Skip to content
MentalBreak.to
Build my shortlist

Westmount Charter · Assessment

What the Westmount Charter assessment involves (and how to book it)

Westmount Charter Elementary requires a private cognitive assessment (the WPPSI-IV for ages 4 to 7). You book and pay for it yourself with a registered psychologist. Testing takes 2 to 3 hours, and the written report comes later. Applications close Nov 28 with no late entries, so start booking in spring or early summer.

Applying for Grade 3 or higher? Your child will take the WISC-V instead, because the WPPSI-IV stops at age 7 years 7 months. This page covers the WPPSI-IV only. See every school on the assessment route.

At a glance

Test
WPPSI-IV (ages 4–7)
Time
2 to 3 hours of testing
Cost
Paid by you; often covered in full or in part by workplace benefits
Deadline
Nov 28, no late applications
Waitlist
None. Reapply next year

Verified Sept 11, 2026 WPPSI-IV, ages 4:0–7:7 Deadline Nov 28

How do you book the Westmount assessment, and what does it cost?

  1. Check your benefits. Ask your workplace benefits plan if it covers a psychological assessment. The cost depends on the clinic, and benefits often pay for all or part of it.

  2. Book a registered psychologist. Westmount does not arrange the test. You book it and pay the clinic yourself. Testing takes 2 to 3 hours, plus a short intake chat before it.

  3. Get the written report, then apply. The psychologist writes the report after the test day, so you will not get it on the spot. Apply by Nov 28. There are no late applications and no waitlist.

Book as early as you can, even in spring or early summer of the year you apply. Clinics have their own waitlists, and the report takes time after testing.

What does the WPPSI-IV measure?

For children aged 4 to 7, the WPPSI-IV gives five main scores (called Primary Index scores). Each one comes from two short tasks. Westmount looks for a Full Scale IQ of about 125 or higher.

Verbal Comprehension

Information, Similarities

Word knowledge and reasoning. Your child answers general questions and explains how two things are alike.
Visual Spatial

Block Design, Object Assembly

Seeing and building shapes. Your child copies a pattern with blocks and puts puzzle pieces together into a picture.
Fluid Reasoning

Matrix Reasoning, Picture Concepts

Solving new problems without words. Your child finishes a picture pattern and picks the pictures that go together.
Working Memory

Picture Memory, Zoo Locations

Short-term visual memory. Your child recalls pictures just shown and where animal cards were placed.
Processing Speed

Bug Search, Cancellation

Speed and care on simple tasks. Your child matches symbols and marks target pictures against a timer.

Can you prepare your child for the WPPSI-IV?

Not by drilling the test. Psychologists are trained to spot rehearsed answers. The scores also assume your child has not practiced these exact tasks, so coaching works against you.

What helps is the same as for any new appointment: a good night's sleep, breakfast beforehand, and everyday play with puzzles, patterns and memory games. None of that means practicing this test.

Specific book and material recommendations are coming soon.

Two free practice worksheets

Puzzle-formation practice (cut-and-practice)

General cut-and-assemble puzzle practice, in the spirit of the visual-spatial and pattern-completion play described above.

Download PDFfor Puzzle-formation practice (cut-and-practice)

6 pages · 242 KB

"Stamp for speed" (11×17)

A large-format sheet for quick mark-and-match practice, in the spirit of the visual-speed play described above.

Download PDFfor "Stamp for speed" (11×17)

1 page, 11×17 · 627 KB

Ready to book?

Before you book

How to find a registered psychologist

We do not recommend or rank clinics. These are the checks that matter whichever one you choose.

Confirm they are registered

The assessment has to be done by a registered psychologist. The College of Alberta Psychologists keeps a public directory you can search by name to confirm registration, and the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta has a searchable list of practising psychologists.

Check your benefits first

Many workplace benefit plans cover part of a psychological assessment, usually up to an annual limit. Before you book, ask your plan how much it covers and whether it requires the psychologist to be registered in Alberta.

Questions to ask a clinic

  • Do you assess with the WPPSI-IV and the WISC-V, and which one fits my child’s age?
  • When is your next opening for a cognitive assessment?
  • How long after testing will the written report be ready?
  • What does the assessment cost, and what does the fee include?

Questions about the Westmount assessment

What does the WPPSI-IV measure?

Five skills: word knowledge and reasoning (Verbal Comprehension), seeing and building shapes (Visual Spatial), solving new problems without words (Fluid Reasoning), short-term visual memory (Working Memory), and speed on simple tasks (Processing Speed). Each score comes from two short tasks. Together they make up the Full Scale IQ that Westmount looks at.

How long does the assessment appointment take?

Testing takes 2 to 3 hours. The full visit runs longer once you add the intake chat before it. The psychologist writes the report after the test day, so you will not get it the same day.

Does the WPPSI-IV apply to every grade Westmount Elementary admits?

No. The WPPSI-IV is built for ages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 7 months. That fits children entering Kindergarten or Grade 1. Older children, from Grade 3 up and some in Grade 2, take the WISC-V instead. That is why Westmount's own admissions page says "WPPSI or WISC" and does not name one test.

Can you prepare a child for the WPPSI-IV?

Not by drilling the tasks. Psychologists are trained to spot rehearsed answers, and the scores assume your child has not practiced these exact tasks. What helps is a rested morning, breakfast beforehand, and everyday play with puzzles, patterns and memory games.