Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS–IV)

In recognition of emerging demographic and clinical trends, the WAIS IV was developed to provide you with the most advanced measure of cognitive ability and results you can trust when addressing the changing clinical landscape.

Responding to influencing factors:

Changing Demographics

• Updated normative data for ages 16-90 years
• Enhanced utility for older adults

Emerging Clinical Needs

• Additional tasks for improved clinical utility
• New clinical and validity studies

New Research in the Field

• New subtests and items
• Improved measures of Working Memory, Processing Speed, and Fluid Reasoning

Increase Caseload

• Reduced administration time to obtain composite scores
• Improved scoring rules
• Enhanced scoring software to assist in generating customizable reports

Five Revision Goals

• Expanded clinical utility
• Increased developmental appropriateness
• Enhanced user-friendliness
• Improved psychometric properties
• Updated structural foundations

Clinical utility

• New special group studies. Click here for a listing of all special group studies.
• Co-normed with the Wechsler Memory Scale®-IV. Click here for information on WMS-IV.
• General Ability Index (GAI) included

Increased developmental appropriateness

• More efficient administration time
• Added teaching items to ensure understanding of task
• Reduced vocabulary-level for verbatim instructions
• Reduced emphasis on motor demands and timed performance
• Enlarged visual stimuli

Enhanced user friendliness

• Reduced testing time by an average of 15%
• Revised instructions for clarity and consistency
• Redesigned record form
• Increased portability
• Expanded sample responses
• Simplified technical manual organization
• Included new clinically sensitive supplemental subtests

Improved Psychometric Properties

• Updated norms
• Improved floors and ceilings
• Expanded FSIQ range
• Improved subtest and composite reliability
• Reduced item bias

Updated structural foundations

• Transitioned from dual IQ to Index Score structure
  • Consistency with WPPSI-III and WISC-IV
  • Fewer Subtests yield FSIQ and 4 Index Scores (VCI, PRI, WMI, & PSI)
• New measure of fluid intelligence
  • Developed new subtest to measure fluid reasoning (Visual Puzzles and Figure Weights)
• Enhanced measures of working memory
  • Revise arithmetic to emphasize WM
  • Revise digit span to emphasize WM (added Digit Sequencing)
  • Retain auditory WM measures on WAIS, visuo-spatial WM Measures on WMS
• Improved measure of processing speed
• Reduce fine motor demands
• Included an additional supplemental subtest (Cancellation)

Click here to view and print the updated table

• Transitioned from dual IQ to Index Score structure to be consistent with the WPPSI-III and WISC-IV
  • Yields FSIQ and 4 Index Scores with fewer subtests (VCI, PRI, WMI, & PSI)
• Includes General Ability Index (GAI)
• Renamed Perceptual Organization Index (POI) as the Perceptual Reasoning Index PRI)
• Redesigned and enhanced scoring and reporting software to improve ease of use and functionality

WAIS IV Software

Save time scoring and reporting results with the practical WAIS--IV Scoring Assistant and Report Writer Software.

WAIS—IV Scoring Assistant – Just enter raw scores, and the software does the following:

• Generates concise score reports and statistical reports with graphs and tables.
• Raw to scaled score conversions
• Strength and weakness discrepancies
• Uses the PsychCorpCenter Platform as its foundation to integrate with other scoring applications and produce cross battery analysis of scores.
• Links to WMS-IV and WIAT-II
• Upgradeable to WAIS-IV Report Writer
• Click here to see enhanced user interface of the WAIS-IV Scoring Assistant
• Click here for a sample report from the WAIS-IV/WIAT-II Scoring Assistant

WAIS—IV Report Writer - Includes all capabilities of the Scoring Assistant plus:

• Produces individualized, comprehensive reports that go beyond mere scores, tables, and graphs.
• Non-Technical Client Report
• Comprehensive Narrative Report with narrative interpretations included.
• Clinical and Background Review
• Interprets statistically significant discrepancies between scores.
• Uses the PsychCorpCenter Platform as its foundation to integrate with other report writer applications and produce cross battery analysis of scores.
• Links to WMS-IV and WIAT-II.
• Includes comprehensive user manual.
• Click here for a sample report from the WAIS-IV Report Writer.
• Click here for a sample interpretive report from the WAIS-IV/WMS-IV Report Writer (male/21 years)

Press Release

• Aug. 28, 2008 - Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition

For a quick overview of the new WAIS-IV, view the following presentation:

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS–IV) (PDF - 174 KB)

For additional product resources click on the following:

• WAIS-IV Ad (PDF - 122 KB)
• WAIS-IV Brochure (PDF - 787 KB)
• Click here to view the update made to the WAIS-IV Technical & Interpretive Manual
• Wechsler General Ability Index, GAI, Symposium (APA 2009) (PDF - 502 KB)

Pearson is pleased to provide its customers with a variety of training opportunities to meet their needs and the needs of those they serve.

Check here to find information regarding WAIS-IV workshops, webinars, and other training resources that are available in your area. 

• Webinars
• WAIS-IV Orientation: Webinar on Demand - Click to View (Length - 00:13:55)
• Additional Training Resources (PDF - 3606 KB)

WAIS–IV Frequently Asked Questions (PDF - 129 KB)