An IQ test examines one's cognitive functioning. There are many different IQ tests on the market and each tests slightly different cognitive skills. Some IQ tests are group-administered pencil/paper types and can be administered by any knowledgeable educator, while others are administered one-on-one by a psychologist. The ones which provide the most information and are most accurate are the ones that are administered one-on-one. The most popular individual IQ test as it is the most comprehensive and provides information about different areas of cognitive functioning (verbal abstract reasoning, nonverbal abstract reasoning, vocabulary, open-ended reasoning, attention and working memory, analysis-synthesis, executive function and planning and short-term memory/learning)is the Weschsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th edition (WISC IV). Other individual comprehensive IQ tests include Stanford Binet V, Kaufman Intelligence test, etc. Since each test evaluates slightly different areas of functioning, the scores achieved on different tests may differ.
WISC IV takes 70-90 minutes to administer and can only be administered by a qualified psychologist. The skill, experience and attitude of the testing psychologist can make a difference in the resulting scores especially if you have a very anxious or sensitive child or if there is a learning disability in combination with a high cognitive ability (giftedness). So if it's feasible for you financially and logistically to pick a good testing psychologist to do the testing, I would advise you do it.
Last edited by asiral; 08/01/09 09:49 AM.
