Make Your Child Smarter

Interpretation of the KBIT-2 and KTEA-II scores

Q: My daughter is 6 years, 5 months old. She recently completed KBIT-2 and KTEA II testing. Her scores are:

KBIT-2
Verbal 125
Nonverbal 147
IQ Composite 141

KTEA II
Math 141
Reading 143
Writing 153
Battery Composite 155

I am having trouble locating a classification rating chart for these tests and am wondering whether she falls within the range of moderately gifted, highly, profoundly, etc. We are considering enrolling her in a gifted cluster classroom next year and this will help with our decision. Thank you!

A: The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition (K-BIT-2) is used to measure verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability. It is used to obtain a quick estimate of intelligence, estimate an individual's verbal versus nonverbal intelligence and/or to screen to identify students who may benefit from enrichment or gifted programs. Additionally, this test is also able to identify high-risk children through large-scale screening who may require a more comprehensive evaluation. So, briefly, it serves the purpose to provide a relatively quick and accurate estimate of abilities; and to identify students who may benefit from gifted or enrichment programs.

This test is developed by leading cognitive ability experts Alan and Nadeen Kaufman, therefore, it is assumed that this test provides highly valid, reliable results and is useful for a broad range of purposes. With the test package, a scoring and administrative manual is provided, so it is quite easy to use the materials. Hence, scores given by the school is accurate based on the correct use of the scoring manual. Having said that, the teacher in charge of the test should at least have good knowledge on the principles of measurement and in the administration and interpretation of tests. [Note: This test is researched to have a rather high correlation with the Wechsler tests (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence -WASI, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - WISC and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - WAIS).]

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition (KTEA-II) is an individually administered battery that gives you a flexible, thorough assessment of the key academic skills in reading, math, written language, and oral language.

Based on a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15, your daughter scores above average (about 85-115 should be within the average range on a bell curve) for the K-BIT-2. Her scores are in the upper extreme of scores, which indicates very high abilities. The KTEA-II scores also indicates upper extreme (above 131). Both the scores indicate very high abilities.

Therefore, based on the scores alone, it appears that she falls under the highly gifted range and would definitely benefit from a gifted program that best caters for her needs. Hope that helps and here¡¯s wishing you the very best!

>> Back to Ask an Expert