Abstract
Learning and forgetting has been the subject of systematic research since the late 19th century. The examination of memory was through the meaningless syllables at the beginning, which was later replaced with meaningful material, and this tradition continues until now.
Despite of the development of knowledge and new methods for testing memory, word list tests are still the most commonly used for these purposes. The first such test, which is still currently used, was Test of memory for words known as Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT).
Thanks to the contribution of some authors, the method gained its current form and besides the learning trials includes administration of the list B (interference), delayed recall and recognition. Currently, it is one of the most used methods for examination of verbal memory.
There are available two versions of RAVLT in the Czech Republic, older known as the "Paměťový test učení", and the second one, which translation is more adequate to the English version. The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the history and current development of RAVLT in the Czech Republic, to describe the clinical and research usefulness of this method especially in the elderly population and to present possibilities of its use in the future.