Elevated scaled scores when using the digital version of the WISC-V coding subtest

This study investigated the digital version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) Coding subtest in a large Australian clinical and non-clinical sample of 6-11 year old children (<i>N</i> = 794). Data was retrospectively pooled from several studies. Results showed the digital Coding scaled score was significantly elevated compared with all other subtests (<i>M</i> difference = 2.01, 95% CI. 1.74-2.27). Overall FSIQ was higher when calculated using Coding compared with Symbol Search (<i>M</i> difference = 2.067, 95% CI. 1.79-2.34). The Coding and Symbol Search discrepancy in digital administration did not vary according to age and was unrelated to general intelligence. Girls scored higher on average than boys on the digital Coding subtest, but there was no sex effect for the digital Symbol Search subtest (girls: <i>M</i> = 10.76, 95% CI 10.41-11.12; boys: <i>M</i> = 10.27, 95% CI 9.92-10.63). Inflated digital Coding scaled scores were observed across our subsamples of clinical and non-clinical cases, without any significant group differences. Overall, our findings support the notion that the digital WISC-V Coding subtest is inflated, particularly for girls, supporting cessation in the digital administration of this subtest.