Follow-up of the Swedish Enlistment Battery (SEB)

The research project will, among other things, carry out psychometric evaluations and norm updates of the enrolment test (the I-test), which is used by the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency for selection and admission processes to the Swedish Armed Forces and to other professions and programmes requiring specific suitability.

The Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency (SDCAA) is responsible for admission processes primarily for the basic military training in the Swedish Armed Forces, but also, for example, for police education and other professions within the “total defence” with special requirements. These admission processes include assessments of physical, psychological and cognitive abilities to make decisions regarding the selection and placement of individuals.

Cognitive testing has a long tradition in selection contexts, as general mental ability has been shown to be one of the most stable and general predictors of performance in both education and work. Different versions of the SEB has been used since the 1940s for the cognitive tests in admission to basic military training within the Swedish Armed Forces.

The Swedish Defence University was, from 2017 to 2024, commissioned by the SDCAA to update the SEB. In May 2025, the new test, the SEB-2025, was introduced for almost all selection procedures conducted by the Agency. Since then, the Swedish Defence University has been tasked with following up and further developing the SEB-2025. An agreement between the SDCAA and the Swedish Defence University specifies five-year cycles for the work on following-up the SEB.

Within the Swedish Defence University’s current project, i.e. 2025–2029, we will, among other things, conduct psychometric evaluations and norm updates. Studies are also planned on construct validity, in terms of alignment with similar tests, as well as on the predictive validity of the SEB. Moreover, further piloting of subtests and items will be carried out.

Key facts about SEB-2025

SEB-2025 is a newly developed general mental ability test produced by the Swedish Defence University on behalf of the SDCAA. It is based on the dominant theory of intelligence, which highlights general intelligence (G) and the three broad specific abilities Gf (fluid/logical ability), Gc (crystallised/verbal ability) and Gv (visuospatial ability). The SEB-2025 has been developed using modern test theory and comprises six subtests, two for each broad specific ability, each containing three to four parallel versions.