In 1905, Binet and Simon developed an intelligence test that was used to identify children who would not be successful with the regular school curriculum as a project on the French governmental commission working on mental retardation. This intelligence test became known as the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale. Lewis Terman (1916) a researcher from Stanford University developed a preliminary revision of the Binet-Simon scale which was continuously revised until the latest, the fifth edition became the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition or abbreviated as SB5.

Alfred Binet's mental tests were the first standardized measures of intelligence to be used in education (Evans and Waites, 1981). The Stanford-Binet looks at intelligence in five areas. Each of these subtests is given in a verbal or a non-verbal method to accommodate very young children, even two-year-olds, and non-readers (https://stanfordbinettest.com/, n.d.).

Five factors of cognitive ability in verbal and non-verbal assessment (image source: author)

How it works

What does SB5 measure? (content course: Roid and Barram, 2004; https://stanfordbinettest.com/, n.d., image source: author)

Strength and Weakness

The criteria of assessing assessment are not standardized, as they highly depend on the perspective of an entity that uses it. Looking at the process of such an intelligence test used, then this writing is attempting to view the strength and weakness from an administration perspective, scoring perspective, interpretation perspective, and reliability perspective.

Phase to conduct intelligence test (image source: author)

Administration

Strength

• SB5 requires reasonable, not excessive completion time

Data source: Terman, 1916

• Cover five out of ten cognitive abilities based on Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model.
• Can be administered by both computer and paper and pencil.

Weakness

• Computer-scoring software not included in kit (Roid and Barram, 2004).

• The tests should be conducted in a quiet room, located where the noises of the street and other outside distractions cannot enter. A reasonably small room is better than a very large one, because it is more homelike. At all events, the presence of parent, teacher, school principal, or governess is to be avoided. (Terman, 1916). Hence, it could be difficult to administer tests for children because they are most likely noisy and not really easy to settle.

Scoring

Strength

• SB5 offers Change-Sensitive Scores (CSSs) as supplemental scoring options. CSS provides a different type of scale interpretable in terms of age equivalents and task difficulty (Roid and Barram, 2004). CSS which based on raw scores and having a broader range than most normative scores, may show change across time for individuals (who do not appear to improve from special instruction, who always test at the very lowest percentile) compared to the raw scores.

Table of Score, source: Roid and Barram, 2004, p.60

Weakness

• Nonverbal knowledge which conducted in Pantomime test could lead confusion for children as they may ask, "Why don't you say anything?" to the examiner.

Interpretation

Strength

• SB5 relies on large norm sample of 4,800 individuals that matched the 2000 U.S. Census. Bias reviews were conducted on all items for gender, ethnic, cultural/religious, regional, and socioeconomic status issues (Timmons, et al., 2004).
• SB5 which has five aspects in CHC model can early predict learning disability as Evans, Floyd, McGrew, and Leforgee (2001) stated that cognitive ability scores based on the CHC model can be very effective in early prediction of reading, mathematic, and other academic underachievement (Roid and Barram, 2014).

Weakness

• Interpretive Manual must be purchased separately from the standard SB5 kit (Roid, 2003).

Reliability

Strength

• Split Healf Reliability on Full Scale IQ shows high score at 0.90 

Weakness

• SB5 needs concurrent correlations with other tests. As Binet himself, however, did not subscribe to the conception of intelligence as a unitary mental function (Evans and Waites, 1981).

Example of usage

• The SB5 is one of accepted standardized intelligence tests as joining requirement for American Mensa, an organization of highly intelligence people.
• The SB5 assessment is one of 15 cognitive ability assessment methods recommended by the U.S. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWDY).

Limitation

• US NCWDY emphasized IQ tests may be helpful to youth service practitioners in planning educational objectives but IQ test scores should never be the sole criterion used to make decisions.

References:

• Roid and Barram (2004), Essentials of Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5) Assessment, available at: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Essentials+of+Stanford+Binet+Intelligence+Scales+%28SB5%29+Assessment+-p-9780471224044
• Evans and Waites (1981), IQ and Mental Testing An Unnatural Science and its Social History, available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1520-6807%28198301%2920%3A1%3C120%3A%3AAID-PITS2310200126%3E3.0.CO%3B2-E
• Timmons, J., Podmostko, M., Bremer, C., Lavin, D., & Wills, J. (2004), Career planning begins with assessment: A guide for professionals serving youth with educational & career development challenges, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Institute for Educational Leadership, available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED485703.pdf
• Terman (1916), The Measurement of Intelligence An Explanation of and A Complete Guide For The Use of The Stanford Revision and Extension of The Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale, available at: https://psychaanalyse.com/pdf/THE_MEASUREMENT_OF_INTELLIGENCE.pdf
• https://stanfordbinettest.com/