• DOI:10.1177/0034355208320076
• Corpus ID: 145644409

Test Review: Wilkinson, G. S., & Robertson, G. J. (2006). Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth Edition. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources. WRAT4 Introductory Kit (includes manual, 25 test/response forms [blue and green], and accompanying test materials): $243.00

@article{Dell2008TestRW,
  title={Test Review: Wilkinson, G. S., \& Robertson, G. J. (2006). Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth Edition. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources. WRAT4 Introductory Kit (includes manual, 25 test/response forms [blue and green], and accompanying test materials): \$243.00},
  author={Cindy Ann Dell and Barbara Harrold and Thomas F. Dell},
  journal={Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin},
  year={2008},
  volume={52},
  pages={57 - 60}
}

• Cindy Ann Dell, B. Harrold, Thomas F. Dell
• Published 19 June 2008
• Psychology, Education
• Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin

The Wide Range Achievement Test–Fourth Edition (WRAT4) is designed to provide “a quick, simple, psychometrically sound assessment of academic skills” (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006, p. 3). The test was first published in 1946 by Joseph F. Jastak, with the purpose of augmenting the cognitive performance measures of the Wechsler–Bellevue Scales, developed by David Wechsler. Jastak believed that academic performance should also be considered during a cognitive assessment battery. The WRAT has since been widely used as a norm-referenced measure of basic academic skills—specifically in reading, spelling, and mathematical calculations. It has subsequently undergone several revisions, with the WRAT–Revised (WRAT-R) in 1978, the WRAT–Third Edition (WRAT3) in 1993, and the WRAT4 in 2006. Expanding on the earlier versions, new features of the WRAT4 include a Sentence Comprehension subtest and a reading composite score (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006). Designed for use with individuals aged 5 through 94, the WRAT4 consists of four subtests—namely, Word Reading, Sentence Comprehension, Spelling, and Math Computation. As with the previous version, the WRAT4 is a single-level test with alternate forms (blue and green) that can be used interchangeably with comparable results. The blue and green forms can also be administered together for a more comprehensive evaluation. The Word Reading subtest includes the letter recognition (15 items) and word reading (55 words). The letter recognition section is administered to children 7 years old or younger or to individuals who do not meet the basal scoring guidelines for the Word Reading subtest. This subtest is designed to measure letter and word recognition rather than speech or dictation. The Sentence Comprehension subtest contains 50 items of one to two sentences each, where the participants fill in the blank with one or two words to indicate their comprehension of the sentence. The Sentence Comprehension subtest is new to the WRAT4, and it was added to the battery to address criticisms regarding the lack of construct validity for reading skills (Marby, n.d; Ward, n.d.). Also new to the WRAT4 is the reading composite score, which combines the standard scores of the Word Reading and Sentence Comprehension subtests to provide a more comprehensive measure of reading achievement. The Spelling subtest is made up of two parts. The first part, administered to children aged 7 years or younger, includes letter writing (i.e., 13 letters must be written); the second part consists of 42 words that must be spelled correctly. The Spelling subtest may be administered individually or in small groups. The Math Computation subtest is also made up of two parts: oral math (15 items) and math computation (40 problems to solve). The oral math section (for those aged 7 years or younger) must be administered individually; the math computation section may be administered individually or in small groups. Calculators may not be used for the Math Computation subtest, and there is a time limit of 15 min. The subtest is designed to measure an individual’s “ability to perform basic mathematics computations through counting, identifying numbers, solving simple oral problems and calculating written mathematics problems” (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006, p. 2). According to the manual, the “WRAT4 is designed to be administered and interpreted by individuals who have the necessary training and experience in administering and interpreting individually administered tests” (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006, p. 5). The publisher lists the WRAT4 as a B-level test, which means that to purchase and use the test, an individual must have a