(Special thanks to Joel Rothaizer and Sandra Hill, from Clear Impact Consulting Group. They penned these instructions, then graciously agreed to allow us to share them. We've made a few changes to the original version.)

We’d like to briefly introduce you to developmental assessments in general, and how to take the <assessment you are asking clients to take> in particular.

Developmental assessments are designed to look at how you think, how you make sense of the world, and the degree of complexity and integration of thought that you use. Higher levels of developmental thinking are a major component of being able to lead more effectively and create more sustainable results in times of change, complexity, and ambiguity.

At the same time, there are clearly other components that go into effective leadership, such as knowledge, skill, and emotional intelligence. Also, we don’t have one consistent or one-dimensional “level of development.” If we take several measures of developmental thinking, our scores will certainly fluctuate. The <name of the assessment you are asking clients to take> in particular looks at the underlying structure of reasoning about <the subject of the assessment>.

We’re offering the <assessment name> as part of <your project> because it can provide useful feedback to you regarding the quality of your reasoning about <subject of the assessment>, as well as resources for taking your skills to the next level. We’ll discuss your results with you <when?>.

Your scores and reports will be fully confidential. No one but you will have your username and password, because you’ll create them. A link to your report will be sent to your email address, as well as to us. We suggest, if you’d like additional protection, that you use a home email address for receiving the results.

Important Note:
What you get out of this assessment will depend on what you put into it. Give yourself the time and space to take it in a relaxed way. You want to be able to give a sample of your best thinking, rather than rushing through the assessment to “get it done.” Please complete it by <date>.

Please read these instructions carefully, even if you’re the kind of person who tends not to do so!

Go to devtestservice.org
Click on “Test Takers” in the menu on the right, and then “Take an assessment.”
Click the link for people who have not yet registered on this site.
Read the box carefully. Only register once on this site. Registering twice with the same email address will delete all of your previous work. For confidentiality, feel free to use your home email address, and you can also take this assessment from home. Note that you’re asked not to use a yahoo or AOL email address (for some reason the spam filters for those two services tend to get in the way).
Once you’ve created a user name and password, please write it down so you’re sure you can find it again later.
Then log in, and go to “Lectical assessments and reports”
Under “single subject assessments” you’ll see the <name of the assessment>. Click on “ABOUT” to learn more. There are links that will provide as much detail as you’d like.
If you are taking an assessment that allows you to choose a dilemma, pick the one that seems most appropriate or interesting to you, the one that you would most enjoy exploring. Some dilemmas will be more relevant to some organizational roles than others. Choose one that you’d enjoy writing about because that will make it easier to take the time to really reflect and apply your best thinking to the dilemma.
When you’re ready, go back to “Lectical assessments and reports” and click on “START.”
When you do so, first click on the link that says “Taking lectical assessments.” It’s very important to read this. Don’t skip this step.
When you get to the section that asks, “If you have been directed to take this assessment by another party, please select the User ID provided by this individual” go to the drop-down menu and choose <your client ID>.
IMPORTANT: DON’T START UNTIL YOU’VE READ THIS! Each time you’ve finished one of the sections, copy it and paste it onto another document (in Microsoft Word, Notepad, Wordpad, or the equivalent). That way, on the very small chance that your work is lost along the way, you won’t have to recreate your thinking.
You may have a block of time to complete the assessment in one sitting. If you’re not able to, or if you’d like to answer in stages, you’ll be able to use your username and password to come back and continue the assessment. But again, don’t forget to save everything, just in case!!
If you have any problems with the web site, we encourage you to contact DTS, using the "contact us" link. They respond quickly.

Please contact us with any questions, of any kind. We look forward to working with you.