Report Writing and Communicating WAIS Results Flashcards

A client has an FSIQ of 115. In a lay-friendly report, which percentile rank should be stated?

Answer: 84th

115 is one standard deviation above the mean (100, SD 15), which is about the 84th percentile. That means the client scored as well as or better than about 84% of same-age peers.

Why should a WAIS report give a confidence interval (e.g., 95%) along with each composite score?

Answer: Because every test score contains measurement error, and the interval shows the likely range of the true score

Observed scores include measurement error (the SEM). A confidence interval tells readers the range the true score most likely falls in, which prevents over-precise reading of a single number.

The index scores vary widely, so the FSIQ is judged not to be a good summary of overall ability. What is the best reporting practice?

Answer: Report the FSIQ with a caution about its limited meaning, and base the interpretation on the index-level profile

When the indexes vary a lot, the FSIQ hides meaningful strengths and weaknesses. Good practice is to note that limitation and emphasize the index scores (or the GAI where appropriate) in the interpretation.

When giving test feedback to a client without a psychology background, the clinician should mainly:

Answer: Use plain language, describe strengths and weaknesses, and link findings to the referral question and recommendations

Good feedback turns results into understandable, useful language tied to the referral question. Releasing test items or protocols raises test-security and ethical concerns.

Which statement is the most accurate way to describe an FSIQ of 100 in a report?

Answer: 'The client's overall score is in the Average range, at about the 50th percentile for their age.'

The FSIQ is a deviation score with a mean of 100. A score of 100 means exactly average for age, at the 50th percentile. The other options misread it as a raw score, a percentage, or a ratio IQ.

Under Wechsler descriptive classifications, a composite score of 75 most typically falls in which range?

Answer: Borderline / Very Low (70–79)

Scores of 70–79 are labeled 'Borderline' in WAIS-IV terms and 'Very Low' in the newer Wechsler terms. A report should use the label that matches the edition given and should present it with the confidence interval.