The KBIT-2 Talks About Crystallized Intelligence…What is This?

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - January 14th, 2012

Crystallized intelligence, as measured by the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-2, is intelligence which has been learned. This can be through formal schooling, through informal teaching by parents, by life experiences or any other situation which teaches a child something new. Crystallized intelligence changes over time, unlike fluid intelligence which usually remains the same throughout a child’s life. An adult will have a very different scope of crystallized intelligence than a child will, simply because they have been through more experiences and attended more schooling.

In most cases, an intelligence test such as the KBIT-2 is intended to measure crystallized intelligence as it relates to others of the same age group. For example, a gifted program may use the KBIT-2 to measure the crystallized intelligence of kindergarten students against others in their class, to see how far ahead they are. The KBIT-2 is also useful in identifying at-risk students, whose crystallized intelligence is below the norm for there age group.