Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children | Fifth Edition Spanish

WISC-V Frequently Asked Questions

For all general WISC–V FAQs (most of which also apply to WISC–V Spanish), click here.

Q-interactive Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for general Q-interactive FAQs.

What is the WISC–V Spanish?

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition, Spanish (WISC–V Spanish) is a Spanish adaptation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition. It is an individually administered measure of intellectual ability for children aged 6 years 0 months through 16 years 11 months who speak primarily Spanish, many of whom are in the process of acculturating to the U.S.

Do I have to administer the test in Spanish?

Yes, the WISC–V Spanish is designed to be administered in Spanish. Instructions to the examiner are in English on all test materials, and instructions to the child and sample responses are in Spanish. A child may provide responses in either language, and credit is awarded for correct responses, regardless of the language they were provided in. However, you cannot translate the items into English. If, in your clinical judgment, you determine that the items need to be administered in English to a particular child, you should administer the WISC–V instead.

What if a child responds in English, Spanish, or a mix of both?

Correct responses are awarded credit, regardless of the language they were provided in. However, you cannot translate the items into English (or any other language).

What about Spanish-speaking children who have or are approaching English language proficiency?

The most salient guideline in this situation is that the WISC–V Spanish was primarily designed for Spanish-speaking children who have been in the U.S. school system no more than 5 consecutive years. This is because children who have been in the U.S. school system longer than 5 years may be approaching mastery of the English language and are likely receiving classroom instruction in the English language, including exposure to vocabulary and verbal concepts. Therefore, it is recommended that those children first be administered the WISC–V (English). If in doubt, and you are assessing a “bilingual” child who has not completed more than 5 consecutive years in the U.S. school system, you may choose to test in both languages. One approach would be to give the complete WISC–V Spanish, and then administer the Verbal subtests from the WISC–V, and compare scores. Keep in mind that the cognitive functioning of some bilingual children may be higher than tests in either language suggest. In these cases it is always important to use your clinical judgment and consult with a specialist in cross-cultural assessment when needed.

How has the test structure changed from WISC–IV Spanish to WISC–V Spanish?

Changes in the test structure include new and separate Visual Spatial and Fluid Reasoning index scores and new measures of visual spatial ability, quantitative fluid reasoning, and visual working memory. To augment the primary index scores and the FSIQ, a number of new ancillary index scores are also available, such as Quantitative Reasoning and Auditory Working Memory. The changes were influenced by contemporary structural models of intelligence, neurodevelopmental theory and neurocognitive research, clinical utility, and factor-analytic studies.

The separation of Visual Spatial and Fluid Reasoning index scores results in greater interpretive clarity. The addition of visual working memory enhances the scale’s clinical utility due to domain-specific differentiation of working memory abilities.

What type of information is located in the WISC–V Technical and Interpretive Manual and the WISC–V Spanish manual?

he information that appears in the WISC–V Technical and Interpretive Manual is applicable to the subtests and composites available in the WISC–V Spanish because of the adaptation and equating procedures that were utilized. The WISC–V Technical and Interpretive Manual is included with the WISC–V Spanish kit and also within Q-interactive (a Pearson digital administration and scoring platform) and Central (Q-interactive’s online web-based portal).

Administration (i.e., presenting stimuli, responding, and scoring) is available in both paper and digital formats. The WISC-V Spanish Manual provides information about:

• content and structure;
• administration and scoring guidelines;
• development and adaptation of the scale from English to Spanish;
• description of the sample and the equating procedures that were employed;
• the results from the reliability and validity studies collected to validate the adaptation and equating procedures; and
• the procedures followed for generating optional language–environment adjusted scores, which can be obtained on Q-global  and Q-interactive

Where was the WISC–V Spanish equating sample collected?

The equating sample was collected in the United States, including Puerto Rico. It included individuals with countries of origin in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Most participants in the Special Group studies (Intellectual Disability and High Cognitive Ability) were residing in Mexico or Puerto Rico.

Does the WISC–V Spanish use the same norms as the WISC–V?

Six subtests (i.e., Block Design, Visual Puzzles, Matrix Reasoning, Figure Weights, Coding, and Symbol Search) required translation of instructions to the child, but the stimuli, subtest administration rules, and scoring rules remained identical to the WISC–V. Performance across the English- and Spanish-speaking groups was comparable (see Chapter 5 of the WISC–V Spanish manual). For these six subtests, the WISC–V raw score to scaled score conversions were applied directly to the WISC–V Spanish. Total raw scores obtained on either the English or Spanish version involve the same response processes and are assumed to represent the same level of performance on the constructs measured, and the constructs measured are unchanged.

The remaining eight subtests produced different total raw scores across the English and Spanish versions in the initial subtest-level comparisons: Similarities, Vocabulary, Information, Comprehension, Arithmetic, Digit Span, Picture Span, and Letter–Number Sequencing. Each of these subtests required translation of instructions to the child, modifications to item scoring rules, and/or content changes based on the language differences between English and Spanish. Working Memory subtests presented a unique challenge across languages, as longer word lengths in Spanish increased working memory load even when the same number of stimuli was used. Although Picture Span does not require expressive responses, the differences are meaningful because children often verbally rehearse the stimuli prior to producing a response.

To ensure user-friendliness, the tables provided in the WISC–V Spanish manual already reflect the Spanish-to-English conversion for the revised subtests. No additional adjustments are needed after using Table A.1 to obtain the scaled scores.

How were the WISC–V Spanish scores equated to the WISC–V?

Due to language and cultural differences, the seven subtests contributing to the VCI and WMI domains, plus the Arithmetic subtest were equated using the WISC–V Spanish equating sample (sample 1, N = 220), and the English normative sample (sample 2, N = 2,200). Both samples were stratified according to the most recent census of the target populations.

To ensure the accuracy of equating at the extremely low and high score ranges, two clinical validity samples were collected: Intellectual Disability-Mild Severity and High Cognitive Ability (samples 3 and 4, respectively). In addition, a non-clinical validity sample (sample 5) was established by randomly matching the Spanish and English speaking samples (i.e., matched sample 1 and sample 2) by key demographics.

Both IRT and conventional equipercentile equating methods were used to equate the WISC–V Spanish and English editions. First, IRT joint-calibration with the common items design was applied to equate the two editions. This method has been widely used and well-evaluated in the literature as a trustworthy and appropriate equating method (Elliott, 2012; Kolen & Brennan, 2004; Mardell & Goldenberg, 2011; Woodcock, 2011 [see the complete reference list in the WISC–V Spanish Manual]). Second, the conventional equipercentile equating method was employed to equate the WISC–V Spanish and English editions. Third, the results of the two methods were compared using the data of the validity samples (i.e., samples 3, 4, and 5) to determine which method produced the best equating results that were mostly consistent with the theoretical, clinical, and psychometric expectations. Last, minor adjustments were made to the best equating results to ensure consistent equating results within the age bands.

Why did you provide equated norms instead of developing separate norms for the WISC–V Spanish?

The overarching goal for the WISC–V Spanish was to develop a Spanish-language instrument equivalent to the WISC–V in the scores produced, response processes evoked, and constructs measured. It was important to ensure that the measure was clinically appropriate for use with Spanish-speaking children of diverse backgrounds living in the U.S., and that the psychometric properties were comparable to those of the WISC–V. Because children tested with this measure will be compared to the same standards as those tested with the WISC–V, the preferred methodology was to produce a version that could be equated to and had the same reference group as the WISC–V.

What are the optional language-environment verbal score adjustments and why are they used?

The adjusted scores do not represent the child’s intellectual ability. Rather, they provide an estimate (not a precise measure) of the degree to which personal (e.g., language use and preferences) and environmental (e.g., home, neighborhood, school) realms may have influenced the child’s performance. In some situations, practitioners may wish to utilize the adjusted scores to evaluate the hypothesis that a child’s Verbal Comprehension scores were influenced by the child’s Spanish proficiency. Appendix D in the WISC–V Spanish Manual includes comprehensive information about these adjustments including the procedures, applications, interpretation and use cases.

What information is necessary to gather for the score adjustments?

If it is determined that adjusted scores for the WISC–V Spanish would inform interpretation, additional demographic information from the child’s parent or guardian is necessary. The reproducible parent letter (available in English and Spanish) may be used to inform the parent why the information is necessary and how it will be used. A reproducible language questionnaire (also available in English and Spanish) can be used to gather the additional demographic information from the child’s parent or guardian, which can then be entered into Q-global or Q-interactive. The reproducible forms are located in Appendix D of the WISC–V Spanish Manual, in the Resource Library on Q-global, and under the Support Tab on Q-interactive Central.

Can I use the Adjusted Verbal Scores to calculate a child’s FSIQ?

The adjusted scores do not qualify as normative data because the data were not specifically sampled to provide a representative sample with respect to census targets. The standard age-adjusted norms are recommended to calculate a child’s FSIQ. Additionally, the adjusted scores do not represent the child’s intellectual ability. Rather, they provide an estimate (not a precise measure) of the degree to which personal (e.g., language use and preferences) and environmental (e.g., home, neighborhood, school) realms may have influenced the child’s performance.