WPPSI - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Administration and Scoring Rules Questions and Answers

Question 1

An examiner is administering the Vocabulary subtest to a 5-year-old child who has a designated start point of Item 5. The child scores 1 point on Item 5 and 0 points on Item 6. According to WPPSI-IV standard procedure, what should the examiner do next?

Accepted Answer

Administer Item 4 and proceed in reverse order until a basal is established.

Answer

The reverse rule is applied when a child does not obtain perfect scores on the first two items administered at their age-based start point. The examiner must administer preceding items in reverse order until the child obtains two consecutive perfect scores (a score of 2 for this subtest), which establishes the basal level.

Question 2

During the Similarities subtest, the examiner asks a child, 'How are a shirt and a shoe alike?' The child responds, 'They're on you.' This response is ambiguous. What is the most appropriate action for the examiner?

Accepted Answer

Query the response with a neutral prompt, such as 'What do you mean?' or 'Tell me more.'

Answer

Standard administration rules require the examiner to query responses that are vague, ambiguous, or incomplete to clarify the child's meaning. A neutral prompt, indicated by (Q) in the manual, should be used to elicit more information without leading the child to a specific answer.

Question 3

What is the standard discontinue rule for the Block Design subtest in the WPPSI-IV?

Accepted Answer

After the child fails to earn any points on two consecutive items.

Answer

The standard discontinue, or ceiling, rule for the Block Design subtest is to stop administration after the child receives scores of 0 on two consecutive items. This rule ensures testing efficiency and prevents unnecessary frustration for the child.

Question 4

Which of the following scenarios describes a 'spoiled' response that should be scored as 0?

Accepted Answer

A child gives a correct, 1-point response, but when the examiner queries it, the child changes the answer to an incorrect one.

Answer

A response is considered 'spoiled' and is scored 0 if the child's initial response was correct, but upon being queried, they elaborate or change it to an incorrect answer. The final response is the one that is scored.

Question 5

For timed performance subtests such as Block Design or Object Assembly, when must the examiner start the stopwatch to ensure standardized administration?

Accepted Answer

Immediately after saying the last word of the instructions for the item.

Answer

According to the WPPSI-IV administration manual, timing for performance subtests must begin immediately after the examiner finishes reading the instructions for that specific item. This ensures that every child receives the same amount of time, which is critical for standardized scoring.

WPPSI - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Practice Test

WPPSI - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Practice Test

WPPSI - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Administration and Scoring Rules Questions and Answers