IQ FAQ

The Wechsler Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test is an individually administered assessment for children that yield a measure of general intelligence and knowledge.

The IQ test samples various cognitive and intellectual functions, such as language and mathematical ability, reasoning skills, and perceptual-motor abilities. However, it does not capture other important aspects of a child, such as motivation, curiosity, creativity, the ability to transition, social and self-help skills. These attributes are assessed during the activity session, and through current school evaluation and records.

For children who are taking the Wechsler evaluation on campus, your application must be submitted through your Ravenna online account prior to testing. Children will not be allowed to sit for the on-campus evaluation without Part I of the Nueva application on file.

For off-campus testing, you can have your child take the Wechsler test before you apply, but we will not accept IQ results until after we have received Part I of the Nueva application. Once you have submitted your application, we require off-campus WISC-V test results be submitted by the psychologist by 5 pm on January 14, 2021 and by February 4, 2021 for WPPSI-IV test results. Test scores for Late-Birthday PreK applicants (children turning four years old between February 1 and June 1) must be received by April 2, 2021.

If your child's test date is after the Nueva application deadline, January 7, you will need to submit your Nueva application and application fee of $90 by 5 pm on January 7, 2021 in order to be in the admissions process for the 2021-2022 school year.

In the context of the Nueva admissions process, test results are valid for two admissions cycles. After that the applicant will need to retest. Children who have taken the Wechsler test within the past twelve months cannot take the evaluation again, or their test results will be invalid. One calendar year has to pass before a child can be retested.

The IQ evaluation provides a "snapshot" of your child's cognitive skills at a particular point in time. It can also provide important insights about your child's approach to different types of tasks.

The Admissions Committee has found from experience that students with a Full Scale Wechsler IQ Score of 130 and above are more likely to be successful in Nueva’s program. For this reason, this is considered our target range in the Nueva application process. 

The IQ evaluation is the first step in the application process to determine if Nueva is a potential match for your child. Once an applicant has scored in the range considered for admission, you will be able to schedule a parent interview or family meeting, and an activity session through your online Ravenna account.

The Admissions Committee carefully considers all factors in a child's profile such as developmental readiness, language exposure, academic skills, motivation, curiosity, social intelligence, resilience, and creative and divergent thinking in addition to the information yielded on the IQ scores and subtests.

The WPPSI-IV evaluation (for applicants under 6 years old) is offered on the Nueva campus from September 2020 through early February 2021.   There is a $275 fee for the WPPSI-IV evaluation for on-campus testing and your family will receive a numerical report in the mail*. Parents are encouraged to go to their online Ravenna account as soon as possible to view on-campus appointment scheduling options. Appointments fill quickly, and by late November they are usually booked.

To be considered for a reduced testing fee, please contact us at admissions@nuevaschool.org.

The WISC-V evaluation (for applicants over 6 years old) can be scheduled by contacting a licensed psychologist. WISC-V appointments are not being offered on the Nueva campus this season. Please Click Here for a list of psychologists in our area. This is not an endorsement for these psychologists or a comprehensive list of Bay Area psychologists.

Please note that you can schedule a testing appointment before you attend a campus tour or complete an application. However, your application must be submitted through your Ravenna online account before we can accept off-campus IQ test results or before your child sits for their WPPSI-IV evaluation on campus.

Please contact admissions@nuevaschool.org if you choose to decline for your child to take the IQ evaluation for the following reasons: medical conditions, financial reasons, and/or location of testing.

*Nueva's on-campus WPPSI-IV testing does not provide a narrative report. Test results are mailed to families and they include a face sheet with numerical scores and percentiles along with a general description of the subtests administered on the test. If applicants need or desire a narrative report, they should schedule the Wechsler test off-campus.

All Lower and Middle School applicant families with children ages 6 years and older will need to schedule the WISC-V evaluation off-campus with a licensed psychologist. Some families with younger children under six years old will also choose to have their children sit the WPPSI-IV with an off-campus psychologist.  

Please review our Guidelines to Submit Testing for more detailed information about testing off-campus. Please Click Here for a list of psychologists in your area.  This is not an endorsement for these psychologists or a comprehensive list of Bay Area psychologists. Any licensed psychologist can administer the Wechsler tests.  Nueva does not have a preference as to which psychologist you choose. You can also find local psychologists by using the American Psychological Association’s Psychologist Locator.

Be sure the psychologist you choose administers the WPPSI-IV for children under 6 years old or WISC-V for children over 6 years old. Older versions or other IQ tests will not be accepted. 

You will need to print and sign the release form on the second page of the Guidelines to Submit Testing document, and submit it to the psychologist. The psychologist must email or mail the signed release form, test results, and narrative report directly to the Admissions Office. WISC-V results are due January 14, 2021 and WPPSI-IV results are due February 4, 2021. Once our office receives the IQ test results and your child's application, we will advise you of the next steps, as appropriate.

 If you have any questions about whether your child's results are in range for Nueva admissions, please don't hesitate to call 650-350-4528 or email admissions@nuevaschool.org.

Please be aware that your child should not study for the evaluation, and should not have prior exposure to test materials.

Prior exposure to the Wechsler materials and/or practice questions invalidates the test results.

The Wechsler evaluation is not an achievement test that measures how much information your child has mastered. While it touches on a general fund of knowledge, it focuses on a range of underlying cognitive skills such as memory, verbal, reasoning, and the ability to evaluate abstract visual information and relationships. These skills relate more to how children think, rather than what they know. They also provide insights into intellectual strengths and learning styles. 

If a child does not score in range for the current admissions year, please know that you are welcome to schedule him/her to retake the evaluation after twelve months have passed.

If your child recently received an educational evaluation in another setting, you should check to see if you already have results from the Wechsler assessment. If the test results are less than two years old, you may submit them along with the completed application. The Admissions Office may request or recommend additional testing if deemed appropriate. If you have any questions regarding previous testing, don't hesitate to contact us. 

If your child sits for the WPPSI-IV test on-campus, you are mailed a cover letter and a one-page numerical summary score sheet. You will receive the results within two weeks. Along with the test results, you will receive a general information sheet about each of the test measures and the different cognitive domains that are assessed. You should contact the Admissions Office if the results do not arrive within two weeks.

Nueva's on-campus testing does not provide a narrative report.  If applicants need or desire a narrative report, they should schedule the Wechsler test off-campus.

If you have consulted a psychologist privately, you will need to ask him/her when you can expect the results and what will be included in the report.

If you prefer not to know your child’s scores, you can request that they not be sent to you at the time of the evaluation. In that case, you will only receive a cover letter advising you of the next steps, as appropriate.

If your child’s first language is not English, it is important for the psychologist to have this information prior to testing. Please let us know when you are scheduling the appointment.

There is no difference in the administration, content, or scoring of the test, but it does help the psychologist interpret the test results. The Wechsler instructions are given in English, and the results are relative to a child's age and normed on a mono-lingual English population.

If you have any questions about the process as it relates to your child's linguistic profile, please contact the Admissions Office: 650-350-4528 or admissions@nuevaschool.org.

Nueva requires children to be at least three years, ten months old to take the Wechsler test. We recommend that children be at least four years old, because the evaluation yields more information with additional subtests. However, the Wechsler scores adjust for age, and are based on your child's birth date, as well as extensive studies of children in the same age range.

As one would expect, there is variation in the ability of young children to perform and focus on tasks. Some young children may not be ready to sit for an hour for the assessment. For multi-lingual children, with a primary language other than English, an assessment at a younger age may under-represent a child’s cognitive abilities. If you are unsure of your child's readiness, feel free to contact our Admissions Office for more information.

Note: Given the unknowns associated with COVID-19, we recommend having your child tested as soon as possible rather than waiting until later in the fall or winter, when in-person testing may not be available. There will be virtual options available if in-person assessment is not possible, but we feel that in-person testing gives the most accurate picture of a student's abilities.

With young children in particular, we encourage parents to downplay the notion of a “test” and suggest that it is a time to have an adult's undivided attention to complete tasks and help with important jobs. It is a great time to share what they know. Tell them you will be waiting in a room close by.

The psychologists will help your child feel relaxed and engaged. If your child is sitting the evaluation off campus, a similar approach is recommended.

We strongly recommend that parents do not discuss the results of testing with young children because they lack a context for being able to process the information.

If your child seems ill, please call us at 650-350-4528 and email admissions@nuevaschool.org to reschedule your child's appointment. We ask that you take your child’s temperature before coming to the on-campus testing appointment. If it is elevated (100 Fahrenheit or more), or if your child has other symptoms of illness, she/he will not be able to sit for the WPPSI-IV evaluation.

If your child is even slightly sick, we ask you to keep him/her at home and reschedule your testing appointment. It is important that children are healthy and feeling well for the one-time evaluation, as it cannot be taken again within a calendar year. A child's condition may worsen during the test, or he/she may be contagious and put others' health at risk.

WISC-V test results for grades 2-8 must be submitted no later than 5 pm on January 14, 2021.

WPPSI-IV test results for grades PreK-1* must be submitted no later than 5 pm on February 4, 2021.

Please note that the earlier the results are sent in, the more options there are in terms of scheduling activity sessions and parent interviews or family meetings.

*Test scores for Late-Birthday PreK applicants (children turning four years old between February 1 and June 1) must be received by April 2, 2021.

For PreK applicants turning four years old between June 2 and September 1, we require that you contact the Admissions Office: 650-350-4528 or admissions@nuevaschool.org before you schedule IQ testing and apply to Nueva.

As always, if you have any questions, please ask!

Nueva has taken steps to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus and we have posted our efforts on our website and on campus. Please let us know if you have questions about these efforts. 

For on-campus testing we have set up the following: all faculty, staff, and visitors are required to check in with security, their temperatures are taken, and they sign a form verifying that they are feeling well and have been practicing safe and preventive procedures to avoid COVID-19. Masks and physical distance are required, and children are asked to wash their hands as they enter the testing area. Extra masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer are always available. We ask all families testing on campus to complete this Informed Consent Form for in-person testing. 

Once in the testing room, the psychologist wears a face shield on top of her mask and there is a standing plexiglass partition between the psychologist and the child. The testing room has fresh air ventilation, a fan and HEPA filter. All testing materials are sanitized between appointments.

We were able to try this new testing protocol this summer. We found the children to be understanding and cooperative. They seemed to be happy on campus, ready to engage, and show the psychologist how they solve problems.