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Documentation · 2003

Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS): Brief individual IQ test (35 min)

Brief individual IQ test (35 minutes for full battery). 4 subtests yielding Verbal IQ, Nonverbal IQ, and Composite IQ on mean-100 SD-15 metric. Ages 3-94. Designed as a quicker alternative to WAIS/WISC for situations where full Wechsler administration is impractical.

Read About the Test

About the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS)

RIAS (2003) is a brief but psychometrically strong individual IQ test designed by Cecil Reynolds and Randy Kamphaus (developers of the Behavior Assessment System for Children). The full battery has just 4 subtests: 2 verbal (Guess What, Verbal Reasoning) and 2 nonverbal (Odd-Item Out, What's Missing). Administration takes 30-35 minutes vs 60-90 for Wechsler tests.

Despite brevity, RIAS correlates 0.75-0.85 with the Wechsler tests on Composite IQ. It is particularly useful for: school-based screening (faster than WISC-V), research where IQ is a covariate, clinical follow-up assessments, and disability re-evaluation. RIAS norms span ages 3-94 from a representative US sample.

RIAS-2 (2015) updated norms to 2010 US Census; RIAS-2 with CPI added a 1-minute Composite Memory measure for clinical screening. PAR markets RIAS as the brief intelligence test of choice for school psychologists who need an IQ score but can't afford 90-minute Wechsler sessions.

Copyright note: RIAS items are copyrighted (PAR). For brief public-domain IQ alternatives see Slosson 1963 or PPVT.

The 4 subtests

#1
Guess What (Verbal) Examiner gives clues; subject names the object.
Copyrighted
#2
Verbal Reasoning Solve verbal analogy and inference problems.
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#3
Odd-Item Out (Nonverbal) Pick which picture does not belong with the others.
Copyrighted
#4
What's Missing (Nonverbal) Identify the missing element in a picture.
Copyrighted

Sample Items (Illustrative)

Items are presented as either verbal prompts or visual images, requiring the test-taker to provide a verbal response or select the correct option. Responses are scored based on accuracy and appropriateness to the prompt.

Sample 1 · Guess What (Verbal)
I am a large animal with a trunk and big ears. I am often found in Africa and Asia. What am I?
Example response: Elephant
Sample 2 · Verbal Reasoning
Tree is to forest as star is to _____.
Example response: Galaxy
Sample 3 · Odd-Item Out (Nonverbal)
Look at these four pictures: a car, a bicycle, a train, and a banana. Which one does not belong?
Example response: Banana
Sample 4 · What's Missing (Nonverbal)
Here is a picture of a face with two eyes, a nose, but no mouth. What is missing?
Example response: Mouth

These are illustrative samples, not actual items from the protected test.

Source

All test materials and historical content on this page are transcribed from:

Reynolds, C.R. & Kamphaus, R.W. (2003). Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales. PAR.

RIAS is published by Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR). Updated RIAS-2 (2015) and RIAS-2 with CPI (2018) editions. All items copyrighted.

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