A new standard assessment tool designed for measuring a child’s intellectual ability, WISC-V, will replace the existing WISC-IV assessment tool. The new updated tool for WISC test is of gold standard with more interpretive power, more efficiency and is more user-friendly with updated psychometric properties. Using the tool one can assess the cognitive ability in children aged 6 years 0 months through 16 years 11 months (6:0 – 16:11).
The tool has 16 subtests and the scores derived from it represent the intellectual functioning and the general intellectual ability of the child. The subtests have been divided in 2 main categories, primary and secondary with 10 primary subtests recommended to understand the intellectual ability while the 6 secondary subtests in addition to give a wide sample to test the intellectual functioning.
The primary subtests are given in pre-decided combinations to get the FSIQ, the five primary index scores and 3 out of 5 ancillary index scores. 7 subtests out of the 10 primary subtests are used to derive the FSIQ. The scores determine the child’s overall intellectual ability. The scores are measured in terms of Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Visual Spatial Index (VSI), Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI), Working Memory Index (WMI), and the Processing Speed Index (PSI).
There are memory, verbal, non verbal, general ability tests which all are useful in diagnosing disorders of all kinds like the reading disorders, language disorders, and if the child faces any nonverbal difficulties, visual vs auditory memory deficits, executive function difficulties and visual perception issues.