Cognitive (IQ) Assessments in Perth: Wechsler Intelligence Testing for Children and Adults

What are cognitive assessments?

Cognitive assessment (or intelligence testing) is used to determine an individual’s general thinking and reasoning abilities, more commonly known as IQ. There are several reasons why you may need a cognitive assessment and report from a Perth psychologist, including:

• To obtain an accurate profile of an individual’s IQ
• To assist in considering a diagnosis, such as an ADHD assessment, specific learning difficulties assessment, or autism assessment.
• To access NDIS funding
• Court reports (this is generally called a capability assessment), presentence assessments and other forensic assessments

What will the IQ test tell me?

Because the brain can do many different types of tasks, there are many different tests. Cognitive testing uses special games, puzzles, and quizzes to measure different aspects of brain functioning. The tests measure your visual, mathematical, and linguistic abilities, memory, and information processing speed. The most frequently used intelligence tests are the Wechsler Intelligence tests. There are three versions: one for adults, another for children and teens, and a pre-primary version. All these tests give a general level of intelligence and compare strengths and weaknesses across different domains. Additional tests may be used to measure the areas that the Wechsler Test does not measure.

Why use a Psychologist for your Cognitive Assessment

A cognitive assessment is used to accurately assess your functioning, thinking and reasoning skills and cognitive strengths. It will also report any cognitive challenges. It assists in developing learning strategies and recommendations for future management.

While you can find rudimentary tests on Google, they are often unreliable and do not adequately measure different types of brain functioning. For an IQ test to be useful, it must have good psychometric properties and be interpreted by someone who can recommend future management. Mindstate Psychology uses the gold-standard Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) for adults and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) for children and teens. We also have access to a battery of additional tests, which may be used as required. Our experienced psychologists can also recommend the latest evidence-based interventions and liaise with other specialists as required.  

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (5th Ed): WISC-V Assessments Perth

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) is the gold standard for assessing a child's cognitive ability and intellectual performance. It is appropriate for children aged 6 to 16 years 11 months and produces results compared against Australian normative data, giving an accurate picture of how your child performs relative to their peers. The WISC-V measures five distinct areas of cognitive functioning, each captured through a dedicated index score:

• Verbal Comprehension — the ability to understand and use language, reason with words, and express knowledge verbally
• Visual Spatial — the ability to evaluate and work with visual information and understand spatial relationships
• Fluid Reasoning — the ability to detect relationships, think logically, and solve novel problems that cannot be solved using previously learned knowledge
• Working Memory — the ability to hold information in mind, concentrate, and mentally manipulate information
• Processing Speed — the speed and accuracy with which simple cognitive tasks can be performed under time pressure

Together, these five index scores produce a Full Scale IQ and reveal the specific pattern of a child's cognitive strengths and weaknesses — information essential for educational planning, diagnostic decision-making, and NDIS applications. The WISC-V is appropriate for children aged 6 to 16 years 11 months. However, if there are suspected intellectual delays, the minimum age is 7 years and 7 months.

The WISC can identify a child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses, inform decisions regarding eligibility for educational services, educational placement, or diagnosis of a specific learning disability. It can also be used to guide planning for other therapeutic interventions.

Cognitive testing using the WISC-V is also a core component of our educational assessments, where it is paired with achievement testing (typically the WIAT-III) to identify specific learning disorders such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. The WISC-V is also used as part of our ADHD assessment process.

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (4th Ed): WAIS-IV Assessments Perth

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) measures intellectual performance as a multidimensional construct. The test contains four sub-scales that assess different types of intellectual functioning. These subscales can help identify strengths and weaknesses. The four WAIS-IV index scores are:

• Verbal Comprehension — verbal reasoning, language comprehension, and the ability to express knowledge through words
• Perceptual Reasoning — visual-spatial problem solving, attention to detail, and integration of visual and motor skills
• Working Memory — the ability to hold, manipulate, and use information in the short term, including concentration and mental arithmetic
• Processing Speed — the speed and efficiency with which visual information is processed and responded to under time pressure

Certain patterns across these four scores can point to underlying conditions such as ADHD, learning difficulties, acquired brain injuries, or neurodevelopmental disorders, making the WAIS-IV a valuable tool for diagnostic clarity as well as treatment planning.

A full-scale IQ score can also be calculated. Your IQ score represents how you perform compared to other people like you. It has a ‘bell curve’ distribution, with a most common score of 100 (therefore, an IQ of 100 is considered average intelligence). Most people (about 70% of the population) have an IQ that sits between 85 and 115.  

For adults seeking an educational assessment to understand lifelong learning difficulties or to access university and workplace accommodations, the WAIS-IV is paired with the WIAT-III as part of our educational assessment process. The WAIS-IV is also used in our ADHD assessment process

What is the process for an IQ test?

Assessments require an in-person appointment, which takes approximately 2 hours (this may need to be done over two sessions for young children). This appointment will involve practical and computer-based testing. Depending on the purpose of the assessment, clients may also be asked to complete a range of self-report questionnaires.

This information is then collated and interpreted to provide a report of the client’s overall intellectual functioning, as well as an analysis of their areas of strength and weakness and how this likely impacts their functioning. Depending on the initial assessment results, there may be recommendations for further assessments or referral to another specialist/s.

Cost of WAIS-IV and WISC-V Assessments in Perth

A cognitive assessment starts at $950.

The final cost will depend on the complexity of the case, the purpose of the report and the practitioner. Because cognitive assessments have such a wide range of applications, we encourage you to contact us, so an accurate quote can be provided.

Please note that before beginning the assessment process, you need to have an initial consultation with the assessing psychologist to ensure that an assessment is the right process for you. This consult is charged at the practitioner's standard therapy rates and is eligible for a Medicare rebate.