Intelligence Test

General Description

Intelligence tests are psychometric assessments that measure an individual's cognitive capacity, including their ability to reason, assimilate complex ideas, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, learn from experience, and adapt to their environment.

These tests evaluate different aspects of intelligence, such as memory, verbal and numerical comprehension, visuospatial ability, processing speed, and logical and abstract reasoning. In many cases, intelligence tests measure the so-called intelligence quotient (IQ), a score that expresses a person’s intelligence relative to their mental age, chronological age, and the population average.

Some of the most commonly used intelligence tests include:

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): This test consists of 15 subtests and measures verbal, non-verbal, and performance-based abilities, yielding three different scores: performance IQ, verbal IQ, and total IQ.
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC): An adaptation of the previous test for children aged 6 to 16.
• Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Applied to both children and adults, this test provides IQ scores in four dimensions (verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, visual reasoning, and short-term memory) as well as an overall IQ score.
• Kaufman Intelligence Scales: The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) evaluates verbal comprehension and non-verbal reasoning in adults, while the KABC scale measures mental processing, academic knowledge, and non-verbal reasoning in children and adolescents.
• Raven’s Progressive Matrices Test: A non-verbal intelligence test that assesses perception, observation, and analogical reasoning to measure IQ. The test consists of completing images or image matrices.

When Are They Indicated?

Intelligence tests are primarily used to identify different conditions in children and adults in both clinical and educational settings:

• Learning disorders such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, or language disorders.
• Neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
• Intellectual disabilities.
• Acquired cognitive disorders such as dementia.
• Giftedness.
• Special educational needs.

How Are They Conducted?

Intelligence tests typically consist of a series of tasks or exercises of increasing difficulty. These are structured, multiple-choice tests in which only one answer is correct.

Tests can be administered individually or in groups (as is often the case in general school assessments). Nowadays, they can be conducted either on paper or in digital format.

Risks

Intelligence tests are a valuable tool for assessing cognitive abilities, but they should not be considered the sole measure of an individual’s intelligence. Intelligence is a complex concept with multiple dimensions, some of which are not included in these tests, such as social intelligence, emotional intelligence, or creativity. Additionally, intelligence tests may have cultural biases, as factors such as education level, social background, or language can significantly influence the results.

What to Expect from an Intelligence Test

Before starting, it is essential to fully understand how the test works. Therefore, the professional administering the test explains the instructions, which are also provided within the test itself.

The difficulty of the tasks generally increases as the test progresses, so it is normal for response speed to decrease over time. It is important to answer only when certain of the response and to avoid guessing, as this can affect the reliability of the results.

The duration of an intelligence test varies depending on the specific test and the individual's response speed. For example, the Wechsler Scale takes approximately 120 minutes (90 minutes for the children’s version), the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test can be completed in 15 to 30 minutes, and the Raven Test has an average duration of 40 minutes.

After completing the test, the specialist evaluates the results and compiles conclusions and recommendations in a report, which is provided to the patient.

Specialties That Request an Intelligence Test

Intelligence tests are administered by clinical psychology specialists.