WAIS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield WAIS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which statement best describes the correct use of prompts during WAIS-IV Similarities administration? → Prompts are used only for the sample and first two items to teach the task
2. When testing an individual from a culturally and linguistically diverse background with the WAIS-IV, the primary ethical concern is: → Ensuring the norms are appropriately applied and acknowledging potential cultural bias
3. Which WAIS-IV subtest requires an examinee to define words presented orally and in print? → Vocabulary
4. Which WAIS-IV subtest asks examinees to identify the missing common element among a set of silhouette shapes? → Visual Puzzles
5. A PSI score of 85 falls at approximately which percentile rank? → 16th percentile
6. Processing Speed subtests on the WAIS-IV are administered under which key constraint? → Strict time limits of 60–120 seconds
7. During a neuropsychological battery, which WAIS-IV subtest is MOST sensitive to frontal lobe executive dysfunction? → Letter-Number Sequencing
8. Which cognitive domain is most directly tapped when an examinee is asked to explain the similarity between two abstract concepts? → Verbal Comprehension
9. A clinician notes that an examinee scores significantly higher on Digit Span Forward than Digit Span Backward. What does this discrepancy most likely indicate? → Difficulty with active mental manipulation
10. The Digit Span subtest in WAIS-IV includes which three task components? → Forward, Backward, and Sequencing
11. When comparing WAIS-IV performance across cognitive domains, which domain shows the smallest typical age-related decline in healthy older adults? → Verbal Comprehension
12. A neuropsychologist uses the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI) when she wants to focus specifically on: → Working Memory and Processing Speed efficiency
13. The PRI is considered a measure of which broad cognitive ability in the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model? → Fluid intelligence (Gf)
14. Which of the following WAIS-IV subtests has NO time limit for individual items? → Similarities
15. Which WAIS-IV subtest uses a time bonus to award additional points for quick, correct responses? → Block Design
16. A Similarities item says 'How are liberty and justice alike?' A 0-point response would be: → 'One is a statue and one is a court building'
17. The Matrix Reasoning subtest, a key component of the PRI, is considered a strong measure of: → Fluid intelligence and abstract reasoning.
18. Which concept explains why WAIS-IV scores may need to be interpreted cautiously for individuals from culturally different backgrounds? → Cultural test bias and differential item functioning
19. When scoring Block Design, which type of error results in a time-bonus point being forfeited even if the design is ultimately correct? → Completing the design after the time limit expires
20. Which component of Baddeley's working memory model is most directly engaged during the WAIS Arithmetic subtest? → Central executive
21. Which scenario best justifies substituting the GAI for the FSIQ as the primary cognitive composite in a report? → Processing speed was measured but results are confounded by a physical disability
22. A clinician reports that a client's WAIS-IV FSIQ score is at the 63rd percentile. What does this MOST accurately mean? → The client scored higher than approximately 63% of same-age peers in the normative sample
23. The WAIS-IV Processing Speed Index (PSI) is most sensitive to which type of impairment? → Neurological or attentional difficulties
24. Letter-Number Sequencing items become progressively harder on the WAIS by: → Increasing the total number of elements in the sequence
25. When comparing FSIQs obtained from two different Wechsler editions (e.g., WAIS-III vs. WAIS-IV), clinicians must be cautious because: → Structural changes between editions mean the composites are not directly equivalent
26. Which WAIS-IV index shows the lowest average internal consistency reliability among the four index scores? → Processing Speed Index
27. The WAIS-IV 'Cancellation' subtest is classified under which index? → Processing Speed Index
28. When WAIS-IV is used as part of an ADHD evaluation in adults, which index combination is MOST relevant to the differential diagnosis? → Working Memory Index and Processing Speed Index together
29. On the WAIS-IV Symbol Search subtest, how are errors penalized? → Errors are subtracted from correct responses (rights minus wrongs)
30. A WAIS-IV FSIQ confidence interval at the 95% level is wider than a 90% interval because it requires which of the following? → A larger critical value (z or t score) to capture more of the score distribution