All about the revised Stanford-binet test

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - September 25th, 2011

The fifth edition of the Stanford-binet test, known as the SB-5, has been developed and has gone through many revisions since Lewis Terman’s contributions in 1916. Today it is accepted as a standard in IQ tests, and still makes use of many of the original testing methods. However, the latest edition has significant improvements in terms of its psychometric design, because it makes use of two routing subtests in a point-scale format which was developed in the 1986 edition. Today’s SB-5 still has the same functionality from its 1916-1986 editions.

The test today is adaptable to the examinee, because the routing functionality of the SB-5 is a more precise indicator allowing difficulty levels to be tailored. Other factors such as the hierarchical intelligence model, a global g factor, as well as other broad factors are also repeated in the latest edition. Overall, the SB-5 is an accurate assessment for examinees from kindergarten to adult, providing a comprehensive gauge of their cognitive abilities. It is administered by a trained psychologist who can correctly interpret results for parents and schools. The test may also be given in workplace settings to identify industry placements.