Comparison of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test and the Matrix Analogies Test - Shore form in an adolescent forensic population

The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT; A. S. Kaufman & N. L. Kaufman, 1990) was compared with the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form (MAT-SF; J. Naglieri, 1985) in a sample of 126 participants aged less than 18 years, in juvenile justice centers. Mean scores were low for both tests, although the MAT-SF mean percentile rank was significantly lower than the KBIT. No significant gender, or Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal differences were noted. Nevertheless, the lowest correlation was between KBIT Vocabulary and MAT-SF, indicating that administering a test of verbal ability may enhance the predictive usefulness of the MAT-SF. More of the sample fell into the lowest 3% of the population on the MAT-SF (35%), compared with the KBIT (20%); thus, the former tests may categorize more individuals in custody as needing special educational assistance, a finding which has resource implications for juvenile justice institutions.