An investigation of the equivalence of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and a new card sorting test

The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is widely used to measure executive functioning. However, repeated administration results in practice effects (Lezak, 1995). The American University Card Sorting Test (AUCST) was proposed as an alternate form for the WCST. Test structure remained the same but included three different sorting principles of direction, size, and position. Sixty adults in a four-group crossover design completed the WCST and/or the AUCST and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Due to a small sample size and a high degree of variability, the present study was not able to support the AUCST as a strong candidate for a WCST alternate form. Those who completed the AUCST had more difficulty tracking task goals and responding to feedback than those who completed the WCST. Further, correlational investigation did not successfully demonstrate convergent validity for the two measures.