Interrater Reliability of the Handwriting Speed Test

The Handwriting Speed Test (HST), a standardized, norm-referenced test, was developed to provide an objective evaluation of the handwriting speed of school students from approximately 8 to 18 years of age. Part of the test development involved an examination of interrater reliability. Two raters scored 165 (13%) of the total 1292 handwriting samples. Using intraclass correlation coefficients, the interrater reliability was found to be excellent (ICC=1.00, P<0.0001). The process of examining interrater reliability resulted in modification to the scoring criteria of the test. Excellent interrater reliability provides support for the HST as a valuable clinical and research tool.