Home › Historical IQ Tests › WAIS-III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition)

Documentation · 1997

WAIS-III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition): Introduced 4-index structure

Major restructuring of the Wechsler adult tests. Introduced 4 Index scores (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Working Memory, Processing Speed) alongside the traditional Verbal/Performance/Full Scale IQs. 14 subtests. Used 1997-2008 as the dominant adult IQ test.

Read About the Test

About the WAIS-III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition)

WAIS-III (1997) was a major restructuring of the Wechsler adult tests. The Psychological Corporation, drawing on factor-analytic research from the 1980s and 1990s, added 4 Index scores: Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Organization Index (POI), Working Memory Index (WMI), and Processing Speed Index (PSI). These provided more refined cognitive profiles than the traditional Verbal/Performance dichotomy.

WAIS-III had 14 subtests: 11 carried over from WAIS-R (some renamed) plus 3 new: Letter-Number Sequencing (working memory), Matrix Reasoning (fluid reasoning), and Symbol Search (processing speed). The new subtests substantially improved the test's coverage of working memory and fluid intelligence - cognitive domains that had been under-measured in previous Wechsler editions.

WAIS-III dominated adult intelligence assessment from 1997 until WAIS-IV in 2008. Today it remains in occasional use for longitudinal continuity but is generally considered superseded. The 4-Index structure introduced in WAIS-III has been preserved in WAIS-IV and WAIS-5.

Copyright note: WAIS-III items are copyrighted (Pearson). For public-domain alternatives see AGCT 1942 or Wechsler-Bellevue 1939.

The 4 subtests

#1
Verbal Comprehension Index Vocabulary, Similarities, Information.
Copyrighted
#2
Perceptual Organization Index Picture Completion, Block Design, Matrix Reasoning.
Copyrighted
#3
Working Memory Index Arithmetic, Digit Span, Letter-Number Sequencing.
Copyrighted
#4
Processing Speed Index Digit Symbol-Coding, Symbol Search.
Copyrighted

Read the Original

The following are legitimate free or borrowable full-text sources for this test or its primary documentation:

Sample Items (Illustrative)

Items are presented as direct questions or tasks, often requiring verbal or written responses. Scoring is based on accuracy, completeness, and sometimes speed, with specific criteria for each subtest.

Sample 1 · Verbal Comprehension Index: Vocabulary
Define the word 'meticulous'.
Example response: Showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
Sample 2 · Perceptual Organization Index: Block Design
Using the colored blocks provided, replicate the pattern shown in the picture.
Example response: The test-taker accurately arranges the blocks to match the pattern within the time limit.
Sample 3 · Working Memory Index: Digit Span
Repeat the following sequence of numbers backwards: 7, 4, 9, 2.
Example response: 2, 9, 4, 7
Sample 4 · Processing Speed Index: Digit Symbol-Coding
Quickly fill in the corresponding symbols for each number according to the key provided.
Example response: The test-taker correctly matches as many numbers to symbols as possible within the time limit.
Sample 5 · Verbal Comprehension Index: Similarities
In what way are a bicycle and a car alike?
Example response: Both are modes of transportation.

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

Source

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

Wechsler, D. (1997). WAIS-III Technical Manual. San Antonio: Psychological Corporation.

WAIS-III items are copyrighted by NCS Pearson. We document the format and historical significance.

Want a modern IQ score?

The WAIS-III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third Edition) is a historical artifact. For a contemporary IQ score using modern norms, take our modern full IQ test.

Take the Modern IQ Test

Back to the Historical IQ Tests Archive