WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®-Fourth Edition ) - Overview (2024)

Start Now with 100 Free Questions

WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®-Fourth Edition ) - Overview (1)

Start now with 100 FREE practice questions!

Tell us about your experiences with this test.

The Tests »

WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®-Fourth Edition ) - Overview

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®, Fourth Edition (WIAT®-4 or WIAT®-IV) measures an individual’s academic achievement. It is one of the most widely administered achievement tests and is offered to individuals between the ages of 4 and 50 years and 11 months. The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) was published in 2020 and is based on the WIAT III but has 5 new subtests, 5 new composite scores, and automated scoring of Essay Composition.

The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) measures various aspects of academic achievement, including:

  • Mathematics: measures numerical operation, math problem solving, and math fluency
  • Oral Language: Measures receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonemic proficiency, listening comprehension, and oral expression
  • Reading: measures word reading, pseudoword decoding, reading comprehension, and oral fluency
  • Written Language: measures spelling, punctuation, capitalization, sentence combining, and essay composition

The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) provides scores that can be used to identify a person’s strengths and weaknesses in each of these areas, as well as an overall composite score that provides an estimate of comprehensive academic achievement. The test is administered individually by a psychologist or trained examiner, and it typically takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours to complete. The results of the test can be used to inform educational and intervention planning and to help identify students who may need additional support or accommodations to succeed academically.

For what purpose is the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) test given?

It can be used for a variety of purposes, including identifying learning disabilities, evaluating academic progress, and developing educational interventions. Some schools use the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) as part of the admission process, while other schools may use it for admission into their gifted program.

100 Free Gifted Practice Questions

How is the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) different from the WIAT-III?

The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) is an updated version of the WIAT-III. The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) includes several changes and improvements over the previous version.

    • Updated Norms
    • Expanded Age Range
    • New Subtests
    • Improved Test Structure
    • Enhanced Interpretive Report

Overall, WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) is an updated comprehensive assessment with new subtests and improved normative data. It assesses an individual’s academic achievement and reflects changes in educational practices and demographics.

What are the new subtests on WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) and what do they measure?

  • Phonemic Proficiency (Oral Language) – This subtest measures the speed and accuracy of phoneme manipulation. Phonemes are individual sounds within words. For example, the word “car” has 3 sounds – /c/ /a/ /r/.
    • Questions here might be, “Say “car” but change the /c/ sound to a /t/ sound – “tar” (beginning sound).
    • Or say “bat” but change the /a/ to an /e/ sound – “bet” (middle sound).
    • Or say “rut” but change the /t/ sound to a /n/ sound. – “run” (end sound).
    • Or say “popcorn” but don’t say “pop.” Or say the word “bat” backwards – “tab.”
  • Orthographic Fluency (Reading Fluency) – This subtest measures an individual’s orthographic and sight vocabulary.
  • Decoding Fluency (Reading Fluency) – This measures the speed of irregular word (or sight vocabulary) and nonsense word reading.
    • A student is shown 8 words that are spelled differently than they sound. They must read each word aloud within a time limit.
    • On the Pseudoword subtest, students are shown 6 nonsense words that are spelled phonetically correct. They must read these words within a time limit. This tells us if a child has a strategy for phonetic decoding each word.
  • Sentence Writing Fluency (Writing Fluency) – This measures the speed of writing sentences. A student is shown pictures, each with an accompanying word. They must write as many complete sentences as they can within 5 minutes that incorporate the word exactly and take inspiration from the picture.
  • Orthographic Choice (Oral Reading) – This recognition spelling subtest assesses a student’s ability to recognize and decode irregularly spelled words. These must be recognized by sight because they aren’t spelled the way they sound. For example, a student is shown 3 words – thay, tha, they. One is correctly spelled, the other two are spelled the way they sound phonetically. The student must identify which is spelled correctly. This subtest is only available with the online version of WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV).

What WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) subtests are given at each grade level?

Not every subtest is given to every student. The chart below shows you which subtests are given at each grade level.

SUBTEST ORDERSUBTESTPre-KKinderGrades 1-2Grades 3-4Grades 5-12+
1Oral Language: Phonemic ProficiencyXXXXX
2Reading: Word ReadingXXXXX
3Oral Language: Listening ComprehensionXXXXX
4Written Language: Alphabet Writing FluencyXXXX
5Reading: Reading ComprehensionXXXX
6Mathematics: Math Problem SolvingXXXXX
7Reading: Orthographic FluencyXXX
8Written Language: Sentence CompositionXXX
9Oral Language: Oral ExpressionXXXXX
10Reading: Oral Reading FluencyXXX
11Written Language: Essay CompositionXX
12Reading: Pseudoword DecodingXXX
13Written Language: Sentence Writing FluencyXXX
14Mathematics: Numerical OperationsXXXXX
15Reading: Decoding FluencyXX
16Written Language: SpellingXXXX
17Mathematics: Math Fluency – AdditionXXX
18Mathematics: Math Fluency – SubtractionXXX
19Mathematics: Math Fluency – MultiplicationXX

100 Free Gifted Practice Questions

How is the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) different from the WISC-V?

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®, Fifth Edition (WISC®-V) is a standardized intelligence test used to assess cognitive or reasoning abilities in individuals between the ages of 6 and 16 years 11 months. This test assesses a person’s thinking abilities and not what they learn in school. The WISC-V evaluates performance in the following areas- verbal comprehension, visual-spatial ability, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) evaluates an individual’s academic abilities in language, reading, writing, and math. It is similar to state achievement tests in the way that doing well on this test depends on what has been learned in school.

How does the automated scoring of the Essay and Sentence Composition subtests work in WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV)?

For the Essay Composition subtest, the prompt is something like this: “Write about your favorite ____ and tell me at least 3 reasons why you like it.” The test administrator transcribes the child’s essay into the scoring software for WISC-4. Trained on thousands of WIAT-III and WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) actual student essays, smart artificial intelligence (AI) software is used to automatically score the essay. It looks for errors in the areas of capitalization, end punctuation, internal punctuation, omission of words, extra words, spelling, verb usage, pronoun usage, word ending, and word order.

For the Sentence Composition subtest, it looks at the number of words and sentences written, the correct usage of the target word in the sentence without changing it, and subject-verb agreement. For this subtest, students should keep their sentences short and to the point, going for as many correct sentences as possible within the 5-minute timeframe.

How is the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) scored?

Composite scores are provided for each area of achievement, including the following:

  • Mathematics Composite includes subtests measuring numerical operations, math fluency, math problem solving, and math reasoning.
  • Oral Language Composite includes subtests measuring phonemic proficiency, listening comprehension, oral expression, and oral language composite.
  • Reading Composite includes subtests measuring word reading, pseudoword decoding, reading comprehension, and oral reading fluency.
  • Written Language Composite includes subtests measuring spelling, sentence composition, and essay composition.

To obtain the composite scores, the individual subtest scores are combined using a weighted formula. This formula considers the number of subtests taken in each composite and the relative importance of each subtest.

The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) also offers a Dyslexia Index which helps identify risk for dyslexia among students or individuals ages 5 through 50. It includes scores on Phonemic Proficiency, Word Reading, Orthographic Fluency, and Pseudoword (Nonsense Word) Decoding subtests. These subtests can be administered apart from the rest of the WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) test.

The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) is a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s academic achievement. The scores are interpreted in the context of a representative sample of students (individuals) in the same grade/age group.

100 Free Gifted Practice Questions

Tell us about your experiences

See if TestingMom.com supports your child’s test by your school district. If you don't see your child's school district listed, check with us! We have practice for other tests as well.

WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®-Fourth Edition ) - Overview (2024)

FAQs

What does the WIAT-4 test for? ›

WIAT-4 is an achievement test that can be used in a multitude of settings by a wide range of professionals. It assesses individual's academic achievement (or ability to apply cognitive skills and learned knowledge to grade-level expectations) in reading, math, and written and oral language.

Is the WIAT-4 a good test? ›

Overall, the WIAT-4 is a technically sound, reliable, and valid broad band achievement measure. The Technical Manual would have benefitted from the incorporation of results from item analyses and internal structural validity analyses through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

What is the average score on the WIAT-4? ›

The highest possible score is 160 and the lowest possible score is 40 for most skills tested. Half of all children will score less than 100, and half of all children will score more than 100. Scores from 90 to 109 are average. A percentile rank is also given.

What is the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test summary? ›

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–III (WIAT-III) is a standardized academic achievement test used to measure previously learned knowledge in the areas of Reading, Written Language, Mathematics, and Oral Language. The scores are based on age norms.

Does WIAT 4 diagnose dyslexia? ›

The WIAT-4 Dyslexia Index was designed to provide theoretically sound, reliable, and clinically sensitive composite scores for identifying risk for dyslexia across much of the age span.

What are the core subtests of the WIAT 4? ›

Five new subtests:
  • • Phonemic Proficiency: measures speed and. accuracy of phonological manipulation.
  • • Orthographic Fluency: measures speed of. irregular word reading.
  • • Decoding Fluency: measures speed of. pseudoword reading.
  • • Sentence Writing Fluency: measures speed of. ...
  • • Orthographic Choice*: measures recognition.

What age is the WIAT assessment for? ›

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test® (WIAT®) is an individually administered achievement test for ages 4–50 (grades PreK–12+) for use in a wide variety of clinical, educational, and research settings.

What are the limitations of the WIAT? ›

The WIAT-III has several limitations to include the time it takes to administer, the measure is only available in English, the test is highly verbal, some of the scoring criteria for the writing sections did not provide an adequate explanation, and although the sample was normalized on over 2,000 students, it was still ...

How long does the WIAT test take? ›

The WIAT Test (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test) is an individually administered achievement test that takes about 30 to 90 minutes.

What is the WIAT test for dyslexia? ›

The WIAT-lll is a broad educational assessment that identifies where the student's abilities lie across educational domains, and over the whole academic spectrum (Enhanced Listening Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Expression subtests, Enhanced Reading Comprehension, Oral Reading, Math Fluency, and Early Reading ...

What test score is considered average? ›

As you can see, 130 and up is considered Gifted, 115-129 is High intelligence, 85-114 is considered in the average range, 70-84 is borderline, and 69 and lower is extremely low IQ.

What is phonemic proficiency on the WIAT 4? ›

Phonemic Proficiency

Examinees respond orally to items that require manipulation of the sounds within words. Tasks include elision, substitution, and reversal of sounds. Items are presented via audio recording.

What score on the Wechsler test indicates genius? ›

The highest score that can be obtained on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III, which is the preeminent test of intelligence used in the United States today for identifying gifted children, is 160. For the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III, the ceiling is slightly lower: 155.

What skills do the Wechsler tests measure? ›

The WAIS-IV comprises a full scale IQ, as well as indexes on four factors: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed.

What is the average Wechsler score? ›

A standard IQ test, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale or Stanford Binet IQ test, is generally used to determine an individual's intellectual functioning. The average score is 100.

What are the four types of dyslexia? ›

The 4 types of dyslexia include phonological dyslexia, surface dyslexia, rapid naming deficit, and double deficit dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the person often has difficulty reading and interpreting what they read.

What is math problem solving on the WIAT-4? ›

The Math Problem Solving subtest measures a range of math problem-solving skill domains including basic concepts, everyday applications, geometry, and algebra. Examinees point to pictures or respond orally to items that require the application of mathematical principles to real-life situations.

How long does it take to administer WIAT-4? ›

WIAT-4 Administration, Scoring, and Basic Interpretation In Person 6 Hours.

What are the early reading skills on the WIAT? ›

Early Reading Skills

The examinee is presented auditory, visual, or combined auditory-visual stimuli and is required to respond either by pointing or orally. This subtest measures several skills deemed important for developing ready skills for students in years AU preschool-3 / NZ 0-4.

What is the WIAT assessment for ADHD? ›

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

WIAT administration is similar to the WAIS, a benefit that allows testers to easily move from one tool to the other. WIAT test scores can be used to compare a child's current achievement level with what is expected for his or her grade level or age group.

Who can administer a WIAT test? ›

Clinical Uses

The WIAT-II can be administered by professionals involved in psychological and/or educational testing. This includes only those who have specific training surrounding individually administered assessments.

What is the difference between the WIAT-III and the WIAT IV? ›

New Subtests: The WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV) has all the same subtests as the WIAT-III but has added five new subtests – phonemic proficiency, orthographic fluency, decoding fluency, sentence writing fluency, and orthographic choice (only available with the online editions of WIAT-4 (WIAT-IV)).

What is the essentials of the WIAT? ›

Essentials of WIAT-III and KTEA-II Assessment is the only resource providing practical, step-by-step instruction in the accurate and effective use of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition (KTEA-II), two popular measures of ...

How many subtests are on the WIAT? ›

Thirteen subtests contribute to the total achievement composite (the three Math Fluency subtests do not contribute.)

Does WIAT III test for dyslexia? ›

Dyslexia Index Scores for the KTEA™-3 or WIAT®–III provide a simple way to screen for dyslexia with stimulus materials you may already own, and each test has its own data and scores for your convenience.

Can the WIAT 4 be administered virtually? ›

A spectrum of options is available for administering this assessment via telepractice; however, it is important to consider the fact that the normative data were collected via an in-person assessment.

What is the difference between the WAIS and the WIAT? ›

For adolescents older than 16, or for adults, we use the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). The second test is a test of achievement or ability using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Second Edition (WIAT).

Does the WIAT test for dysgraphia? ›

Spelling from the WIAT-3 or WJ-IV are scored. Spelling from the Test of Orthographic Competence (TOC) can also be useful to analyze. Dysgraphia can also be diagnosed by evaluating a student's written expression.

What are good test scores? ›

A score of 24 means you've scored better than about 74% of students. A 28 means you've scored better than 88% of students, and a 30 means you've scored better than 93% of them! Anything 34 or above is in the 99th percentile—a truly phenomenal score.

What percent is a good score? ›

School Grading System
GradeScaleDescription
90–100AExcellent
75 – 89.99BVery good
60 – 74.99CGood
40 – 59.99DAcceptable
1 more row

What percentage on a test is good? ›

An A is 90% to 100%; A B is 80% to 89%; A C is 70% to 79%; A D is 60% to 69%; and finally.
...
How to calculate test score.
Letter gradePercentile
A+97-100
A93-96
A-90-92
B+87-89
9 more rows
Mar 19, 2023

Which phoneme level skill is typically the hardest skill for students to master? ›

The fourth level is phonemes or individual sounds within each word. Phonemic awareness is the most difficult level and often acquired after the child is 5 years old. Phonological awareness skills overlap, and therefore children do not need to master the first levels before they benefit from exposure to higher levels.

What is the WIAT 4 reading comprehension reversal rule? ›

4. What is the correct way to reverse in Reading Comprehension? If a student obtains a score of two or less on the reversal items for a given grade start point, reverse one grade start point, not simply one item.

What is considered a genius IQ for a child? ›

130 to 144: Moderately gifted. 145 to 159: Highly gifted. 160 to 179: Exceptionally gifted. 180 and up: Profoundly gifted.

What is the IQ of average person? ›

IQ tests are made to have an average score of 100. Psychologists revise the test every few years in order to maintain 100 as the average. Most people (about 68 percent) have an IQ between 85 and 115. Only a small fraction of people have a very low IQ (below 70) or a very high IQ (above 130).

What is Elon Musk's IQ? ›

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) When did Elon Musk take an IQ test? The Tesla CEO is estimated to have an IQ score of around 155.

What are the two most widely used intelligence tests? ›

The most widely used intelligence tests include the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler scales. The Stanford-Binet is the American adaptation of the original French Binet-Simon intelligence test; it was first introduced in 1916 by Lewis Terman, a psychologist at Stanford University.

What are the benefits of the Wechsler IQ test? ›

Some benefits include the following:
  • The test is well-established and has good test-retest reliability.
  • It accurately measures a person's current intellectual status and functioning.
  • Research suggests that the WAIS-IV can be a useful clinical tool for assessing mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Dec 6, 2022

What is the average score on the WIAT 4? ›

The highest possible score is 160 and the lowest possible score is 40 for most skills tested. Half of all children will score less than 100, and half of all children will score more than 100. Scores from 90 to 109 are average. A percentile rank is also given.

What WISC score is gifted? ›

by Carolyn K., director, Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
Level of GiftednessFull Scale IQ score WISC-IV, WPPSI-III source: Assessment of Children
gifted or moderately gifted (G or MG)130-138
highly gifted (HG)138-145
exceptionally gifted (EG)145-152
profoundly gifted (PG)152-160
Dec 1, 2020

What was Einstein's IQ? ›

His performance beats those of physicists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, who were both estimated to have IQs around 160.

What is the difference between the WIAT 3 and 4? ›

The WIAT-4 is based on the third edition of the instrument (WIAT-3), but it is more than just an updated WIAT-3. The instrument authors not only collected data from a new norming sample, but also substantially added and revised items, subtests, and scores (Breaux 2020, p. 89).

What is the use of WIAT? ›

For clinical, educational, or research teams who need to measure comprehensive listening, speaking, reading, writing, and math skills, the WIAT-III is an individually-administered achievement test for children, adolescents, and adults. Guidance on using this test in your telepractice.

What age ranges are the WIAT 4 subtest for? ›

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test® (WIAT®) is an individually administered achievement test for ages 4–50 (grades PreK–12+) for use in a wide variety of clinical, educational, and research settings.

Does WIAT-III test for dyslexia? ›

Dyslexia Index Scores for the KTEA™-3 or WIAT®–III provide a simple way to screen for dyslexia with stimulus materials you may already own, and each test has its own data and scores for your convenience.

What is the WIAT test for children? ›

Specifically the WIAT is used to measure the strengths and weaknesses of your child, so that the school may determine need for special support or notice stand-out skills in specific areas for gifted and talented programs, especially for children who are twice exceptional (refers to intellectually gifted children who ...

What do the WIAT scores mean? ›

For standard scores, each number given shows the level at which your child is performing. Score Classification. 130-above Very Superior. 120-129 Superior. 110-119 High Average.

How long is the WIAT 4 test? ›

WIAT-4 Online Independent Study Program On Demand 7.5 Hours.

What is total reading on the WIAT? ›

The Total Reading score indicates how well a child performs on tasks that assess word recognition skills and reading comprehension abilities. The Basic Reading score indicates how well a child performs on reading tasks using both real and made-up words.

What scores indicate dyslexia? ›

The Dyslexia Index
Letter codeDescription
ANo signs of dyslexia
BFew signs of dyslexia
CMild dyslexia
DModerate dyslexia
1 more row

What is the best age to test for dyslexia? ›

At What Age Can You Test For Dyslexia?
  • It is important to identify dyslexia as early as possible, before the literacy difficulties turn into reading failure. ...
  • Screening can be done even before a child can read, as early as pre-kindergarten, but the best time to screen in the first year of school at 5 years.

What tests detect dyslexia? ›

  • Rapid Automatic Naming/Rapid Automatic Stimulus (RAN/RAS)
  • Test of Auditory Processing Skills (TAPS)
  • Test of Early Written Language (TEWL)
  • Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL)
  • Test of Written Language -4 (TOWL-4)
  • Test of Written Spelling -5 (TWS-5)
  • Woodco*ck Reading Mastery Test (WRMT)
  • Word Test.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5948

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.