Beery VMI (Beery Visual-Motor Integration): Assessment overview and guide

Summary

• Use the Beery VMI to assess visual-motor integration skills and help identify challenges in handwriting, drawing, and other fine motor tasks across ages 2 to 100 years.

• Apply the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration to evaluate how effectively individuals coordinate visual perception with motor output during standardized shape-copying tasks.

• Administer the visual perception and motor coordination subtests when needed to better understand specific areas of difficulty beyond the core Beery Visual-Motor Integration screening results.

• Use standardized scoring procedures and age-based norms to interpret results and support clinical decisions such as eligibility, progress monitoring, or discharge planning.

The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Ed., otherwise known as the Beery VMI, is an assessment that looks at an individual's ability to integrate their visual and motor skills. 

It is a widely recognized assessment that many clinical professionals utilize in occupational therapy. Visual-motor integration is a critical developmental skill that supports everyday tasks such as handwriting, drawing, and other fine motor activities. 

This article will look at aspects of the Beery VMI, including visual motor integration, age ranges, and how to administer the assessment.

What is the Beery VMI?

The Beery VMI is a standardized assessment examining a person’s ability to integrate their visual perception and fine motor control. Developed by Keith Beery and Norman  Buktenica in 1967, the VMI assessment had several revisions to ensure reliability and validity, and it was last updated in 2010. 

The age range for the Beery VMI long form is 2 to 100 years old. It has 30 items and takes about 10-15 minutes to administer. 

The Beery VMI age range for short form is 2 to 7 years old. It has 21 items and is used as a screening tool. A clinician can then decide to use the long or short form based on the level of concern, age, and/or attention span. 

See below for a comparison chart on the long and short forms.  

Feature	Long form	Short form
Purpose	Comprehensive assessment (can be used to monitor progress over time)	Screening tool
Age range	2 to 100 years	2 to 7 years
Number of items	30	21
Length	10-15 minutes	Approximately 5 minutes for each subtest Approximately 10 minutes

A wide variety of professionals can use the Beery VMI to determine areas of difficulty with patients’ visual motor integration. The VMI short or long forms are usually given first, and the subtests are recommended if the Beery Visual Motor Integration  scores indicate that further testing is needed.

The Beery VMI can be used to justify the need for services (it should be part of a comprehensive evaluation) or discharge services. It can help diagnose neuropsychological difficulties in older adults, as well as help provide more information for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

The components of the Beery VMI

The Beery VMI is made up of several components. 

1. Visual-motor integration test: This is the primary test that assesses a person’s ability to integrate their visual perceptual and motor coordination skills. The patient is asked to copy shapes that increase in complexity. This test has both short form (21 items) and long form (30 items) versions. 

2. Visual perceptual subtest: This subtest looks at visual discrimination. It asks the examinee to pick matching shapes from a set of shapes. This test is optional and has 30 items.

3. Motor coordination subtest: This subtest looks at fine motor coordination. Examinees are asked to copy designs increasing in complexity while staying within a boundary. This test is optional and has 30 items.

The manual recommends administering the motor coordination and visual perception subtests if the visual-motor integration test scores indicate a concern. These subtests help determine whether difficulties are primarily related to visual perception, motor coordination, or a combination of both. 

The VMI assessment also comes with a supplemental teaching guide to help with intervention. This includes a teacher guide with activities, shapes, letters, and numbers. These guides provide paper and pencil tasks teachers and service professionals can use to develop a person’s visual motor integration skills. 

There is also a developmental wall chart that shows developmental skills through various ages. A developmental stepping stones checklist for parents is also available.

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Administering the Beery VMI

When administering the Beery Visual-Motor Integration test, the examiner must read the testing manual and follow the standardized directions. The assessment is straightforward once the examiner is familiar with its directions and the components. 

The assessment must be given in a quiet, distraction-free environment. Establishing rapport with the examinee before the assessment is administered is also essential, as it helps produce more accurate results. 

To administer the Beery VMI, the examinee begins on the first page, copies the shapes, and continues through the assessment. A ceiling is established when the examinee has received no score for three consecutive items according to the guidelines listed in the manual. 

To administer the visual perception subtest, the examinee begins with the first item and is asked to match the shape with its corresponding matching shape below. A ceiling is reached when the examinee has made three consecutive mistakes or has reached the 3-minute time limit.

To administer the motor coordination subtest, the examinee begins with the first item and is asked to trace the shape within the boundaries provided. A ceiling is reached when the examinee completes all 30 items or has reached the 5-minute time limit. 

The Beery VMI can be administered virtually, too. Pearson assessments offer detailed guidance on how to complete the VMI assessment virtually. The Beery VMI can also be scored online using Pearson’s Q-Global online scoring platform.

Scoring the Beery VMI

To score the Beery Visual-Motor Integration assessment:

• Give one point for each correctly copied shape that meets the specific criteria provided in the manual. It is critical to follow the guidelines provided in the manual for scoring each item. 

• Stop scoring when 0 points have been given for three consecutive shapes.

To score the visual perceptual subtest:

• Give one point for each correctly matched shape. 

• Stop scoring when 0 points have been given for three consecutive shapes, or the 3-minute time limit has been reached.

To score the motor coordination subtest:

• Give one point for each shape where the line stays within the boundary.

• Stop scoring when the examinee completes all 30 items or the 5-minute time limit is reached.

Convert raw scores to standard scores using the tables at the end of the manual. 

Pros and cons of the Beery Visual-Motor Integration test

The Beery VMI is an easy, straightforward visual motor integration assessment that can be used for almost any age group (2 to 100 years old). The Beery VMI was developed in the 1960s and has solid supportive evidence. Once the examiner is familiar with the assessment, it is quick and easy to administer. It can be given in person, and with some adjustment, it can also be offered virtually.

Some drawbacks to the Beery VMI are that it has not been updated in 15 years. It also only looks at visual motor skills through design copying and does not address visual motor skills in other ways, such as catching a ball or writing. 

Conclusion

The Beery VMI is a versatile and widely used assessment. With a comprehensive age range and long and short forms, it is a straightforward test that doesn’t take a long time to administer. 

Many professions can administer the Beery VMI, and subtests are provided if further testing is warranted. It can be given virtually and has an online scoring feature. While it only looks at visual motor integration skills through design copy, it can be a critical assessment to a comprehensive evaluation. 

Sources

• AOTA. (2022). Occupational therapy telehealth decision guide.

• Beery, K.E., Buktenica, N.A., et al. (2010). (Beery VMI) Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Sixth Edition. WPS Publishing.

• Capellini, S. A., Giaconi, C., Germano, G. D. (2017). Relation between visual motor integration and handwriting in students of elementary school. Psychology.

• Pearson. (2022). Telepractice and the Beery VMI.

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