Complete Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test

There are many situations where testing dexterity and general hand-eye coordination is important, including testing the ability to complete a specific task, injury rehabilitation or monitoring the degree of a disability. Whatever the reason, the Complete Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test is a combination of five tests that help to measure simple hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills.

What's Included with the Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test?

The Minnesota Dexterity Test is supplied with everything required for immediate use. This includes:

• 2 x Folding boards
• 60 x Blocks
• 1 x Carrying case
• 1 x Examiner's manual

What Is the Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test?

The Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test is a frequently administered, standardised test for the evaluation of an individual's ability to move small objects various distances. It consists of five tests that involve the following:

• Placing
• Turning
• Displacing
• One-hand turning and placing
• Two-hand turning and placing

Where Is the Minnesota Dexterity Test Used?

The Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test can be used for many testing applications. It is often used by:

• Occupational and physical therapists for injury rehabilitation, as a tool to obtain baseline data on a patient, as well as documenting patient progress or the degree of a disability.
• Vocational evaluators to determine a subject's ability and aptitude for certain work-related applications. It is also used to develop a specific training program, giving an individual the skills to complete a job or task that requires manual dexterity.
• Human resource directors and temporary staffing agencies who use it as a pre-employment screening and selection tool. An applicant's performance on the pegboard test can indicate their ability to perform tasks in a job that requires manual dexterity.

Why Take a Dexterity Test?

The Minnesota Dexterity Test is used to measure an individual's simple but rapid hand-eye coordination as well as arm-hand dexterity. In general, the test measures gross motor skills.

Many approaches have been developed to classify motor skills. Each classification system is based on the general nature of the motor skills relating to some specific aspect of the skills. There are three systems on which motor skill classification is based:

• The precision of movement
• Defining the beginning and end points of the movement
• The stability of the environment

The Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test incorporates all three of these systems.

How Do I Take the Minnesota Dexterity Test?

The test is comprised of five tests that include placing, turning, displacing, one-hand turning and placing, and two-hand turning and placing. Each test can be repeated for up to four trials.

After completing one trial, the board must be reset for the following trials. The time in seconds is recorded on the score sheet for each trial, and the final scoring is interpreted by the total seconds for all trials. The client performs all tests from a standing position.

What Does the Placing Test Involve?

The Placing Test begins by putting the board on the table about 10 inches from the edge. Insert the disks into the holes in the board, then lift the board up, allowing the disks to fall through the holes and remain in straight rows and columns on the table. Now place the board directly in front of the disks.

Starting position for the Placing Test

The objective of this test is to see how fast the client can put the disks back into the holes of the board using their dominant hand. The test can be completed for up to four times.

What Does the Turning Test Involve?

The Turning Test begins by putting the board on the table about one inch from the edge closest to the subject. Insert all of the disks into the holes in the board with either the red or black side facing up (the colour must be consistent on the whole board).

Starting position for the Turning Test

The objective of this test is to see how fast the client can pick up the disks with one hand, turn them with the other hand, and replace the disks back into the holes on the board. The test can be completed up to four times.

How Do I Interpret the Results?

The interpretation of results is most appropriately based upon results from prior use of the test in specific applications. You can read more about scoring and interpretation of data on Page 9 of the Examiner's Manual below:

Examiner's Manual

Key Features of the Complete Minnesota Dexterity Test

• Can be used to test dexterity and motor skills for a number of reasons
• Measures hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills
• Has a combination of five tests to monitor the aforementioned skills
• Supplied with everything required for immediate use
• Can be used to monitor and document patient progress

Additional Products for the Complete Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test

• Complete Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test Score Sheets