Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition-Canadian

How do I use the Administration Manual with Canadian Supplement?

The Canadian Supplement to the WIAT–4 Administration Manual is an appendix that allows for the administration of WIAT–4 content that has been adapted for the Canadian population. The four subtests with administration changes include: 

• Listening Comprehension – Oral Discourse Comprehension 
• Reading Comprehension 
• Math Problem Solving 
• Oral Reading Fluency 

These Canadian Supplement subtests should replace the subtests contained within the main chapters of the Administration Manual. The order of administration of subtests has not changed—the subtests should be administered as they are presented in the Record Form. A red and white Canadian maple leaf is located next to each of these four subtests in the Record Form to remind users to switch to the Canadianized subtest in the Supplement. For ease of use, each of these four subtests have the administration instructions reproduced in their entirety within the Canadian Supplement. 

Outside of the Canadian Supplement, all content in the Administration Manual uses US English terminology and spelling (e.g., PK for JK, favorite for favourite). However, none of these differences involve examinee-facing stimuli. 

Note that two subtests have changes that do not impact the Administration Manual and therefore are not in the Canadian Supplement: Numerical Operations Response Booklet and Record Form, and the Orthographic Fluency Stimulus Book. 

Does WIAT-4 Canadian include the Orthographic Choice subtest?

Data collection for the WIAT-4 Canadian was completed via paper-based administration, and the WIAT-4 Orthographic Choice subtest is a digital-only subtest. Therefore, the WIAT-4 Canadian did not collect data on this subtest and it is not part of the Canadian version.

Examiners who wish to use the WIAT-4 Orthographic Choice subtest on Q-interactive must contact Pearson to have the US WIAT-4 added to their license. The US-normed Orthographic Choice subtest can be administered on Q-interactive in a separate battery and cannot be combined with WIAT-4 Canadian subtests.

Can the WIAT-4 Canadian Progress Monitoring Assistant be used for WIAT-III to WIAT-4 comparisons?

The Progress Monitoring Assistant can only be used to compare WIAT-4 administrations. There were no studies done on WIAT-III to WIAT-4 comparisons. 

Is there a way to administer the WIAT-4 Canadian remotely in two separate locations?

Digital assets are available for remote administration of the WIAT-4 Canadian. WIAT-4 telepractice guidance documents are provided here.

Are there special considerations for interpreting WIAT-4 results with students who struggled to learn virtually during the pandemic?

Guidance for score interpretation following a period of educational disruption is included in the WIAT-4 Technical & Interpretive manual, and on the Pearson telepractice website under Resources.

Will there be a validity study with the WIAT-4 and the WAIS-5?

Yes, these data will publish with the upcoming WAIS-5 Canadian. At the time of the WIAT-4 Canadian development, WAIS-5 Canadian was also in development, so the decision was made to complete the validity study using both new versions. More information about this validity study will be available as the WAIS-5 Canadian development and release unfolds.

If I am a Q-interactive user, do I need to add-on the new WIAT-4 Canadian to my license?

If you have the WIAT-III Canadian edition on your “light” or “max” license as an existing user, you will automatically gain access to the WIAT-4 Canadian edition upon release. You do not need to do anything for this digital version. However, you will need to preorder WIAT-4 Canadian Response Booklets (A103000393427) to complete what is needed for administration.

Why do the kits come with a US Scoring Manual rather than a Canadian Scoring Manual?

The US Scoring Manual includes in-depth scoring instructions for many of the WIAT-4 subtests that will apply to the WIAT-4 CDN subtests as well. The Canadian-specific components relevant to development and norms are reflected in the Technical and Interpretive Manual.

Is the WIAT-4 Response Booklet for US norms different than the WIAT-4 Response Booklet for Canadian norms?

Yes, the WIAT-4 Canadian Response Booklet is substantially different from the WIAT-4 US response booklet. Practitioners will need to purchase WIAT-4 Canadian Response Booklets Qty 25 (Print) A103000393427 for use with the WIAT-4 Canadian.

Why are standard scores no longer provided for Oral Reading Accuracy and Oral Reading Rate?

Standard scores are no longer provided for Oral Reading Accuracy and Oral Reading Rate due to the highly skewed distribution of raw scores; instead, base rate information is provided for accuracy (number of errors) and rate (elapsed time) by item set. A base rate, or cumulative percentage, conveys information about how a raw score is ranked (from 0 to 100) in comparison with the scores obtained by examinees who took the same item set. You can read more about this and Base Rates on pg. 59 of the WIAT-4 Canadian Technical and Interpretive Manual.

How should illegible handwriting be scored on writing and spelling subtests?

For writing and spelling subtests, examiners can ask students to clarify illegible handwriting after the test is completed. If the handwriting remains unrecognizable despite the student's explanation, this qualitative information is noted, but the oral response isn’t scored. If the student’s explanation makes the writing recognizable, it may be considered based on the subtest's scoring rules. For Essay Composition, the writing must be legible enough for the examiner to transcribe and score it. If most of the writing is illegible and oral clarification doesn’t help, the essay cannot be scored.

Why do the WIAT-4 audio files sometimes sound cut off or incomplete?

The audio files are complete; however, some multimedia applications trim slightly into a track to allow smooth transitions. We recommend using Quicktime, iTunes/Apple Music, or Windows Media Player for the cleanest, most reliable playback of the WIAT-4 audio files.

How are the Oral Discourse Comprehension audio files organized?

By default, the WIAT-4 audio files are organized into folders by subtest

Within the Oral Discourse Comprehension folder:

• Files are organized in standard administration order when sorted alphabetically
• Files that may be used for more than one item will be named accordingly (e.g., Item 08_09)

Within the Phonemic Proficiency folder:

• Files are organized into subfolders, by section, to align with Phonemic Proficiency discontinuation rules
• Files for the demonstration items appear first in each section's subfolder and are followed by the remaining items for that section listed in administration order

How do I access and use the audio files required for the administration of some WIAT-4 subtests?

The audio files required for administration are attached to a downloadable PDF located within the Resource Library of Q-global. These must be accessed or downloaded using a free third-party PDF viewer such as Acrobat Reader®. With the PDF file open, open the attachments panel, and save the audio files to your computer for use during administration. We recommend using Quicktime, iTunes/Apple Music, or Windows Media Player for the cleanest, most reliable playback of the WIAT-4 audio files. Note: Using a web browser to access attached audio files is NOT recommended because not all browsers support the functionality necessary to access the attachments panel.

Why does the Composite Structure section of the Record Form show the Essay Composition subtest for Grades 4-12+ but not for Grade 3?

Essay Composition can be administered at Grade 3, but this subtest is not included in the Written Expression composite until Grade 4.

What should the examiner do if the examinee cannot read the target word for one or more items on the Sentence Writing Fluency subtest?

The examiner is not permitted to read the target words for the examinee. However, examinees are permitted to skip an item, if needed, as indicated in the administration instructions.

How is WIAT-4 Essay Composition scored?

Option 1

The Essay Composition subtest can be scored automatically via Q-global or Q-interactive. Automated scoring is more consistent but just as reliable as hand scoring. Human scores and automated scores share a strong correlation.

Option 2

For paper and pencil customers without access to Q-global or Q-interactive, Essay Composition can be hand scored using the (correct minus incorrect word sequences) scoring rules provided in the manual.

How do I use automated scoring?

To use automated scoring, you will need internet access and a Q-global or Q-interactive account that includes WIAT-4. The following steps are followed to utilize automated scoring of Essay Composition:

• Step 1: The examinee hand writes the essay in the Response Booklet;
• Step 2: Within Q-global or Q-interactive, the examiner transcribes the essay by typing the essay exactly as it was written into the essay entry field;
• Step 3: The essay is submitted and scored by Pearson's Intelligent Essay Assessor™ (IEA). Results are returned in seconds.

How do I transcribe letter reversals?

Letter reversals are not penalized in scoring, so you would type those letters in normally.

How do I transcribe illegible words?

Illegible words should be clarified following the guidelines provided in the manual.

Why do examinees hand write, instead of type, their essays?

Typing is a skill that not all examinees have acquired. Under timed conditions, examinees who type well can write more and score higher than examinees who cannot type well. In addition, many students, especially in the early grades, hand write essays in school, so this method has ecological validity.

Did the Essay Composition scoring rules change from WIAT-III to WIAT-4?

The WIAT-4 scoring rules are based on the (unchanged) Grammar & Mechanics score from the WIAT-III, which correlates strongly with overall writing quality and has high clinical sensitivity. The WIAT-III scores for Word Count and Content & Organization are not included in the WIAT-4; instead, a Content and Organization Qualitative Analysis is provided to assess these areas.

What is the Intelligent Essay Assessor (IEA)?

A patented technology based on over twenty years of research and development, IEA has been proven to score written essays as accurately as trained human scorers. IEA scores essays based on the traits included in the hand scoring rubric.

How does the IEA score an essay?

The IEA scoring engine assesses the grammar/syntax and the mechanics of the transcribed essay. When an examiner submits an essay for scoring, the IEA assesses features of the essay and compares the essay to a training set - a large database of training essays previously scored by human scorers. The IEA assigns a score based in part on the similarity of the essay to the training set.

Can the IEA score highly unusual or very brief essays?

Examiners should not attempt to score essays that are written in a language other than English, incomprehensible essays (e.g., essays with a high number of severely misspelled words), or essays that are completely off topic (i.e., the examinee did not follow the instructions). Essays must have a minimum word count of 30 to be scored; however, at least 40 words is recommended.