The WISC-IV

HT820: Introduction to PsychoEducational Assessment

Purpose of the WISC-IV

The

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for

children Fourth Edition is the latest
version of the intelligence test for
children ages 6 through 16.
The WISC-IV yields measures of
general intelligence and specific indices
including verbal comprehension,
perceptual reasoning, working memory
and processing speed

Materials Needed

Administration and scoring manual

Technical and interpretive manual
Record form
Stimulus book
Response booklet 1 and 2
Block design blocks
Scoring key for Coding
Scoring key for Symbol Search
Cancellation scoring template
#2 Pencil without eraser
Red pencil without eraser

Directions for Administration

Administer tests in order designated on record form.

Start points are age-specific and
6-8
are marked in record form with a
black arrow
The basal consists of two correct items in a row. If
the basal is not reached, reversal items are
administered in reverse sequence until basal is
reached. Full credit is awarded for all items below
basal even if accidentally administered and missed.
The ceiling consists of a specified number of
incorrect items in a row. Award no credit for items
beyond ceiling even if accidentally administered and
answered correctly.
Scripts are presented in examiners manual.

I
C
V

WISC-IV

Similarities
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Information
Word Reasoning

I
M
W
Digit Span
Letter-Number Seq.
Arithmetic

PR
I

Block Design
Picture Concepts
Matrix Reasoning
Picture Completion

FSIQ

PSI
Coding
Symbol Search
Cancellation

Verbal Comprehension Index

Similarities (SI):
The child is presented with two words that
represent common objects or concepts and
describes how they are similar.

Ex. Milk Water

Frown Smile
Space Time

Verbal Comprehension Index

Vocabulary (VC):
For picture items, the child names pictures that
are displayed in the stimulus book. For
verbal items, the child gives definitions for
words that the examiner reads aloud.
Ex. (picture) train
(verbal) umbrella, absorb, garrulous

Verbal Comprehension Index

Comprehension (CO):
The child answers questions based on his or
her understanding of general principles and
social situations.
Ex. Why do people brush their teeth?
Other concepts assessed:
apologize, copyrights, democracy

Verbal Comprehension Index

Information (IN):
The child answers questions that address a
broad range of general knowledge topics.
Ex. How many legs does a dog have?
Who was Confucius?
Where does turpentine come from?

Verbal Comprehension Index

Word Reasoning (WR):
The child identifies the common concept being
described in a series of clues.
Ex. This is used to dry yourself after a bath.
These are protected by skin and bones
And can sometimes be replaced.

Perceptual Reasoning Index

Block Design (BD):
While viewing a constructed model or a picture
in the stimulus book, the child uses red-andwhite blocks to re-create the design within a
specified time limit.
Ex.

Perceptual Reasoning Index

Picture Concepts (PC):
The child is presented with two or three rows of
pictures and chooses one picture from each
row to form a group with a common
characteristic.
Ex.

student
desk

candle

table lamp

beach ball

basketball
hoop

chalkboard

Perceptual Reasoning Index

Matrix Reasoning (MR):
The child looks at an incomplete matrix and
selects the missing portion from five response
options.
Ex.

Perceptual Reasoning Index

Picture Completion (PCm):
The child views a picture and then points to or
names the important part missing within a
specified time limit.
Ex. pencil without lead tip
pig without nostril
river/bridge without waves on one side

Working Memory Index

Digit Span (DS):
For digit span forward, the child repeats
numbers in the same order as presented
aloud by the examiner. For digit span
backward, the child repeats numbers in the
reverse order of that presented aloud by the
examiner.
Forward length ranges from 2 to 9.
Backward length ranges from 2 to 8.

Working Memory Index

Letter-Number Sequencing (LN):
The child is read a sequence of numbers and
letters and recalls the numbers in ascending
order and the letters in alphabetical order.
Ex. 5-A-2-B
S-3-K-4-Y-1-G

AB25

or

25AB

134GKSY or GLSY134

Working Memory Index

Arithmetic (AR):
The child mentally solves a series of orally
presented arithmetic problems within a
specified time limit.
Ex. (Picture): How many nuts will be left if each
squirrel eats one?
(No picture): If I cut an apple in half, how many
pieces will I have?

Processing Speed Index

Coding (CD):
The child copies symbols that are paired with
simple geometric shapes or numbers. Using
a key, the child draws each symbol in its
corresponding shape or box within a specified
time limit.

Processing Speed Index

Symbol Search (SS):
The child scans a search group and indicates whether
the target symbol(s) matches any of the symbols in
the search group within a specified time limit.
Example:
YES
target group

search group

NO

Processing Speed Index

Cancellation (CA):
The child scans both a random and a structured
arrangement of pictures and marks target
pictures within a specified time limit.
In this exercise, a page is covered with pictures
of animals and other common objects, either
randomly scattered on the page or arranged
in rows and columns. The child then marks
through - or cancels - the animals as quickly
as possibly.

Directions for Scoring

Calculate chronological age. Do not round up to

nearest month.
Raw scores are totaled on each page of the record
sheet. Copy raw scores into front cover.
Tables in examiners manual allow for conversion
from raw score to scaled score using age-based
norms (Mean 10, SD 3).
Scaled scores for 10 core tests are summed to yield
a composite Full Scale IQ score (Mean 100, SD 15).
Scaled scores contributing to each index are
summed and converted to composite scores using
tables in examiners manual (Mean 100, SD 15).
Inside cover provides analysis of discrepancy among
scores and strength/weakness profile

Validity Report

Using factor analysis, studies show that WISC

subtests correlate more highly with other subtest in
the same index than subtests in different indices.
Full scale IQ scores from the WISC-IV are highly
correlated with IQ scores from other common IQ
tests including: WISC-III, WPPSI-III, WAIS-III, WASI,
WIAT-II, and CMS.
The examiners manual also presents evidence that
the WISC-IV differentiates children who have been
diagnosed with mild/moderate mental retardation,
ADHD, traumatic brain injury, autism, Aspergers
Syndrome, expressive language disorder, and
giftedness.

Reliability Report
Using

the split-half method, internal

reliability for subtests ranged from .79 to
.90.

243

children in the norm sample were

tested a second time to evaluate testretest reliability. Reliability coefficients
ranged from .76 on picture concepts to .
92 on vocabulary.