Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Questions about WISC-IV results

Just received my DD WISC-IV scores today and would appreciate any input on how the scores are calculated. Other than the PRI of 137 I don't understand how it computes to an FSIQ of 128. DD is 8 yrs 11 mo. Dr. did not state the GAI on the paperwork. I would think her IQ would come out lower than the 128 score.

Verbal Comp 116
Similarities 14
Vocabulary 12
Comprehension 18

Perceptual Reasoning 137
Block Design 14
Picture Concepts 16
Matrix Reasoning 18

Working Memory 116
Digit Span 13
Letter Number 13

Processing Speed 112
Coding 9
Symbol Search 15

Thanks!

Hopefully someone with a better understanding of the test will come along and answer your question. I can, however, tell you what our psych told us- the FSIQ is *not* calculated by averaging the four scores. He said many parents get home and call him back saying "wait, I think you did the math wrong" so he always tries to provide parents with that info. Although I have no idea how FSIQ actually is calculated, I can say that the FSIQ your daughter got was likely correct. Hope that's at all helpful!

Yes, that's exactly right. The FSIQ (and GAI) are calculated looking at how rare it is to get scores of the sort the child did on all of the subtests, not just by averaging the subtests. So, for instance, it is less common to be high on everything than high in just one area so even a bunch of subtest scores where none of the subtests is quite in the gifted range could come together to produce a moderately gifted composite score b/c it is uncommon to be nearly gifted everywhere and, overall, that is enough to be gifted.

I hope that isn't just more convoluted! FWIW, the GAI would be even higher. You'd be looking at a 139 (99.5th percentile) for a GAI.

I don't think that the 116 for the VCI is correct. I'm guessing it should be 132. My son had the same sum of the scaled scores for the VCI (44) and it came out to 132.

The FSIQ (and the GAI) are calculated by summing the scaled scores and then looking at a table that lists the FSIQ (or the GAI) for each sum.

I didn't even look at that, but I bet that you're right. The closest # I've seen on one of my kids to her scaled scores was a 48 and that came out as a 136, so you've got to be right that a 44 can't be that much lower.

Correction: My ability to add numbers was a bit impaired this morning. One of my kids had a sum of scaled scores for VCI of 46 which gave a composite score of 132. The other had a sum of scaled scores for the VCI of 45, which gave a composite score of 130 (and on another adminstration had a sum of 47 with a composite score of 134). So, if the pattern holds, a 44 would be 128.

Sorry about that!

Thank you all for your responses. I too questioned the VCI composite. I do know that when the test was over the doctor administering the test told me that there was a large span between verbal (114) and non-verbal(141). She showed me on the scanton but she had not finished computing all scores.

We live in a small town of 3000 and to qualify for the gifted program you must have a FSIQ of 125. DD did not score high enough on the Cogat in the 1st grade so we paid for the WISC-IV. DD started 3rd grade a few weeks ago � the school does not administer the Cogat again until 4th grade.

Now the gifted teacher wants a copy of the first page of DD's WISC-IV scantron results to accompany the 3 page assessment from the psychologist. I wonder if they too think something is off or if this is standard procedure.

DD is STILL not in the program with the FSIQ of 128 - the school is going to administer the WJ-III and she has to have 2 previous teachers fill out a questionnaire regarding DD, with at least one teacher giving her a score of 120 or above.

They insist they are doing what's best for my daughter. I disagree - I am doing what's best for my daughter and they are doing what is best for their program.