Wechsler Test Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) Clinical Applications 5

Question 1

A referral asks whether a patient's cognitive profile is consistent with an attention disorder. The WAIS-IV alone can best contribute by:

Accepted Answer

Showing relative weaknesses in Working Memory or Processing Speed as supporting data

Answer

The WAIS-IV can reveal WMI/PSI weaknesses that support, but do not by themselves diagnose, an attention disorder.

Question 2

Which practice best supports the validity of WAIS-IV results across repeated assessments?

Accepted Answer

Accounting for practice effects and using appropriate retest intervals

Answer

Practice effects can inflate retest scores, so clinicians should consider them and use adequate intervals.

Question 3

A patient's performance is strong on all subtests except Comprehension, which is notably low. Comprehension weakness may reflect difficulty with:

Accepted Answer

Practical reasoning and understanding of social conventions

Answer

Comprehension taps practical reasoning and social/conventional understanding.

Question 4

When a WAIS-IV score conflicts sharply with a patient's known real-world functioning, the clinician should first:

Accepted Answer

Consider validity factors such as effort, mood, and testing conditions

Answer

Discrepancies between scores and functioning warrant reviewing validity factors before drawing conclusions.

Question 5

Which combination of subtests forms the core Verbal Comprehension Index?

Accepted Answer

Similarities, Vocabulary, Information

Answer

The core VCI subtests are Similarities, Vocabulary, and Information.

Wechsler Test Practice Test