WIAT - Wechsler Individual Achievement Administration and Scoring Procedures Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An examiner is administering the WIAT-4 Math Problem Solving subtest to a 4th-grade student who starts at the grade-appropriate item. The student answers the first two items incorrectly. According to standard administration procedures, what should the examiner do next?
- Administer the previous items in reverse order until a perfect basal is established. (Correct answer)
- Discontinue the subtest and record the raw score as zero.
- Continue administering items forward until the ceiling rule is met.
- Provide corrective feedback on the two missed items and then continue.
Correct answer: Administer the previous items in reverse order until a perfect basal is established.
For several WIAT-4 subtests, including Math Problem Solving, if a student does not answer the first two items of a grade-based start point correctly, the examiner must apply the reverse rule. This involves administering the preceding items in reverse sequence until the student obtains a perfect score on a set number of consecutive items, establishing a basal, before proceeding forward. [10]
Question 2: When entering a student's essay from the Essay Composition subtest into the Q-global scoring system, which of the following is the correct procedure?
- Correct spelling and grammatical errors that are clearly unintended slips.
- Transcribe the essay exactly as it was written, including all errors. (Correct answer)
- Ask the student to clarify illegible words and type the intended word.
- Paraphrase sentences that are grammatically awkward but convey a clear meaning.
Correct answer: Transcribe the essay exactly as it was written, including all errors.
Standardized scoring for the Essay Composition, whether using the automated Intelligent Essay Assessor (IEA) or hand-scoring, requires the examiner to transcribe the student's writing verbatim. [1, 11] Altering the student's work by correcting errors, interpreting intent, or paraphrasing would invalidate the score by not reflecting the student's actual writing skills. [11]
Question 3: During administration of several WIAT-4 subtests, a student's response is vague or unclear. Under which condition is it permissible for the examiner to query the response?
- When the examiner believes the student knows the correct answer but misspoke.
- To elicit a more complete or elaborated response to improve the score.
- When the response is scorable but the examiner wants to confirm the student's reasoning.
- When the response is incomplete or too ambiguous to be scored accurately. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: When the response is incomplete or too ambiguous to be scored accurately.
Standardized testing procedures, including those for the WIAT-4, allow for querying (often marked with a 'Q' on the record form) only when a response is ambiguous, incomplete, or unclear, making it unscorable. Querying is not permitted to help a student improve their score or to explore their thought process if the initial response is clear and scorable.
Question 4: An examiner is administering the WIAT-4 Spelling subtest. The student incorrectly spells five consecutive words. The appropriate next step for the examiner is to:
- Administer five more items to confirm the difficulty before stopping.
- Apply the reverse rule to find the student's basal.
- Provide the correct spellings for the missed words as a teaching opportunity.
- Discontinue the subtest and begin scoring from the last correct item. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Discontinue the subtest and begin scoring from the last correct item.
Most traditional WIAT-4 subtests, including Spelling, have a discontinue rule or ceiling. This rule typically requires the examiner to stop administering items after the student makes a specific number of consecutive errors (e.g., five). This prevents student frustration and ensures efficient use of testing time. [1]
Question 5: For which of the following WIAT-4 subtests is the use of a stopwatch to enforce a strict time limit a critical component of standard administration?
- Reading Comprehension
- Numerical Operations
- Math Fluency - Addition (Correct answer)
- Sentence Composition
Correct answer: Math Fluency - Addition
The Math Fluency subtests (Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication) are specifically designed to measure the speed and accuracy of basic fact retrieval. Therefore, a strict time limit (e.g., 60 seconds) is a critical and standardized part of their administration. [6] The other subtests listed are not primarily scored based on speed.
Question 6: A psychologist is preparing to administer the WIAT-4 to a student beginning 3rd grade. When determining the starting item for most grade-based subtests like Word Reading, what is the most appropriate procedure?
- Always begin with item number 1, regardless of the student's age or grade.
- Administer a brief screener to determine the appropriate start point.
- Consult the administration manual for the designated start point for that specific grade. (Correct answer)
- Ask the student's teacher where they believe the student should begin.
Correct answer: Consult the administration manual for the designated start point for that specific grade.
The WIAT-4 manual provides specific start points for many subtests based on the examinee's grade level. This ensures that the test begins with items that are likely to be of appropriate difficulty, which makes the administration more efficient. Starting at item 1 for all students would be inefficient and potentially frustrating for older or higher-achieving students.
WIAT - Wechsler Individual Achievement Administration and Scoring Procedures Questions and Answers
An examiner is administering the WIAT-4 Math Problem Solving subtest to a 4th-grade student who starts at the grade-appropriate item.
The student answers the first two items incorrectly.
According to standard administration procedures, what should the examiner do next?