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Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV)
2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months
The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition, is the cognitive assessment used for young children, covering ages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months. It is also searched for as the WPPSI test and the preschool IQ test.
It is structured as two age bands, because a three year old and a seven year old need quite different tasks. The younger band produces fewer composite scores than the older one.
What does the WPPSI-IV measure?
For children aged 4 years 0 months and above, the WPPSI-IV produces five primary index scores covering verbal comprehension, visual spatial ability, fluid reasoning, working memory and processing speed, along with a Full Scale IQ.
For children aged 2 years 6 months to 3 years 11 months, the structure is simpler, with verbal comprehension, visual spatial and working memory indices. Tasks rely more on pointing and manipulating objects and less on spoken explanation.
How reliable is cognitive testing at this age?
This is the question worth asking, and the honest answer is that early scores are less stable than scores obtained later. A result at three years old predicts later cognitive functioning much less well than a result at nine.
That does not make early assessment pointless. It means the result should be treated as a description of current functioning rather than a forecast. Where a young child's profile is unusual, retesting after a couple of years often gives a clearer picture than extrapolating from the first result.
Why would a young child be assessed?
Common reasons include early entry applications to school, questions about giftedness raised by a preschool or parent, developmental concerns where cognitive functioning needs to be characterised, and NDIS access requests where evidence about developmental delay is required.
It is also sometimes used where a global developmental delay is suspected and a baseline is needed before intervention starts.
What happens during a WPPSI-IV assessment?
Sessions are shorter than for older children and built around play-like activities. Children build with blocks, match pictures, name objects, point to answers and complete puzzles. Psychologists take breaks freely and often split the assessment across two shorter sessions.
A parent may wait nearby. Whether a parent stays in the room depends on the child, and the psychologist will discuss this with you beforehand, because a parent present can help a child settle but can also change how they respond.
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This page is general information about an assessment instrument and is not clinical advice. Whether a particular assessment is appropriate depends on the individual and the question being asked.