Research sponsored by the National Association for Gifted Children, conducted at the Gifted Development Center, led to the development of extended norms on the WISC-IV to document the abilities of highly, exceptionally and profoundly gifted children.

Historically, the highest possible subtest scaled score for all Wechsler IQ tests has been 19. The highest possible Full Scale IQ score has been 160, with Composite score ceilings from 150 to 155. Scores above 150 have been exceedingly rare. Because a range of raw scores yielded a scaled score of 19, we have been reporting the number of raw score points attained on a subtest beyond the minimum number needed to yield the scaled score of 19 in order to demonstrate that the score is an underestimate. Now, for the first time in history, these raw score points can be taken into account and used to calculate higher Full Scale IQ, Composite, and General Ability Index (GAI) scores.

With the new extended norms posted on the publisher’s website, subtest scores range as high as 28, and composite scores range as high as 210. In our experience, most children only attain IQ scores a few points higher using the extended norms, but in some cases those few points opened doors to advanced learning opportunities.

The extended norms only apply if your child achieved at least one subtest score of 19, two scores of 18, or a mixture of 18s and 19s. The norms are based upon raw scores. They are currently available for use only on the WISC-IV, not any other Wechsler scales (e.g., WPPSI-III or WAIS-III).

If your child has been tested on the WISC-IV at the Gifted Development Center, NO FURTHER TESTING or completion of forms is required for us to determine your child’s IQ scores on the extended norms. Simply contact the Center (at 303-837-8378 or 1-888-GIFTED1) and request a phone consultation regarding extended norms. You will be charged in 15-minute increments for review of the file, computing the score, and phone discussion of the results.

If your child was tested on the WISC-IV elsewhere, you will need to complete the Gifted Development Center forms and send us a copy of the original testing report, including the subtest RAW SCORES (this information may be faxed to 303 -831-7465), as well as the scaled scores and composite scores, in order for us to compute the extended norms. If you were not given the raw scores, ask the examiner for them or see if the tester is willing to compute the extended norms. They were posted on the Harcourt Assessment website on February 7, 2008 in the WISC-IV Technical Report #7.

While it is not necessary for you to do any additional paperwork if your child was tested at the Gifted Development Center, you will gain the greatest benefit from the consultation if you share new information about your child and submit a list of questions you would like to have addressed.

We are here to serve you on an ongoing basis as your child’s needs change.
Call (303) 837-8378 or 1-888-GIFTED1 TODAY!