WAIS is a general test of intelligence (IQ), published in February 1955 as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue test (1939), standardised for use with adults over the age of 16.

Intelligence is quantified as the global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment. The full scale 1Q is broken down into 14 subtests, comprising the verbal (7 subtests) and performance scales (7 subtests).

14 subtests of the WAIS-III

VERBAL:

• Information. (e.g. Who is the premier of Victoria?)
• Comprehension. (e.g. What does - kill 2 birds with 1 stone metaphorically mean?)
• Arithmetic. (e.g. How many 45c. stamps can you buy for a dollar?)
• Similarities. (e.g. In what way are an apple and a pear alike?)
• Vocabulary. (e.g. What is a guitar?)
• Digit span. (e.g. Digits forward: 123, Digits backward 321.)
• Letter-Number Sequencing

PERFORMANCE:

• Picture Completion: Perception of visual detail
• Digit Symbol Coding: Visual-motor coordination, motor and mental speed
• Block Design: Spatial perception, visual abstract processing & problem solving
• Matrix Reasoning: Visual analysis, spatial reasoning
• Picture Arrangement: Sequential, logical thinking
• Symbol Search: Visual perception, speed
• Object Assembly: Visual analysis, synthesis, and construction

Optional post-tests, include Incidental Learning and Free Recall.

• • WAIS-III Subtests Grouped According to Indexes

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Vocabulary
• Similarities
• Information

PERCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION

• Picture Completion
• Block Design
• Matrix Reasoning

WORKING MEMORY

• Arithmetic
• Digit Span
• Letter-Number Sequencing

PROCESSING SPEED

• Digit Symbol-Coding
• Symbol Search

Note: Picture Arrangement, Comprehension, and Object Assembly do not contribute to the Index Scores

Wechsler's tests provide three scores: 1: a verbal IQ 2: a performance IQ 3: a composite, single full-scale IQ score based on the combined scores.

WAIS-R was standardised in 1981 on a sample of 1,880 US subjects, ranging from 16 to 74 years of age, broken down into 9 different age groups 16-17, 18-19, 20-24, 25-34, ..., 70-74 yrs. It is considered to have very strong reliability. The current version is WAIS-III (1997).

The average full-scale IQ is 100, with a standard deviation of 15 (above and below the mean). This is the average IQ range where most adults would fall.

The WAIS-III measure is appropriate throughout adulthood and for use with those individuals over 74 years of age. For persons under 16, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC , 7-16 yrs) and the Wechsler Pre-school and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI , 3-7 yrs) are used.

Notes: An IQ score can be obtained without administering the verbal section of the test since each section yields its own score. Neuropsychologists use the technique on people suffering brain damage as it leads to links with which part of the brain has been affected, or use specific subtests in order to get an idea of the extent of the brain damage. For example, digit span may used to get a sense of short term memory difficulties. However, this is usually done with a separate version of the WAIS, known as the WAIS-R NI (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised as a Neuropsychological Instrument). Each subtest score is tallied and calculated with respect to non-normal or brain-damaged norms. As the WAIS is developed for the average, non-injured individual, separate norms were developed for appropriate comparison among similar functioning individuals.