Wechsler adult intelligence scale
WAIS is a general test of intelligence (IQ), published in February 1955 as a revision of the Wechsler-Bellevue test (1939), standardised for use with adults over the age of 16.
It's described as the global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment. The full scale is broken down to verbal scale (6 subtests) and the performance scale (5 subtests).
WAIS-R was standardised in 1981 on a sample of 1,880 US subjects, ranging from 16 to 74 years of age, broken down into 9 different age groups 16-17, 18-19, 20-24, 25-34, ..., 70-74 yrs. It is considered to have very strong reliability. The current version is WAIS-III (1997).
WAIS test has found to be appropriate for use with those over 74. For persons under 16, Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC, 7-16 yrs) and Wechsler pre-school and primary scale of intelligence (WPPSI, 3-7 yrs) are used.
