Purdue Pegboard

The Purdue pegboard aids in the selection and rehabilitation of employees of for various types of work where gross movements of the fingers, hands, and arms, and fine fingertip dexterity are required such as assembly lines, electrician, and mechanics.

Applications

Physical therapy

  • Injury rehabilitation

Occupational therapy

  • Injury rehabilitation

Vocational Evaluations

  • Determine workers ability and aptitude for work placement
  • Used in specific training programs

Pre-employment screening

  • Find best employee for the job

Content

Client is to be seated comfortably at a normal height table

The Board apparatus must have 25 pins in each dish at the extreme right and left sides

For Right handed individuals the center cups must be arranged as follows:

  • Center Right Dish  20 collars
  • Center Left Dish  40 washers

For left handed individuals the center cups must be arranged as follows

  • Center Right Dish  40 washers
  • Center Left Dish  20 collars

The test will start in the preferred hand

  • If left handed start test with left hand and vise versa

Equipment

Purdue Pegboard Test (model # 32020), Testing Table, Stopwatch or clock

Sequence of Tests

1) Right hand (30 seconds)

2) Left hand (30 seconds)

3) Both Hands (30 seconds)

4) Right and Left and Both Hands

- Note this is not an actual test; I is a mathematical sum of calculations

Administration

Tests must be administered to all applicants according to the standardized test procedures to ensure reliability and validity

Right Hand - Tests ability in the right hand

Demonstration and verbal explanation

  • Pick up pins from right dish with right hand
  • Start with putting the pin in the top right hole on the right side row
  • If you drop a pin don’t pick it up, just continue
  • Insert a few (3-4) pins for practice
  • take out practice pins and put them back, get ready to start

Test

  • When you say “go” have the evaluee place as many pins in the holes as quickly as possible, starting from the top right down with the right hand
  • Stop them at 30 seconds
  • Count the number of pins and record the right hand score.
  • Leave the pins in the holes

Left Hand - Tests the left hands ability

Demonstration and verbal explanation

  • Pick up pins from left dish with left hand
  • Start with putting the pin in the top left hole on the left side row
  • If you drop a pin don’t pick it up, just continue
  • Insert a few (3-4) pins for practice
  • take out practice pins and put them back, get ready to start

Test

  • When you say “go” have the evaluee place as many pins in the holes as quickly as possible, starting from the top left down with the left hand
  • Stop them at 30 seconds
  • Count the number of pins and record the left hand score.
  • Take out all the pins

Both Hands - Tests both hands working together.

Verbal explanation and a demonstration

  • Pick up a pin from the right cup with the right hand
  • Pick up a pin from the left cup with the left hand
  • Place the pins down the row starting at the top hole in both rows
  • Have evaluees practice with 3 or 4 pins
  • Take out practice pins and out them back into the proper cups

Test

  • When you say “go” have the evaluee place as many pins in the holes, starting at the top hole of both rows with both hands as quickly as possible.
  • Stop them at 30 seconds
  • Count the number of pairs inserted and record the score
  • Take out the pins and place them in the proper cups

Right and Left and Both (sum of scores) - obtain this score by combining the test scores of the previous three tests

Assembly

Verbal explanation with demonstration

  • Pick up one pin from the right side place it in the top right hole.
  • While doing this pick up a washer with the left hand
  • As soon as the pin s placed in the hole place the washer over the pin
  • While the washer is being placed over the pin pick up a collar with the right hand
  • While the collar is being placed over the pin and washer, pick up a washer with the left hand
  • Drop this over the collar to complete the first assembly
  • While the final washer is being placed on the pin with your left hand, start the second assembly by picking up another pin with you right hand.
  • Place it in the next hole, drop a washer over it with your left hand and so on until the assembly is done
  • Finish this assembly with a few others for practice

Begin the test by saying “go”

  • Have them complete as many assemblies as possible starting in the top right hole in one minute.
  • Stop them at one minute. Count the number of complete assemblies and multiply by 4 (due to there being 4 parts.assembly)
  • If there are unfinished assemblies correctly assembled thus far add the number of components in the incomplete assembly to the final score
  • Have the evaluee return all the parts to the proper cups once test is finished and recorded.