An item analysis of the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT) was performed
using the test protocols of 320 German-speaking neurological patients with
a mean age of 51.3 years. All patients presented some form of cerebral pat
hology. The sample yielded a mean test score of 18.8 (SD = 6.2). Estimates
of internal consistency of the total scale yielded acceptable results (> .8
8). Although the VOT was judged to be a useful instrument for assessing vis
uoperceptual and visuospatial-organizational dysfunction, item characterist
ics of the test are not satisfactory. In particular, the item ranking does
not correspond to the order of difficulty. Moreover, in their current form,
scoring rules of a number of items seem to be arbitrary and not founded on
empirical data. A revision of the VOT is proposed to improve its psychomet
ric properties.