The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is a measure of which domain?

• A. Cognitive ability in children
• B. Academic achievement
• C. Emotional functioning
• D. Social skills

Answer: (A)

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is designed to assess cognitive functioning in children. It measures how they think, reason, and solve problems across several cognitive domains, not how much they have learned in school. The test yields an overall Full Scale IQ as well as index scores that reflect verbal abilities, nonverbal/problem-solving skills, working memory, and processing speed. This focus on underlying mental processes distinguishes it from academic achievement tests, which evaluate learned knowledge like reading and math. It also differs from assessments of emotional functioning or social skills, which rely on behavioral or personality information rather than cognitive task performance. In short, the WISC gauges cognitive ability in children.