Have you ever wondered how smart you are compared to others? If so, you are in luck because there is a test for that. The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, or WIAT, is a test that measures a person's intelligence. The test can be taken by children and adults from age four to 85. Children and adolescents are often given the WIAT in order to identify areas where they may struggle or excel at in school. The test covers four basic parts and within those parts there are nine sub-tests. By learning more about the test, as well as what is considered a good score, if you or someone you love is taking the WIAT, you will be better prepared for both the test and the results.

The Test Subject Areas

There are four different areas of intelligence that are tested by the WIAT. They are math, reading, written language and oral language. Each of these areas is further broken down for testing purposes. The math area, for instance, is broken down into two sub-tests, math reasoning and numerical operations. The reading section will cover word reading, comprehension of reading and phoWhat's a good score on the Wechsler individual achievement test?netics. Spelling and written expression are the sections in the written language area, and oral expression and listening comprehension are covered under the oral language area.

Looking at the Scores

When the WIAT is scored, there will be a set of numbers that will be given to the test taker. The average score for the test is 100, and any score from 90 to 109 is considered to be in the average intelligence range. Score from 110 to 119 are considered to be High Average. Superior scores range from 120 to 129 and anything over 130 is considered Very Superior. These scores will indicate where a student might excel when in school. On the other hand, any score from 80 to 89 is considered to be Low Average, scores from 70 to 79 are called Borderline and any score below 69 is considered Extremely Low. These scores can help to identify areas where a student may struggle.

Other Scores You May See

Finally, though the above scores are the main scores that everyone looks for, there are also other scores that will be given with the results of the WIAT. For example, you will likely see a score labeled Percentile Ranking, or PR. This is given in a percentage and shows how the test taker scored against his or her peers. For instance, if there is a 60 in this area, you will know that they did better than 60 percent of the other test takers. Other scores are the Age Equivalent and Grade Equivalent scores. These will show you where the test taker ranks by age and grade. For example, if you have a 12-year-old taking the test, they may get an age equivalent of 13 or 14 instead of 12. For grades, an 8th grader may score in the 7th-grade range which may indicate more focus in certain areas is needed.

The WIAT is a wonderful way to understand where someone might excel and where they may have difficulties and ultimately can be a great tool to help set educational and lift goals.

For all official Wechsler materials, visits Pearson Clinical.