Test-retest reliability of a new form of the auditory verbal learning test (AVLT)

The equivalence between the original form (Form 1) of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), and a new form (Form 4) was examined in 51 normal adult subjects (20-67 years) of average estimated intelligence who were assessed in two separate sessions. Performance on the new form was equivalent to that on the original and most measures on the two tests showed significant positive correlations. Test-retest reliability of AVLT scores between sessions was also assessed, both globally and separately for Form 1 followed by Form 4 and for the reverse order. The most reliable measures on the AVLT were the total number of words learned over the five learning trials, (r =.77), and performance on the retention trial of the learning list following the presentation and performance of the distractor list (r =.70). These measures are sufficiently robust for use in clinical serial assessments.