Many Kinds of "Gifted" Standardized IQ tests predict academic
performance quite well, but is a high IQ test score all there is
to giftedness? Recently, the response, in strong chorus, has
been "no." First, know that any given score is a product of many
possible sub-scores. A child could, for example, receive an IQ
score of 100 (the average) by doing very well on verbal
subtests, poorly on mathematical subtests, average on visual
motor tests, etc. — or through an entirely different mix. So no
two scores of 100 are likely to represent the same general
ability. All we can say is that children who score 100 are
likely to perform as average students in school, doing better or
worse in some subject areas than in others. What is more,
scoring high on a standardized IQ test may not be the sine qua
non of giftedness. And it's clearly not the best prediction of
which child is "most likely to succeed." Several highly
respected psychologists, after extensive research in the area of
assessing and defining giftedness, tale