Theraverse . February 24, 2025

Imagine three children trying to watch the cricket match happening over the wall. While two of the three kids were tall enough to watch the match with an unobstructed view, the other shorter kid was on his toes trying to catch a glimpse. And we all know, it’s only fair to give the shorter kid a bigger step to stand on.

And in 1905, that is exactly what a French Psychologist called Alfred Binet was trying to do. At the time, the French government had laws requiring all children to attend school. So, it was important to find a way to identify the kids who would need extra help. In an attempt to do that Binet and his colleague Theodore Simon, came up with the first test to measure intelligence called the Binet-Simon Intelligence test.

What is IQ?

IQ or Intelligence Quotient is a standard score that shows how far above or below, the peer group an individual stands in mental ability. IQ tests are among the most administered psychological tests. A typical test consists of taking various tests measuring intelligence including; spatial recognition, short-term memory, mathematical ability, and analytical thinking. Commonly misunderstood as something that tests all the knowledge you have acquired over the years, but the test actually measures your capacity to learn.

Before we go on to understand IQ tests at full length, it’s important to understand that just because the shorter kid got some assistance, we cannot deem him incompetent. One of the biggest misconceptions about IQ tests is that they provide a complete and definitive measure of a person’s intelligence. In reality, IQ tests only assess specific cognitive abilities such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, and memory. They do not measure emotional intelligence, creativity, adaptability, or practical problem-solving skills and qualities that are equally, if not more, important in real life.

And because of this very fact critics of IQ tests who, while they do not dispute the stability of IQ test scores or the fact that they predict certain forms of achievement rather effectively, do on the other hand argue that to base a concept of intelligence on IQ test scores alone is to ignore many important aspects of mental ability.

Popular IQ assessments for children in India

1.  Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

• One of the most widely used standardized IQ tests for children (ages 6–16).
• It has several modifications – eg, WISC-V has a total of 21 subtests. The WISC-V takes 45 to 65 minutes to administer. It generates a Full Scale IQ that represents a child’s general intellectual ability.
• It also provides five primary index scores, which represent a child’s abilities in discrete cognitive domains

2. Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC)

• An Indian adaptation of the WISC, specifically standardized for Indian children.
• It is adapted into English, Hindi and Marathi.
• This scale is used for children between the ages of 6-15 years.
• It is administered individually and takes about 2 – 2.5 hours. This test comprises 11 sub tests divided into 2 groups – verbal and performance.

3. Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence (BKT)

• An Indian adaptation of the Stanford-Binet test, widely used for children and adolescents.
• Measures both verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
• This test is applicable to the age range from 3-22 years.

Developmental Assessments:

Apart from IQ tests, developmental assessments are also widely used for children. They can also be administered for infants and toddlers, while traditional IQ tests are often employed beginning in the later preschool period. Developmental assessments help evaluate overall developmental progress, including motor, language, social, and cognitive skills. Some of the popularly used developmental assessments in India include Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS), Vineland Adaptive behavior scale (VABS), Developmental Screening Test (DST).

When to consider an IQ assessment?

(The ideal age for IQ testing is considered between 6 – 8 years)

• When the child is not meeting developmental milestones
• To identify any learning disability and consider targeted interventions like special education
• IQ tests are sometimes used to help measure whether a certain therapy is working or if a medical treatment impacts cognitive function.
• Signs of giftedness

How can I access an IQ assessment?

By reaching out to the following healthcare providers, an IQ assessment can be undertaken.

• Clinical psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• General practitioner or paediatrician

By,

Jensita Grace,

In-house Psychologist, Talk Therapy Clinic

.

Resources:

https://www.thomas.co/resources/type/hr-blog/what-iq-test

https://www.potentialz.com.au/post/when-should-i-get-my-child-s-iq-tested#:~:text=The%20Ideal%20Age%20Range%20for%20IQ%20Testing&text=The%20age%20range%20of%206,meaningfully%20with%20IQ%20test%20tasks.

https://www.verywellmind.com/history-of-intelligence-testing-2795581#:~:text=Alfred%20Binet%20developed%20the%20world’s,are%20still%20in%20use%20today.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-abnormalpsych/chapter/intelligence-testing/

https://nairshospital.in/insight/assessments/

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-are-scores-on-iq-tests-calculated-2795584