Western Aphasia Battery–Revised (WAB-R)
A comprehensive language battery that profiles aphasia type and severity.
By Claire White
- Clinician-administered; typically 1 to 4 hours for the full battery.
- Covers spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, and naming.
- The Aphasia Quotient (AQ) runs from 0 to 100; scores of 93.8 or above indicate no aphasia.
- A bedside version (WAB-B) is available for acute settings.
What it measures
The WAB-R assesses all major language modalities: spontaneous speech (information content and fluency), auditory comprehension, repetition, and naming. Scores on these four areas combine to produce the Aphasia Quotient (AQ). The battery also tests reading, writing, and praxis to produce a Language Quotient (LQ) and Cortical Quotient (CQ).
What the result tells you
The AQ (0–100) classifies aphasia by type and severity. A score of 93.8 or above places the person outside the aphasia range. Scores help identify aphasia type, including global, Broca, Wernicke, and anomic, and track change over time.
Used for
Evidence, psychometrics and provenance
Psychometrics
Reliability scale from 0 to 1. Higher indicates greater agreement.
References
- 1.Kertesz A. Western Aphasia Battery. New York: Grune & Stratton; 1982.
- 2.Shewan CM, Kertesz A. Reliability and validity characteristics of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). J Speech Hear Disord. 1980;45(3):308-324.
This assessment uses a validated instrument and is reference information, not a diagnosis.