WISC-IV
(Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition)

The WISC-III is the most recent edition of the most widely used children's intellectual test. It measures intellectual abilities in both Verbal and Performance areas. The Verbal subtests primarily measure the child's ability to solve verbal problems using verbal and auditory skills. That is, the child must use primarily auditory skills to understand the instructions, and must use primarily verbal skills to give the answers. The Performance subtests primarily measure the child's ability to solve visual and constructional problems using non-verbal, or only partially verbal skills. That is, the child must use primarily visual skills to understand the instructions, which the examiner demonstrates while giving a brief verbal description. Likewise, the child must give the answer using his or her hands to assemble, construct, or mark on paper. The WISC-IV requires no reading, except for some advanced math problems. The test does not require writing words, but two subtests require writing a symbol or checking yes/no alternatives.

The WISC-IV consists of 13 subtests. Scores of the subtests are added together in different ways to produce several composite scores:

• Verbal Comprehension Index
• Perceptual Reasoning Index
• Working Memory Index
• Processing Speed Index
• Full-Scale IQ (the most general measure)

The Full-Scale IQ is not as useful as the full profile of index and subtest scores in interpreting the child's profile of intellectual abilities.

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Copyright © 1999 Tom Holman, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 07, 2000 .