On the Similarities and Vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children® — Fifth Edition (WISC®-V), a fourth-grade student obtained scaled scores of 4. Which interpretation best describes the student's performance on the subtests?

• A. extremely high overall intelligence
• B. significantly below-average semantic knowledge and verbal reasoning
• C. average verbal knowledge
• D. typical processing speed

Answer: (B)

Understanding scaled scores on the WISC-V is key: scaled scores have a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. A score of 4 is two standard deviations below the mean, which signals substantially below-average performance for the child’s age.

The Similarities subtest measures verbal concept formation and abstract verbal reasoning, while Vocabulary assesses semantic knowledge and word knowledge. When both come in at 4, it shows notably weaker performance in these verbal areas compared with same-age peers.

So, the interpretation that fits best is that the student demonstrates significantly below-average semantic knowledge and verbal reasoning. This does not indicate very high overall intelligence, nor does it reflect typical processing speed, which is assessed by different subtests.