Cognitive Testing Practices for Basic Military Training in the Nordic Countries: A Scoping Review.

Nordic countries have used general mental ability (GMA) tests as part of their military conscription process since the mid-20th century.

• This practice began in the mid-20th century across the Nordic countries.
• The tests were developed with a dual purpose: to filter out individuals unfit for military service and to rank individuals' GMA for military roles.
• The Nordic tests share common features including historical roots, administrative procedures, and interpretations.

Nordic military GMA tests were initially designed exclusively for men but are now taken by both men and women.

• The shift from male-only to mixed-gender testing reflects broader shifts in societal norms.
• This change in test-taking population raises additional considerations for interpreting psychometric properties and test validity.

Limited reporting on the current psychometric properties of Nordic military GMA tests raises questions about their reliability and validity.

• The review identified insufficient up-to-date documentation of measurement characteristics for these assessments.
• The authors state that 'without up-to-date knowledge about the measurement characteristics of these assessments, findings derived from such tests should generally be interpreted with caution.'
• The lack of updated psychometric reporting applies across the Nordic countries reviewed.

Nordic military GMA test data are extensively used in broader social and health research, including studies of the Flynn effect.

• The widespread use of these test data in external research amplifies the importance of ensuring their measurement accuracy.
• Research conclusions drawn from these datasets, including Flynn effect analyses, depend on accurate interpretation of the GMA tests.
• The authors highlight this broad research use as a key reason why updated validation is needed.

Updated validation of Nordic military GMA tests is needed to sustain their scientific credibility and ensure accuracy of downstream research.

• The authors conclude that updated validation efforts 'will not only sustain the scientific credibility of these tests, but also ensure that data informing other research, and conclusions drawn there, are based on accurate interpretations of the GMA tests.'
• The scoping review framework was used to map current cognitive testing practices across the Nordic countries.
• The need for updated validation is described as 'further underscored' by the extensive secondary use of these data in social and health research.