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.

The WPPSI-IV (for applicants under six years old) and the WISC-V (for applicants over six years old) evaluations are offered on the Nueva campus. There is an on-campus fee of $350 for the WPPSI-IV and a fee of $450 WISC-V. Your family will receive a numerical report in the mail*.

As mentioned above, parents are encouraged to go to their online Ravenna account as soon as possible to view on-campus appointment scheduling options. Appointments are limited and fill quickly. By early December appoints are usually booked.

To request a reduced fee for the application or on-campus testing, please complete the Reduced Fee Application Form. If you have any questions about reduced fees, please contact us at admissions@nuevaschool.org.

 *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.

You can schedule the WPPSI-IV (for applicants under six years old) or WISC-V (for applicants over six years old) evaluations on Nueva's Hillsborough campus. 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 early December they are usually booked.

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

Your child can also schedule your an IQ evaluation off-campus. Please do so as soon as possible. You may do this before you apply to Nueva. 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 contact admissions@nuevaschool.org if you have any questions or concerns about your child sitting for an IQ evaluation.

*Nueva's on-campus 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.

For children who are taking the Wechsler evaluation on campus, your application must be submitted through your Ravenna account in order to register for testing.

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.

We practice and study for all kinds of tests from ERB's to SAT's...the list goes on. Unfortunately, IQ testing is the one test where any type of practice will invalidate the child's scores. Children exposed to test content, preparation, and tasks, typically exhibit behavior that indicates prior exposure. When it is clear that a student has been exposed to the testing materials, their test will become invalid and their application will be withdrawn from our admissions process. Should prior exposure be indicated, children would need to wait one full year before retaking the test.

Rest assured that during the test, each subtest has sample questions to ensure the child's understanding of the task. The best way to support and prepare your child is to make sure they have enough rest, eat a good meal/snack, and have some basic understanding of what to expect in their meeting. Let your child know that they will meet with someone who is interested in learning about their ideas, and who will lead them in problem-solving tasks and activities. There will be some questions that they will be unable to answer since the assessment is designed for children of all ages. They are not expected to know all the answers, but simply try their best.

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 (98th percentile) 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.

If your child sits for the Wechsler 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.

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 six years old or WISC-V for children over six 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 one week after the application deadline and WPPSI-IV results are due two weeks after the application deadline. 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.

We feel that an in-person assessment gives us a better picture of a student's abilities so we currently do not accept results from virtual administrations.

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 admissions cycles 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’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.

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.

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.

We will charge a $50 cancellation fee if you do not show up for your appointment or do not give us adequate notice (24 hours) of your need to reschedule.

WISC-V test results for grades 1–8 must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. one week after the application deadline.

WPPSI-IV test results for grades PreK–1* must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. two weeks after the application deadline.

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 January 27 and May 30) must be received by March 30, 2023.

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