There are a number of factors you’ll want to consider before you make an appointment to take the TOVA Test, questions you might want to ask, and information you’ll want to have on hand to share and discuss.

VISUAL, AUDIO OR BOTH

A significant number of individuals process visual information differently than auditory information. They may have attention problems in one modality but not the other. The TOVA Test measures both modalities, with a visual test that flashes two boxes on a screen and an audio test that plays two tonal beeps on speakers. Each test is about 22 minutes. Including time to watch instructional videos and take a 2-minute practice test for each, the entire process takes about 60-80 minutes. While you’re best served by taking both tests, you can discuss with your mental health provider if you can just take the visual test.

BEST TO TEST IN THE MORNING

In ideal circumstances, you will take the TOVA Test in the morning, for a number of reasons:

• You’re more likely to be refreshed and attentive in the morning, before the rigors of the day wear you down.
• You’re not supposed to consume caffeine or other stimulants (or depressants) prior to the test, so the sooner you finish, the sooner you can have your cup of coffee, tea, etc.
• The normative sample data was collected by participants who took the TOVA Test in the morning.

That said, in real world conditions, it may be difficult to schedule your test in the morning, so just do what you can and record the circumstances to share with your mental health professional who will interpret the results for you.

MEDICATIONS

Are you currently on medications that are stimulants or depressants that would affect your ability to concentrate and alter your reaction times to external stimulus? If you are suffering from attention deficits, stimulants will skew your results towards normalcy and depressants would further retard your performance. It’s best to seek instructions from your mental health provider who referred you to take the TOVA Test. Foregoing medication to take the test would produce more accurate results, but it might be dangerous for you to skip your medication. Your provider may also want you to take the test multiple times (not on the same day) to establish a baseline and observe differences under varying test conditions.

CAFFEINE, NICOTINE, SUGAR & OVER THE COUNTER MEDS

To get the truest results, you’ll want to ensure your system is devoid of caffeine, nicotine, vapes, excessive sugar, sleep aids, and anything else that artificially elevates or depresses your ability to focus and react.

OBSERVER IN THE ROOM

Under ideal conditions, there should be an observer in the room with you as you take the TOVA Test. Their role is to watch and collect notes about factors that may influence TOVA results and to share those notes with your designated clinician. If you are discomforted or have concerns about having someone in an enclosed space with you for about an hour, you may want to discuss this with the provider or facility. Without getting into the merits or validity of masking, if you’re a masker, bring your mask. If you’re especially concerned, you can ask in advance if the observer will wear a mask by default or at your request.