The first intelligence test was created in 1904 by Alfred Binet, a French psychologist whose purpose was to identify learning problems in school-aged children. The result of the assessment was known as "intelligence quotient" or "IQ." Since that time, IQ tests have been used for a variety of purposes. The United States military has used them and continues to use them to find the best placement for its recruits. School systems today use these tests to measure school-related intelligence, labeling students with very low intelligence as mentally retarded and those with very high intelligence as intellectually gifted. Also, schools use IQ and achievement tests to identify discrepancies that point to possible learning disabilities in children.
IQ tests must be administered by a qualified psychologist. Untrained individuals who administer these tests can skew the results and cause them to be invalid. It is therefore crucial that an unbiased, highly-trained professional administer the exam.
All intelligence tests are norm-referenced. This means individuals taking the test are compared against other individuals of the same age who have taken the test. Therefore, it is critical that the exact age, in years, months, and days, be known before the test is administered and scored. Age is also an important factor when choosing a testing instrument.
Disability of the individual is another key factor in choosing an IQ test. When dealing with students with disabilities, consider the possibility the individual may be nonverbal, meaning he is unable to communicate effectively through oral means. There are IQ tests that do not require a oral response, but do require the understanding of oral directions. There are also IQ tests designed for children who are deaf or hard of hearing that require neither oral responses nor response to oral directions. There are also IQ tests that are intended for blind or visually impaired children. Many IQ tests also allow adaptations for children with limited physical abilities.
Many states do not allow IQ testing of children whose first language is anything other than English. Others require the test be given in the child's home language or interpreted into the home language. Even in states where IQ testing of children who are not proficient in English is allowed, the child's language must be a consideration in the test administration, scoring and interpretation of the test results.