Sample Intelligence Test Items: Verbal

The following sample questions are similar to those that

appear on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), a
test designed to measure general intelligence. The verbal
subtests are shown here.

Sample
Questions

Information-Asks a series of questions designed to

tap general knowledge about common events,
objects, places, and people.
How many wings does a bird have?
How many nickels make a dime?
What is steam made of?
Who wrote Tom Sawyer?
What is pepper?
Comprehension-Asks questions designed to
measure practical knowledge and understanding
of social rules and concepts.
What should you do if you see someone forget his book
when he leaves a restaurant?
What is the advantage of keeping money in a bank?
Why is copper often used in electrical wires?
Arithmetic-Requires solving a series of arithmetic
problems. The examinee must solve the problems
mentally, without the use of pencil or paper, and
respond orally within a time limit. The test
measures elementary knowledge of arithmetic.
Sam had three pieces of candy and Joe gave him four
more. How many pieces of candy did Sam have
altogether?
Three women divided 18 golf balls equally among
themselves. How many golf balls did each person
receive?
If two buttons cost 15 cents, what will be the cost of a
dozen buttons?
Similarities-Presents two words that represent
common objects or concepts. The examinee is
asked to state how the objects or concepts are
similar. The task is designed to measure logical or
abstract thinking and the ability to categorize and
generalize.
In what way are a lion and a tiger alike?
In what way are a saw and a hammer alike?
In what way are an hour and a week alike?
In what way are a circle and a triangle alike?
Vocabulary-The examinee is asked to orally define
words covering a wide range of difficulty. The test
is designed to measure knowledge of words, which
correlates with general mental ability.
1. What does retain mean?
2. What does robust mean?
3. What does sojourn mean?
4. What does harass mean?
5. What does desultory mean?
6. What does inclement mean?
Digit Span-Asks the examinee to repeat strings of
numbers that the examiner reads aloud, either in
the same order as spoken or in reverse. The test is
designed to measure attention span and working
memory, which holds information in storage
temporarily.
Digits forward Correct response
3-9 3-9
4-2-6 4-2-6
7-1-8-7 7-1-8-7
5-8-2-3-9 5-8-2-3-9
Digits backward Correct response
4-7 7-4
3-9-1 1-9-3
2-1-4-6 6-4-1-2
8-5-6-3-1 1-3-6-5-8

Source: Simulated items similar to those in the Wechsler

Adult Intelligence Scale: Third Edition. Copyright (c)1997
by The Psychological Corporation. Reproduced by
permission. All rights reserved. 'Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale' and 'WAIS' are registered trademarks
of The Psychological Corporation.

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