Wechsler Test Wechsler Standardized Administration Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A start point on a Wechsler subtest is age-based. After administering the start item, the examinee fails it. The examiner should:
- Stop the subtest immediately
- Administer earlier (reversal) items until the basal rule is met (Correct answer)
- Skip to the most difficult items
- Award full credit for earlier items automatically without administering them in all cases
Correct answer: Administer earlier (reversal) items until the basal rule is met
Reversal rules require administering preceding items in reverse order until the basal criterion is satisfied.
Question 2: The discontinue rule on a Wechsler subtest is designed to:
- Reduce examinee frustration and testing time once ability is exceeded (Correct answer)
- Punish the examinee for wrong answers
- Allow unlimited items for every examinee
- Increase the difficulty arbitrarily
Correct answer: Reduce examinee frustration and testing time once ability is exceeded
Discontinue criteria stop a subtest after a set number of consecutive failures, avoiding unnecessary frustration while preserving valid scoring.
Question 3: On timed subtests, when should the examiner begin timing?
- When the examinee picks up the materials
- Immediately after the last word of the instructions or item presentation (Correct answer)
- After the examinee asks a question
- Only on the second trial
Correct answer: Immediately after the last word of the instructions or item presentation
Timing starts at the conclusion of the standardized instructions/item presentation to keep timing consistent across examinees.
Question 4: If an examinee earns a perfect basal but then later passes an item beyond the discontinue point through spontaneous comment, the examiner should:
- Award credit for that out-of-sequence item
- Generally score only items administered under standard rules and not credit items beyond discontinue (Correct answer)
- Restart the entire subtest
- Lower the basal score
Correct answer: Generally score only items administered under standard rules and not credit items beyond discontinue
Items beyond the discontinue point are not formally administered, so spontaneous later successes are typically not credited under standard scoring.
Question 5: Bonus points for speed on certain performance subtests are awarded to:
- Every examinee regardless of completion time
- Examinees who complete items correctly within specified rapid time limits (Correct answer)
- Examinees who take the longest
- Examinees who request extra time
Correct answer: Examinees who complete items correctly within specified rapid time limits
Speed bonuses reward correct, quick completion within defined time thresholds on applicable subtests.
Question 6: When a sample or practice item is provided before scored items, its purpose is to:
- Contribute directly to the subtest raw score
- Ensure the examinee understands the task before scored items begin (Correct answer)
- Replace the need for instructions
- Serve as the discontinue item
Correct answer: Ensure the examinee understands the task before scored items begin
Practice/sample items teach the task and are not scored, ensuring the examinee understands what is required.
Question 7: If the examiner makes an administration error such as forgetting to time a timed item, the most defensible action is to:
- Estimate a time and score it normally
- Note the error; the affected item may need to be treated cautiously or excluded per manual guidance (Correct answer)
- Give the examinee full credit
- Ignore the error completely
Correct answer: Note the error; the affected item may need to be treated cautiously or excluded per manual guidance
Administration errors must be documented and handled per manual guidance, since invalid timing can compromise that item's score.
Wechsler Test Wechsler Standardized Administration Procedures 3
A start point on a Wechsler subtest is age-based.
After administering the start item, the examinee fails it.
The examiner should: