AbstractThe usual definitions of sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of a diagnostic testTrefer only to the situation of the presence or absence of disease. There is then question of the appropriate extensions of these definitions in cases where there are more than two diagnostic categories, especially with ordered or graded responses. This paper deals with some aspects of this problem. An example with the data of BERGESONand STEINFELD(1974) on gradings of fever in children by palpation is analyzed, using the methods discussed in this paper.