DARE 2016 Suitable Tests for the Assessment of
Specific Learning Difficulty
This list of suitable tests for the assessment of specific learning difficulties (SLD) has been
prepared by the Disability Advisory Board to DARE, a panel of experts in the field of SLD.
The panel reviews the list annually and considers new tests for inclusion.
The list of tests includes both closed tests, which can be used by psychologists only and
open tests suitable for use by specialist teachers. Tests should be properly standardised
with clear evidence of validity and reliability.
All applicants must be assessed using age-appropriate tests. Tests should be up to date
and currently in use, use of obsolete tests will make the DARE application ineligible. In
circumstances where a test has been superseded by a revised version, psychologists are
advised that is best practice to use the most recent test available. Superseded versions of
tests are considered to be valid for a window of three years after the introduction of the
new version of the test in this country.
Single word reading and identification
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
range
Wide Range Achievement
Word Reading
Test 4 (WRAT4)
5-94
US population
years
2006
Woodcock Reading
Word
5-75+
Mastery Tests (WRMT-3)
Identification
years
Wechsler Individual
Word reading
4-86
UK population
years
up to 17
Achievement Test –
US population
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Page 1 of 8
Comments
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
range
British Ability Scales 3
Word reading
3-17
UK population
Woodcock-Johnson-
Word
2-90
US population
4Tests of Achievement
Identification
Age
Norms
(BAS-3)
2011
(WJ4 – ACH)
Reading comprehension
Test
Subtest
range
Woodcock Reading
Word and
5-75+
Mastery Tests (WRMT-3)
passage
years
US population
comprehension
Wide Range Achievement
Sentence
5-94
US population
Test 4 (WRAT4)
comprehension
years
Wechsler Individual
Reading
4-86
UK population
Achievement Test –
comprehension
years
up to 17
2006
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Passage
Tests of Achievement
comprehension
(WJ4 – ACH)
Page 2 of 8
2-90
US population
Comments
Phonological and non-word reading
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
range
Woodcock Reading
Word attack
Mastery Tests (WRMT-3)
5-75+
US population
years
Comprehensive test of
Phonological
4-
Phonological processing-
Awareness
24.11
2nd ed (CTOPP-2)
Composite
2013
Wechsler Individual
Pseudo-word
4-86
UK population
Achievement Test –
decoding
years
up to 17
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Word attack
2-90
US population
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
Higher
Rate; Accuracy;
(ART)
Education
Fluency;
2004
students in
Comprehension
England
; Oral Reading
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
Reading speed and fluency
Test
range
The Adult Reading Test
Fluency
16-55
Quotient.
Page 3 of 8
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
US population
This is a timed
range
Test of Word Reading
Sight Word
6-
Efficiency-2 (TOWRE-2)
Efficiency.
24.11
test (45 secs)
years
that provides a
2011
measure of
fluency reading
real words.
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Reading fluency 2-90
US population
Subtest
Norms
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
Spelling
Test
Age
range
Wechsler Individual
Spelling
Achievement Test –
4-86
UK population
years
up to 17
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Wide Range Achievement
Spelling
Test 4 (WRAT4)
5-94
US population
years
2006
Vernon Graded word
5-18
UK students
3-17
UK population
spelling test 3rd ed
British Ability Scales 3
(BAS-3)
2011
Page 4 of 8
Spelling
Comments
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
range
Woodcock-Johnson-4
2-90
US population
Age
Norms
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
Writing speed
Test
Subtest
Comments
range
Detailed Assessment of
9-16
UK students in
Speed of Handwriting
and
Higher
17-25
education
Hedderly Sentence
UK
Completion Test
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Writing Fluency
2-90
US population
Writing speed
16-55
Higher
Students are
(ART)
Education
given 2 minutes
2004
students in
to write a
England
summary of one
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
The Adult Reading Test
of the
passages
Page 5 of 8
Mathematical reasoning
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
range
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Applied
Tests of Achievement
problems
(WJ4 – ACH)
or
2-90
US population
Quantitative
reasoning
Wechsler Individual
Maths
5-94
UK population
Achievement Test –
reasoning
years
up to 17
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Mathematical computation
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
range
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Calculation
2-90
US population
Wechsler Individual
Numerical
5-94
UK population
Achievement Test –
operations
years
up to 17
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
Second UK Edition (WIAT-
US population
II UK)
after 17
Mathematics Competency
11-
Test
adult
Wide Range Achievement
Maths
5-94
Test 4 (WRAT4) 2006
computation
years
Page 6 of 8
UK
US population
Comments
Mathematical fluency
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
Comments
range
Woodcock-Johnson-4
Math Fluency
2-90
US population
Score
Age
Norms
Tests of Achievement
(WJ4 – ACH)
General Ability
Test
range
Wechsler Adult
FSIQ
16-90
UK population
Intelligence Scale -4th
or
Edition (UK version)
GAI
FSIQ
6-89
US population
Wechsler Intelligence
FSIQ
6-
UK population
Scale for Children-4th
or
16.11
Edition (UK version)
GAI
(WAIS-IV UK) 2010
Wechsler Abbreviated
Scale of Intelligence- 2nd
Edition
(WASI II) 2011
(WISC-IV UK)
British Ability Scales 3rd
GCA
3-17
UK population
Stanford Binet Intelligence FSIQ
2-85
US population
edition (BAS 3)
2011
Scales- 5th edition (SB 5)
Page 7 of 8
Comments
Test
Subtest
Age
Norms
range
Woodcock Johnson 4 –
tests of Cognitive Abilities
Page 8 of 8
GIA or BIA
2-90
US population
Comments