The WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition) is scored by comparing your child’s individual performance against a group of other students born within a four-month age range of one another (this is called an “age band”). Age ranges are represented by the year number of the child followed by how many months after their birthday it’s been with a colon in the middle.
- A child who is 6 years old, born in October, and taking the test in December would be represented as 6:2
- A child who is 10 years old, born in March, and taking the test in November would be represented as 10:7
All students tested have three possible age bands they may fall into. For example, if your child is 7-years old, depending on when he was born, he would fall into one of the following age bands:
- 7 years, 0 months (7:0) to 7 years, 3 months (7:3)
- 7 years, 4 months (7:4) to 7 years, 7 months (7:7)
- 7 years, 8 months (7:8) to 7 years, 11 months (7:11)
If you want your child to be on the older or younger end of the age band in which his or her score will be calculated, you can schedule the test accordingly.
| WISC-V Age Groups (Yrs:Mos) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:0 – 6:3 | 10:0 – 10:3 | 14:0 – 14:3 |
| 6:4 – 6:7 | 10:4 – 10:7 | 14:4 – 14:7 |
| 6:8 – 6:11 | 10:8 – 10:11 | 14:8 – 14:11 |
| 7:0 – 7:3 | 11:0 – 11:3 | 15:0 – 15:3 |
| 7:4 – 7:7 | 11:4 – 11:7 | 15:4 – 15:7 |
| 7:8 – 7:11 | 11:8 – 11:11 | 15:8 – 15:11 |
| 8:0 – 8:3 | 12:0 – 12:3 | 16:0 – 16:3 |
| 8:4 – 8:7 | 12:4 – 12:7 | 16:4 – 16:7 |
| 8:8 – 8:11 | 12:8 – 12:11 | 16:8 – 16:11 |
| 9:0 – 9:3 | 13:0 – 13:3 | |
| 9:4 – 9:7 | 13:4 – 13:7 | |
| 9:8 – 9:11 | 13:8 – 13:11 | |
The age bands are then standardized and used to determine each child’s overall IQ score. The scores are calculated, based on the performance of a normative group of children who fall within that 4-month age bracket. The child’s cognitive abilities (verbal comprehension, working memory, visual processing speed, and fluid reasoning) are assessed and compared against performance level norms created from the standardized test sample.
The scores are obtained in a statistical manner, and are not based on the percentage of questions answered correctly. That means your child’s score will be in comparison to the other children within their age band that took the test, rather than by the number correct they got in total.
Thousands of children were given the assessment, and the results were standardized to determine various ranges of ability for each age. Given the results of the sample population, norms are created. Percentile rankings are correlated with a person’s performance level based on the norms created from the standardized sample. Your child’s score will be a comparison of how he or she performed compared to the standardized sample.
Here are all the Standard Score ranges for the WISC-V:
| Score Range | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Borderline: 70-79. | Students who test in this range may struggle to keep up in school and are usually eligible for assistance. |
| Low Average: 80-89. | Students who test in this range may struggle to keep up in school, but are not generally eligible for special education or assistance. |
| Average: 90-109. | Students who test in this range are average and may or may not struggle to keep up in school. |
| High Average: 110-119. | Students who test in this range are high average and do not generally struggle in school. |
| Above Average: 120-129. | Students who test in this range are above average and do not generally struggle in school. |
| Moderately Gifted: 130-145. | Students who test in this range are moderately gifted and do not generally struggle in school. |
| Highly Gifted: 146-159. | Students who test in this range are highly/exceptionally gifted and do not generally struggle in school. |
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