I need to know how a Wechsler IQ test (for children) is scored. The WISC-R specifically.?

The WISC-R? Wow! Nobody should be using that test anymore! They are totally out of compliance with federal regulations and best practices by using it.

Since I have never used the WISC-R I can only tell you how the WISC-IV is analyzed. My assumption is that the WISC-R and WISC-IV are analyzed in the same manner. The WISC-IV reports in four areas: Verbal Comprehension (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning (PRI), Working Memory (WMI) and Processing Speed (PSI). These are composite scores and can help in assisting educational strengths and weakness in students. A Full Scale I.Q. score is obtained by combining the four composite scores, placing a larger emphasis on the verbal (VCI) and perceptual (PRI) composite scores. If there is a large discrepancy (15+) between the verbal (oral) and perceptual (visual) composite scores a Full Scale I.Q. cannot be reported. In this case the higher of the two scores (VCI or PRI) would be considered to be more indicative of the student’s ability.

From what I can gather the WISC-R only used verbal (oral) and perceptual (visual) to create a Full Scale I.Q. Score.

There are three main subtests on the VCI portion: Comprehension, Vocabulary and Similarities that are scored individually and then are analyzed as a whole to get a composite score called the Verbal Comprehension Index. If one of the subtests becomes contaminated the tester can use two of the secondary tests: Word Reasoning and/or Information.

I know this is really basic, but would be happy to answer a more specific question if you have one.

You can try to find the following book in your local library. It is a very in-depth guide to the Wechsler battery of tests and has the formulas used to calculate the score for each subtest:

WAIS-III Administration and Scoring manual, by Wechsler, David. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation, 1997