Examining verbal memory on the word memory test and California verbal learning test-second edition

This study compared the Word Memory Test (WMT) and California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II) in a sample (N = 76) of outpatient physiatry referrals who passed WMT validity indices. WMT and CVLT-II raw scores showed moderate to strong correlations. WMT scores were more likely to be below expectation than CVLT-II scores using norms from the respective test manuals. With impaired scores defined as 2 SDs below normative mean, the WMT and CVLT-II showed 67% overall agreement and kappa of 0.34. Forty percent of participants who scored within normal limits on the CVLT-II demonstrated an impaired score on the WMT. Despite evidence of utility, WMT memory subtests appear limited by current normative data.