Measures basic academic skills.

The Wide Range Achievement Test is a test of basic academic skills for ages 5-adult, covering reading (word recognition and pronunciation), written spelling, and arithmetic. It is used for educational placement, identification of strengths, weaknesses, and possible learning problems, and as a tool in planning remedial programs. Used in conjunction with behavior or intelligence tests, such as the Wechsler Scales, it can also aid in providing information about personality. The test is given at two levels: Level I (ages 5-11) and Level II (12-adult). It consists of three paper-and-pencil subtests with 50-100 items each, arranged in order of increasing difficulty. The Reading subtest consists of recognizing and naming letters and pronouncing printed words. The Spelling subtest includes copying marks resembling letters, writing one's name, and printing words, and the Arithmetic section involves counting, reading number symbols, and oral and written computation. The test is normed by age rather than grade. Raw scores for each subtest are converted to percentile rankings, standard scores, and grade equivalents. The Spelling and Arithmetic sections can be given either individually or in groups, but the Reading subtest must be administered individually. Large-print editions of WRAT-R are available for use with visually impaired children.

For Further Study

Books

McCullough, Virginia. Testing and Your Child: What You Should Know About 150 of the Most Common Medical, Educational, and Psychological Tests. New York: Plume, 1992.

Shore, Milton F., Patrick J. Brice, and Barbara G. Love. When Your Child Needs Testing: What Parents, Teachers, and Other Helpers Need to Know about Psychological Testing. New York: Crossroad, 1992.

Walsh, W. Bruce, and Nancy E. Betz. Tests and Assessment. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.