Intelligence Quotient tests, otherwise known as IQ tests, are multi-faceted, standardized tests used to measure educational abilities. The tests have two components, verbal and performance, the latter of which concerns logical and analytical actions. While IQ tests may spark fear or loathing in students and parents, they are widely-used assessment tools which contain several benefits.
Early Intervention
Markedly different verbal and performance IQ scores may be a sign of a learning disability, notes the website Healthguide.org. Without intervention, children may develop self-esteem issues due to their cognitive discrepancies. By contrast, children who obtain early intervention for a learning disability can achieve the emotional and cognitive support necessary to participate and succeed in educational settings and other areas, states the website.
Non-Expressive Assessment
The most widely used IQ tests, the Stanford-Binet-5 and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, are used for assessing accuracy of verbal content, not verbal expression and facial gesture, notes Indiana University educator Greg Machek. As a result, the tests can be used with varied populations, including non-native English speakers or children with limited ability for expressive speech.
Admissions Data
Individual IQ scores offer standardized, objective criteria, which institutions can use for selecting students, notes Greg Machek. Upholding standards for IQ scores is one way that schools can be accountable to the individuals and groups that help fund the school. IQ scores can also provide rapid and familiar feedback for admissions departments on tight budgets, notes Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman of the Gifted Development Center.
