Description
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children® Fifth Edition (WISC®-V) is an intelligence test that measures a child’s intellectual ability and 5 cognitive domains that impact performance.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children® Fifth Edition (WISC®-V) is an intelligence test that measures a child’s intellectual ability and 5 cognitive domains that impact performance.
Overview:
Measure a child's intellectual ability. Discover the Power of V: WISCV.com
Age Range:Children aged 6:0–16:11
Administration:Paper-and-pencil or digital
Scoring Option:Q-interactive® Web-based Administration and Scoring, Q-global™ Scoring & Reporting or Manual Scoring
Completion Time:Core subtests: 60-90 minutes
Norms:Scaled Scores by age, Index Scores, Full-Scale IQ
Scores/Interpretation:FSIQ, Index Scores, and Subtest Scaled Scores
Report Options:Score, Client, and Interpretive
Publication Date:2003
Introducing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®–Fifth Edition, the latest version of the most proven trusted cognitive ability measure ever. Available in both a paper-and-pencil format and a digital format on Q-interactive®, the WISC–V delivers more flexibility and more content. It has been redesigned to give you a truly comprehensive picture of a child’s abilities and it includes notable improvements to make identifying the issues—and finding the solutions—faster and easier, without sacrificing the Wechsler gold standard of excellence.
Content & Administration
The WISC–V gives you flexibility and interpretive power, along with access to more subtests, so you get a broader view of a child’s cognitive abilities. New subtests are targeted to common referral questions for children such as the presence of a specific learning disability. An expanded factor structure provides new and separate visual spatial and fluid reasoning composites for all ages.
New Primary Subtests
Three new primary subtests extend the content coverage of the WISC-V and increase its practical application.
- Visual Puzzles is a new Visual Spatial subtest that measures the ability to analyze and synthesize information
- Figure Weights is a new Fluid Reasoning subtest that measures quantitative reasoning and induction
- Picture Span is a new Working Memory subtest that measures visual working memory
New Complementary Subtests
Five new complementary subtest have been added to assess cognitive processes important to academic achievement in reading, math and writing, and have shown sensitivity to specific learning disabilities and other clinical conditions. These subtests include a measure of naming facility (Naming Speed and Naming Quantity) and visual-verbal associative memory (Immediate, Delayed and Recognition Symbol Translation).
Expanded and Updated Factor Structure
The test structure includes new and separate visual spatial and fluid reasoning composites for greater interpretive clarity and a variety of levels of composites for interpretive options.
Primary Index Scales include:
- Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI)
- Visual Spatial Index (VSI)
- Working Memory Index (WMI)
- Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI)
- Processing Speed Index (PSI)
Ancillary Index Scales include:
- Quantitative Reasoning Index (QRI)
- Auditory Working Memory Index (AWMI)
- Nonverbal Index (NVI)
- General Ability Index (GAI)
- Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI)
- Expanded Index Scores
- Verbal(Expanded Crystallized) Index(VECI)
- Expanded Fluid Index(EFI)
Complementary Index Scales include:
- Naming Speed Index (NSI)
- Symbol Translation Index (STI)
- Storage and Retrieval Index (SRI)
WISC-V Framework
Features & Benefits
More efficient and user-friendly
The WISC–V increases construct coverage without increasing testing time. So, you get a more efficient, developmentally appropriate measure– and still have time to assess other domains of interest.
- Efficiently produce all primary index scores
- Significantly reduced testing time to obtain the FSIQ
- Simplified instructions with reduced vocabulary level, shorter discontinue rules, and refined scoring criteria
- Five primary index scores, the FSIQ as well as three of the five ancillary index scores can be obtained through the ten primary subtests
More interpretive power
- WISC–V provides statistical links to two measures of academic achievement, the KTEA-3 and the WIAT–III, to support more flexible evaluation of specific learning disabilities and two major approaches to specific learning disability identification: pattern of strengths and weaknesses analyses and ability-achievement discrepancy analyses
- Expanded score analysis approach highlights index- and subtest-level strength and weaknesses analyses
- Separate visual spatial and fluid reasoning composite scores results in greater interpretive clarity
- Selection of process scores has been greatly expanded to enhance the depth of interpretation and understanding of performance
Updated psychometric properties
- Updated normative sample standardized on 2,200 children aged 6:0–16:11
- Normative sample stratified to match current U.S. census data based on sex, race/ethnicity, parent education level, and geographic region for each age group
- Strong subtest floors and ceilings facilitate accurate measurement at the extremes of cognitive ability
- Comparable or improved reliability for subtest and composite scores
Updated studies
- Updated special group studies
- Updated validity studies with other measures including WISC–IV, WPPSI–IV, WAIS–IV, WIAT–III, KTEA-3, Vineland-II, and BASC-2
- Expanded validity evidence for the Q-interactive version, including construct validity studies and equivalence of Q-interactive and paper/pencil formats, and special group studies to examine patterns of performance of children from frequently-tested populations
Users & Applications
School psychologists, clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists working in schools, clinics, hospitals, universities and forensics can use the WISC–V for diverse applications such as:
- identifying intellectual disabilities,
- identifying and diagnosing learning disabilities/disorders,
- evaluating of cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses,
- assessing for giftedness, and
- assessing the impact of brain injuries
Scoring and Reporting
WISC-V scoring options include: Q-global, real-time automated scoring on Q-interactive, or manual scoring
Q-global
In addition to manual scoring, WISC–V is available on Q-global™, Pearson’s web-based scoring and reporting system.
Q-global offers:
- 24/7 secure, web-based access
- Portability: Q-global can be used on mobile devices such as a laptop or tablet
- On-demand, reliable scoring and comprehensive reporting solutions
Two options for scoring and reporting the WISC-V are available on Q-global.
The first option is to pay-per-report. Customers who administer the WISC-V only a few times each year, or those who want the flexibility to pay only as the assessment is used, may prefer this option.
The second option is to select an “unlimited use” subscription, where one user of the WISC-V gets unlimited scoring and reporting for one, three, or five years depending on the selected term of the subscription. This may be a better option for customers who administer the WISC-V several times each year—and don’t want to worry about keeping track of their report expenses.
WISC-V Reports available on Q-global:
Score Reports
- Automatically converts total raw scores to subtest scaled scores
- Automatically converts sums of scaled scores to composites scores, including the FSIQ and numerous index scores
- Performs score comparisons at the index and subtest levels
- Generates score reports with tables and graphs
- Ability Achievement Discrepancy and PSW analyses available at no extra charge through the selected achievement report (WIAT-III or KTEA-3)
Interpretive Reports
In addition to the full scoring information available in the WISC–V Score Report, the WISC–V Interpretive Report includes narrative interpretation of scores, including:
- Narrative summary of the child’s background, history, and test behaviors
- Interpretation of the Full Scale IQ and all primary, ancillary and complementary index scores
- Integration of the reason for referral in test score interpretation
- Recommendations based on WISC–V performance
- Optional Parent Summary Report
Q-interactive
With WISC–V digital on Q-interactive you can:
- Create custom batteries by choosing subtests from the WISC–V and other assessment instruments.
- Get access to the full menu of WISC–V subtests anytime and anywhere.
- Select and add a subtest in real time, without having to reschedule another testing session.
- Integrate seamlessly with WIAT–III and KTEA-3 to address both cognitive and achievement components and help improve student outcomes in the classroom.
- Administer a more standardized administration and simplify the management of WISC–V so you can focus on what is important — the child.
- Take advantage of the system’s portability and increased engagement of examinee.
- Record verbal subtest responses using audio capture.
- Get a scaled-score immediately after finishing a subtest, to increase speed and accuracy.
- More easily capture and reproduce the students block construction.
- Simplify the monitoring of timed items with a 10-second reminder feature.
Q-interactive can help you transform the way you work. It’s innovative and intuitive. And it makes assessments easier to administer, improving analysis and productivity. Bottom line? You can achieve optimum outcomes quicker and easier than ever.
Materials
NEW! Essentials of WISC-V Integrated Assessment
This book provides in-depth information on new administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures specific to the WISC-V and the WISC-V Integrated. Read the full description
Manual Supplement
WISC-V Technical and Interpretive Manual Supplement
View this supplement for the results of the WISC-V clinical validity studies with other measures and additional tables
Technical Reports
- WISC-V Technical Report 1: Expanded Index Scores
- WISC-V Technical Report 2: Testing Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- WISC-V Technical Report 3: Using the WASI-II with the WISC-V
- WISC-V Technical Report 4: WISC-V Special Group Study: Children with Hearing Differences Who Utilize Spoken Language and Have Assistive Technology
- Q-interactive Technical Report 8: Equivalence of Q-interactive and Paper Administrations of Cognitive Tasks: WISC-V
- Q-interactive Special Group Studies: The WISC-V and Children with Intellectual Giftedness and Intellectual Disability
- Q-interactive Special Group Studies: The WISC-V and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Accompanying Language Impairment or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Q-interactive Special Group Studies: The WISC-V and Children with Special Learning Disorders with Reading and Mathematics
- WISC-V Coding and Symbol Search in Digital Format: Reliability, Validity, Special Group Studies, and Interpretation
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FREE Online Introductory Training is available exclusively to WISC-V users (WISC-V paper-and-pencil format or WISC-V digital format on Q-interactive)!
Orientation Training Series
These brief, pre-recorded sessions have been developed to familiarize you with the WISC-V. All you need is access to the Internet and the sound enabled on your computer. Please keep in mind that the session may take a few minutes to load.
Additional Training
This 24-minute presentation describes when and how to use the General Ability Index from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition. As a result of the presentation, clinicians will be able to describe the GAI, and to determine when it should be calculated and used.
This 25-minute presentation describes when and how to use contrast scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC–V). As a result of the presentation, clinicians will be able to describe, derive, and interpret the WISC–V contrast scores.
Pre-recorded Webinars
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Assessing Cognitive Abilities of ELLs Using WISC-V Spanish
Presenter: Gloria Maccow, PhD & Jarett Lehner
Clinicians who assess cognitive abilities of children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter unique challenges and complexities. In many cases, they need methods to tease out the impact of non-cognitive factors (e.g., acculturation, socioeconomic status, educational disadvantage, bilingualism) that may affect the child’s performance on cognitive tests.
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition Spanish (WISC–V Spanish) is a culturally and linguistically valid test of cognitive ability for use with Spanish-speaking children ages 6 through 16 years. In addition to providing information on cognitive abilities including verbal comprehension, visual-spatial, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed, the WISC–V Spanish offers language-environment adjusted scores for the verbal subtests and indexes. The WISC–V Spanish is available in digital format using Pearson’s Q-interactive platform, and in the traditional paper format.
This session will describe the structure of the WISC–V Spanish, features of subtest administration, and interpretation of the language-environment adjusted scores. The session will include a live demonstration of the digital assessment platform.
Date: Nov 30, 2017
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Advanced Interpretation of the WISC-V
Presenter: Gloria Maccow, PhD
The test structure of the WISC–V was influenced by structural models of intelligence, neurodevelopmental theory and neurocognitive research, and research with clinical populations. The changes in conceptual structure, along with changes to the score differences comparison methodology, and the expansion of process scores enhance the interpretive clarity of the instrument. For example:
- The availability of separate Visual-Spatial and Fluid Reasoning index scores on the WISC-V allows clinicians to better understand why a child is struggling to perform specific academic skills.
- The addition of visual working memory enhances the scale’s clinical utility due to the domain-specific differential sensitivity of auditory and visual working memory tasks to a wide variety of clinical conditions.
- Complementary subtests provide information on the cognitive processes associated with reading, mathematics, and writing skills.
This one-hour webinar will focus on the interpretation of the WISC-V. The presenter will describe primary, ancillary, and complementary indexes and will use sample data to illustrate the interpretive process. As a result of the session, participants will be able to describe:
- The cognitive processes represented by the WISC-V index scores,
- The theoretical link between specific cognitive abilities and specific academic skills, and
- How to use performance on the WISC-V to generate hypotheses about processing deficits.
Date: Feb 05, 2015
PDF: Advanced Interpretation of the WISC-V -
Unleashing the Power of the WISC-V
Presenter: Adam Scheller, PhD
This session provides essential information to practitioners wishing to learn more about the use and interpretation of the Wechsler intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). This session will take a deeper dive into how to use the WISC-V results to inform clinicians, parents, and educators about how a student’s cognitive needs and strengths impact learning and other daily activities. Content is intended for those practitioners who routinely assess students between the ages of 6 and 16 for the provision of special services, and have administered the WISC-V. During the presentation, participants will gain practical information to help them in using the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the new components of the WISC-V, such as new subtests, index, and ancillary scores.
Digital or Paper- You Now Have a Choice!
This session is applicable whether you choose to use WISC-V in traditional paper and pencil format or on Q-interactive. If you are looking for a more detailed description of Q-interactive and WISC-V, we encourage you to attend a recorded session regarding the WISC-V on Q-interactive, or a Q-interactive Overview webinar.
Date: Jan 20, 2015
PDF: Unleashing the Power of the WISC-V -
Unleashing the Power of the WISC-V
Presenter: Gloria Maccow, PhD
This session provides essential information to practitioners wishing to learn more about the use and interpretation of the Wechsler intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). This session will take a deeper dive into how to use the WISC-V results to inform clinicians, parents, and educators about how a student’s cognitive needs and strengths impact learning and other daily activities. Content is intended for those practitioners who routinely assess students between the ages of 6 and 16 for the provision of special services, and have administered the WISC-V. During the presentation, participants will gain practical information to help them in using the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the new components of the WISC-V, such as new subtests, index, and ancillary scores.
Digital or Paper- You Now Have a Choice!
This session is applicable whether you choose to use WISC-V in traditional paper and pencil format or on Q-interactive. If you are looking for a more detailed description of Q-interactive and WISC-V, we encourage you to attend a recorded session regarding the WISC-V on Q-interactive, or a Q-interactive Overview webinar.
Date: Nov 19, 2014
PDF – Unleashing the Power of the WISC-V -
Are you Ready? Using the new WISC-V
Presenter: Amy Dilworth Gabel, PhD Training and Client Consultation Director, Pearson Clinical Assessment
This session is designed will provide essential information to practitioners as they familiarize themselves with the Wechsler intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). The focus of the session will be to take a deeper dive into how the revisions to the Scale better inform clinicians, parents, and educators about how a student’s cognitive needs and strengths impact learning and other daily activities. Content is intended for those practitioners who routinely assess students between the ages of 6 and 16 for the provision of special services, and have attended one of the live or recorded introductory sessions. During the presentation, participants will gain practical information to help them in using the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive evaluation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the new components of the WISC-V, such as new subtests, index, and ancillary scores.
Digital or Paper- You Now Have a Choice!
This session is applicable whether you choose to use WISC-V in traditional paper and pencil format or on Q-interactive. If you are looking for a more detailed description of Q-interactive and WISC-V, we encourage you to attend a recorded session regarding the WISC-V on Q-interactive, or a Q-interactive Overview webinar.
Date: Oct 20, 2014
PDF: Are you Ready? Using the new WISC-V -
Preparing for WISC-V: Essential Information
Presenter: Amy Dilworth Gabel, PhD
This session is designed to go somewhat beyond the overviews of the Wechsler intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V) that have been previously presented. The focus of this session will be to take a deeper dive into how the revisions to the Scale better inform clinicians, parents, and educators about how a student’s cognitive needs and strengths impact learning and other daily activities. Content is intended for those practitioners who routinely assess students between the ages of 6 and 16 for the provision of special services, and have attended one of the live or recorded introductory sessions. During the presentation, participants gain information to help them in using the WISC-V to understand student needs. Particular emphasis will be placed on the new components of the WISC-V, such as new subtests, index, and ancillary scores.
Digital or Paper- You Now Have a Choice!
This session is applicable whether you choose to use WISC-V in traditional paper and pencil format or on Q-interactive. If you are looking for a more detailed description of Q-interactive and WISC-V, we encourage you to attend a recorded session regarding the WISC-V on Q-interactive, or a Q-interactive Overview webinarDate: Aug 21, 2014
PDF: Preparing for WISC-V: Essential Information
Questions
Frequently asked questions follow. Click on a question to see the response.
Q-interactive
- Frequently Asked Questions
Test Framework, Revision Goals, and General Practice Issues
- How has the test structure changed?
- Was the WISC–V designed to line up with Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory?
- Is the WISC–V quicker to administer than the WISC–IV?
- Is there information in the WISC–V Technical and Interpretive Manual about the proportions of children with various clinical conditions that were included in the normative sample? Are norms available that do not include children from these special groups?
- What are the recommendations for using the WISC–V over the WAIS–IV when evaluating examinees aged 16?
- How long do professionals have to transition from using the WISC–IV to using the WISC–V?
- What is the appropriate composite score to use when evaluating for a specific learning disability using ability-achievement discrepancy analyses?
- Does the WISC–V support use of a pattern of strengths and weaknesses approach to learning disability evaluation?
- Should I provide teaching on any teaching item to which the child responds incorrectly, or only for the first two items administered?
- I have noticed children getting correct answers but just after the time limit has expired. These children had the correct answers but were just somewhat slower in responding. Are these children penalized due to their slow processing speed rather than their cognitive abilities on these higher-level cognitive reasoning tasks? For any of the subtests, did the WISC–V standardization research compare the accuracy of answers versus just their time-based raw scores?
- I found a discrepancy between two scores that is rare and unusual, but I am unsure how to interpret it. Is there somewhere I can see specifics?
- Is color-blindness a factor on the WISC–V?
- When will extended norms be available for the WISC–V?
- I read an article in which the authors suggest that interpretation should rely primarily on the FSIQ and that I should only cautiously interpret at the index level, if at all. In another article, the authors assert that index scores should be the primary level of interpretation and the FSIQ shouldn’t be interpreted. Which view should I use for interpretation?
Subtests
- Is teaching allowed on the sample items to ensure that children understand the expectations of the subtests?
- Why was Comprehension not chosen as a primary subtest? From a language perspective, it provides a richer sense of the child’s ability to answer open-ended questions, a more authentic skill for real-life.
- Why was Word Reasoning dropped?
- Did you consider removing the time bonuses for Block Design?
- Why was Picture Completion dropped?
- How does Block Design work with children with motor deficits such as cerebral palsy? Is there an alternative test?
- How does interpretation of Arithmetic change now that it is classified as a Fluid Reasoning subtest?
- Are the Comprehension items updated?
- I tested a child aged (6, 7, or 8) and the Naming Speed Quantity score came out unusually high. Did I make a scoring error?
- Are there out of level norms for children with low cognitive ability on Naming Speed Literacy (i.e., for those who don’t know the names of all the letters and numbers)?
- How will color blindness be handled in the Naming Speed Literacy subtest?
- For the BDp score, if a child has to take both trials of an item, do you use the correct placement of blocks on Trial 2 only to get the optional partial score for that item?
- For the BDp score, if a child has the correct design but rotates it 30 or more degrees, is the optional partial score for that item equal to 0?
- For the BDp score, if a child commits a dimension error, which blocks are counted as correct?
- For Naming Speed Literacy, the top table on the Process Analysis page of the Record Form provides a space to complete the NSLn raw score and scaled score. However, it indicates that this is for ages 7–8 in light blue ink within the boxes. Is this also where the NSL raw score for ages 9–16 is converted for this age group? If not, where else on the Record Form would you convert the NSL raw score for ages 9–16?
- If a young child is prompted to use finger tracking and they do not comply, what is the proper course of action?
- On Visual Puzzles, if a child clearly chooses more than 3 pieces, what prompt is provided?
- On the sheet that was inserted into the WISC–V Administration and Scoring Manual Supplement to display the LPSr scores on Table C.17, are the numbers displayed for the median at age 15 and 16 correct? It seems odd that it would decrease with age.
- In testing a child between the ages of 6:0–7:11, I have obtained an extremely low score on the NSQ score that doesn’t make any sense. Is there a problem with this score?
- On Visual Puzzles, some children seem confused by the instructions that refer to a piece being on top of another piece. They seem to think that a piece cannot appear above another piece on the puzzle, rather than thinking that the instruction refers to stacking the pieces in layers. Can I give them additional help?
- Is Matrix Reasoning a timed subtest?
Composite Scores
- How is the WISC–V FSIQ different than the WISC–IV FSIQ?
- What is the fundamental difference between the FSIQ and the primary index scores?
- If there are significant discrepancies between the primary index scores (e.g., VCI, WMI), is the FSIQ still interpretable (e.g., for diagnosing intellectual disability)?
- What does the Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI) measure?
- What does the Working Memory Index (WMI) measure?
- What is the difference between primary index scores, ancillary index scores, and complementary index scores?
- Is the NVI recommended for students with varying degrees of communication deficits? Could you use the NVI to determine eligibility for students who are nonverbal?
- What is the difference between the FSIQ and the GAI?
- Are there data for the gifted population and frequency of GAI minus CPI differences?
- If I substitute a subtest when I derive the FSIQ, is it considered a standard administration?
- Can I substitute a secondary subtest for a primary subtest when deriving the FSIQ?
- How was it decided that one subtest score could or could not be substituted for another when deriving the FSIQ?
- Can I administer all of the primary and secondary subtests and choose to use the highest subtest scaled scores when computing the FSIQ?
- Why isn’t subtest substitution permitted on any of the index scores?
- Is score proration still available?
- If the Naming Speed Literacy (NSL) standard score is 90, and the Naming Speed Quantity (NSQ) standard score is 92, how is the Naming Speed Index (NSI) 89 and in the Low Average range?
- Is the Full Scale IQ invalid if index scores are discrepant? Is an index score invalid if subtests are discrepant?
- Why are there composite score differences between the WISC–IV and the WISC–V?
- I administered the WISC–V to a student who scored 65 on each of the VCI, VSI, FRI, WMI, and PSI index scores, but his FSIQ was 57. Shouldn’t it be 65?
Kit Materials
- Why is there a WISC–V Administration and Scoring Manual Supplement? What is it for? Do I need to carry it with me?
- Do I need all three stimulus books?
- Where do I record process observations and contrast scores on the Record Form? Where are the instructions about how to calculate these scores?
- On the Process Analysis page in the Raw Score to Base Rate Conversion table, the number of errors sometimes occurs with multiple base rates. For example, 1 error for a child aged 9 for BDde corresponds with both < 15 and < 10. What should I do?
Q-global Scoring and Reporting
- What is Q-global?
- When will the WISC–V score report and WISC–V interpretive report writer be available?
- Can I reprint a scoring report from Q-global at no charge?
- How do you use subtest substitution and proration for the FSIQ when scoring the WISC–V in Q-global?
- Are the allowable substitutions for primary subtests different on Q-global compared to hand scoring?
- Why are some score comparisons not available on the Q-global platform if I substitute a secondary subtest for a primary subtest?
- Are score comparisons with the KTEA–3 and the WIAT–III available on Q-global?
- What is included in the score report with the KTEA–3 and WIAT–III on Q-global?
- To use Q-global, do I need to purchase iPads or other tablets?
- Can you confirm if your Q-global program is compatible with Mac computers?
- If one purchases Q-interactive vs Q-Global, would the child’s data need to be stored in another location or would it still be uploaded?
- When you purchase Q-global scoring, can you access it from any computer connected to the Internet or only one computer in the office? Also, what are the pricing options for the reports?
