spatial working memory. It can be administered by school psychologists, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, researchers, and other professionals interested in assessing working memory.

The aTWM can be used alone to assess working memory or as a part of a full battery used in an in-depth psychoeducational evaluation. It is comprised of four primary subtests and two supplemental subtests:

• Visual Matrix
• Digit Sentence Sequence
• Mapping and Directions
• Conceptual Span
• Rhyming (supplemental)
• Listening Span (supplemental)

These subtests derive four index scores:

• Visual-Spatial Working Memory
• Verbal Working Memory
• Retrospective Memory (taps immediate recall after the information is presented—the examinee’s ability to spontaneously process information that has been recently presented)
• Prospective Memory (taps the examinee’s plan of action for retrieving information—i.e., the ability to plan and organize the retrieval of information)

An overall Working Memory score is derived from performance on the Visual-Spatial and Verbal Working Memory indices.

The aTWM was normed on a nationally representative sample of 1,555 children and adults, ages 5 years, 0 months, through 85+ years.

Administration and Scoring

The aTWM can be administered in 30 to 40 minutes, depending on whether supplemental subtests are administered. Scoring can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes.

COMPLETE aTWM KIT INCLUDES: Manual, Stimulus Cards Book, 25 Record Forms, 25 Examinee Response Forms, Strategy Card, and Scoring Overlay. (©2026)