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Picture Vocabulary Size Test (PVST)

A receptive vocabulary size test using picture choices and oral and written cues designed for pre-literate or literate native speakers and non-native speakers of English. The 20,000 level version can be used with native-speakers of any age. The test was created in collaboration with Paul Nation of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Remember to download BOTH the main program and one or more test sets.

[PVST Homepage] [Screenshots] [Help]

Downloads (main program):

The main program comes with a 5-item sample test.

Windows 64-bit (1.2.3)
Macintosh (1.2.3)
See the homepage user support section for troubleshooting problems with starting PVST on Apple OS X systems.
Older versions

Downloads (test sets):

Download any of the following tests and unzip them into the "tests" folder of PVST to use them with the program. The naming scheme is as follows: pvst_{test type}_{start level}_{end level}_{items}_{variation}_{speaker nationality}_{gender}_{version}

6,000 level

20,000 level

PayPal Donations and Patreon Supporters:

Click one of the following if you want to make a small donation to support the future development of this tool.

Older Versions

All previous releases of PVST can be found at the following link. <*.exe> and <*_win.zip> are for Windows. <*.dmg>, <*.zip> and <*.pkg> files are for Macintosh OS X. <*.tar.gz> files are for Linux.

All previous releases

User Support

Latest Help file

Version 1.2.3

Discussion groups

General Discussion (Google Group)

Test variations (unofficial)

pvst_unoffficial_test_1_6000_96_1_us_m_100.zip (created by Luke Milligan)

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting on Mac OS (General)

With each new release of Mac OS X, new security measures have been added that make it more and more difficult to run non App Store programs. To run PVST on OS X systems prior to Sierra, do the following:
- On launching the PVST app, if you see an error relating to security permissions, go to the security preferences page in the OS settings and set the security to allow PVST to run.

Troubleshooting on Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra)

Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra) has introduced additional security measures that make it even more difficult to run non App Store programs. To run PVST on Sierra, do the following:
- First, after unzipping the PVST folder, move the contents (the PVST app and the tests folder) into the Sierra Applications folder.
- Second, double click on the PVST app and make sure the program runs as normal. You may need to adjust your security preferences to allow Sierra to launch the program.
- (Optional) Move the PVST app and the tests folder back to its original location if you don't want to leave it in the Applications folder.

Related Research

Nation, P. & Anthony, L. (2016). Measuring vocabulary size. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning, Volume III (pp. 355-368). New York: Routledge.

Development Road Map

My current tentative plans.

Status	Description
Under development	Nothing at present.
Plans for 2021 and beyond	Developing a Linux version of the software. Developing a web-based version of the software. Your suggestions come here...

Citing/Referencing the Picture Vocabulary Size Test (PVST)

Use the following method to cite/reference the Picture Vocabulary Size Test (PVST) according to the APA style guide:

Anthony, L. and Nation, I.S.P. (YEAR OF RELEASE). Picture Vocabulary Size Test (Version VERSION NUMBER) [Computer Software]. Tokyo, Japan: Waseda University. Available from http://www.laurenceanthony.net/software/pvst

For example if you download the Picture Vocabulary Size Test version 1.2.3, which was released in 2021, you would cite/reference it as follows:

Anthony, L. and Nation, I.S.P. (2021). Picture Vocabulary Size Test (Version 1.2.3) [Computer Software]. Tokyo, Japan: Waseda University. Available from http://www.laurenceanthony.net/software/pvst

Note that the APA instructions are not entirely clear about citing software, and it is debatable whether or not the "Available from ..." statement is needed. See here for more details.

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