Quick answer: The WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition) is the most widely used clinical IQ test for children aged 6 to 16. A licensed psychologist gives it one-to-one in about 50–65 minutes. It produces a Full Scale IQ from seven subtests and five index scores: Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory and Processing Speed. Schools and gifted programmes accept it; online tests are not a substitute.
Want a rough idea today? A real WISC-V needs a psychologist and an appointment. If you only want a quick look at one part of what it measures, our free kids’ tests use the same kind of puzzle as the WISC-V Matrix Reasoning subtest: 36 picture puzzles, no time limit, result on screen. Choose your child’s age: 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14–17
A practice result, not a clinical score.
What the WISC-V measures
The WISC-V gives a profile, not just one number. Each index score uses the familiar IQ scale (average 100, standard deviation 15), so a parent can see where a child is strong and where they are not.
| Index | What it measures | Primary subtests |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Comprehension (VCI) | Word knowledge, verbal reasoning | Similarities, Vocabulary |
| Visual Spatial (VSI) | Seeing and building shapes in space | Block Design, Visual Puzzles |
| Fluid Reasoning (FRI) | Solving new problems, spotting rules | Matrix Reasoning, Figure Weights |
| Working Memory (WMI) | Holding and using information for a few seconds | Digit Span, Picture Span |
| Processing Speed (PSI) | Speed and accuracy on simple visual tasks | Coding, Symbol Search |
The fifth edition split the older “Perceptual Reasoning” index of the WISC-IV into two: Visual Spatial and Fluid Reasoning. That is why the WISC-V has five primary indexes where the adult WAIS-IV has four.
Full Scale IQ: the single number
The Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) comes from seven of the ten primary subtests: Similarities, Vocabulary, Block Design, Matrix Reasoning, Figure Weights, Digit Span and Coding.
| FSIQ | Classification | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 130 and above | Extremely high | 98th and above |
| 120–129 | Very high | 91st–97th |
| 110–119 | High average | 75th–90th |
| 90–109 | Average | 25th–73rd |
| 80–89 | Low average | 9th–24th |
| 70–79 | Very low | 2nd–8th |
| Below 70 | Extremely low | Below 2nd |
A proper report gives the FSIQ with a confidence range, for example “FSIQ 118 (95% confidence interval 112–123)”. The range matters more than the single number.
Other scores you may see in the report
- General Ability Index (GAI): reasoning without working memory and processing speed. Many gifted programmes look at it, because slow handwriting or a weak short-term memory can pull the FSIQ down.
- Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI): working memory plus processing speed, the “efficiency” side.
- Nonverbal Index (NVI): a score that needs very little language, useful for children who are still learning the test’s language.
- Quantitative Reasoning and Auditory Working Memory: extra indexes a psychologist may add.
How the WISC-V is given
- Who: a licensed or appropriately trained psychologist, one child at a time. Group testing is not allowed.
- Ages: 6 years 0 months to 16 years 11 months.
- Time: about 50 minutes for the seven FSIQ subtests and about 65 minutes for all ten primary subtests. It takes longer if the psychologist adds secondary subtests.
- Format: paper booklets and blocks, or a tablet version where the psychologist and the child each use an iPad.
- Norms: the US edition was standardised on 2,200 children, 200 at each age. Separate editions exist for the UK, Canada, Australia and other countries.
- Edition: the fifth edition, published in 2014, is the current one. Pearson is developing a sixth edition, with no release date announced yet.
The 10 primary subtests
- Similarities (VCI): say how two words are alike (“How are a cat and a mouse alike?”).
- Vocabulary (VCI): name pictures or define words.
- Block Design (VSI): copy a pattern with red-and-white blocks, against the clock.
- Visual Puzzles (VSI): choose the three pieces that make a given shape.
- Matrix Reasoning (FRI): pick the piece that completes a pattern. This is the same kind of puzzle as Raven’s matrices and as our free kids’ tests.
- Figure Weights (FRI): work out which shapes balance a scale.
- Digit Span (WMI): repeat numbers forwards, backwards and in order.
- Picture Span (WMI): remember pictures in the order they were shown.
- Coding (PSI): copy symbols that match numbers, as fast as possible.
- Symbol Search (PSI): scan rows for a matching symbol, as fast as possible.
Which Wechsler test for which age
| Test | Ages | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| WPPSI-IV | 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months | Preschool and early school |
| WISC-V | 6 years 0 months to 16 years 11 months | School-age children |
| WAIS-IV / WAIS-5 | 16 and over | Adults (WAIS-IV explained) |
Where the ages overlap (6 to 7, and 16), the psychologist chooses the test that suits the child’s level.
When a child needs a WISC-V (and when not)
Get one if:
- a school or gifted programme asks for an IQ score;
- you suspect a learning difficulty, ADHD or a developmental delay and need it documented;
- your child needs exam accommodations that require an assessment;
- school results and how your child seems at home do not match, and you want to understand why.
You probably don’t need one if:
- you are simply curious;
- your child is doing well and nothing depends on the number;
- you want to practise puzzle-type questions (a free online test is enough for that).
How to get a WISC-V
- Through the school. In many countries the school psychologist can assess a child free of charge when there is an educational reason. Ask the class teacher or the special-education coordinator.
- Privately. Search for a child, educational or clinical psychologist. Prices vary widely by country and city. In the US, IQ-only testing with a short report is often quoted at several hundred dollars, while a full psycho-educational evaluation that includes the WISC-V commonly costs $1,500 or more. Ask for a written quote that says whether the report and a feedback meeting are included.
- Ask before booking: “Will you use the WISC-V, and will the report include all five index scores, the FSIQ with a confidence range, and the GAI?”
How to prepare your child
There is nothing to study, and practising real WISC-V items is not possible: they are kept secret so the test stays fair. What helps:
- a good night’s sleep and breakfast;
- telling your child it is a set of puzzles and games with no pass or fail;
- glasses or hearing aids if they use them;
- not testing on a day when they are ill or upset.
WISC-V vs online IQ tests
| WISC-V | Free online test (for example ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gives it | Psychologist, one-to-one | The child, in a browser |
| What it measures | 5 areas, 10+ subtests | One area: non-verbal reasoning (matrix puzzles) |
| Time | About 50–65 minutes | 15–25 minutes |
| Result | FSIQ, 5 indexes, confidence range | Puzzles solved out of 36 |
| Cost | Paid, unless the school provides it | Free |
| Accepted by schools and gifted programmes | Yes | No |
An online matrix test gives a rough look at one slice of what the WISC-V measures, the Fluid Reasoning part. It cannot replace the full assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Children from 6 years 0 months to 16 years 11 months. Younger children take the WPPSI-IV, and from 16 a psychologist may use the adult WAIS.
About 50 minutes for the Full Scale IQ, and about 65 minutes for all ten primary subtests. Extra subtests add time.
Not on their own. There is a tablet version, but a psychologist must give it. Websites offering an online WISC test are not the real test.
100 is average for the child’s age. 110–119 is high average, 120–129 very high, and 130 and above extremely high, about 2 children in 100.
It depends on the programme. Many use 130 (the top 2%), and some look at the General Ability Index instead of the Full Scale IQ.
Not by practising the real items, which are kept secret. Sleep, breakfast and a calm explanation of what will happen help most.
Curious before booking an assessment? Try the free picture-puzzle test for your child’s age at home: 36 puzzles, no time limit, the result appears as soon as they finish.
A practice result, not a clinical score.
Related free tests
- Free IQ Test for Kids (ages 6–17)
- What Is a Good IQ Score for a Child by Age?
- WAIS-IV Explained
- Raven’s Progressive Matrices Explained
- IQ Percentile Calculator