Cancellation requires targets to be found and marked in a broad array
The WAIS Cancellation subtest defines targets by a combination of color and shape. The person searches for those targets in a broad array containing many figures and marks each one they find. They must continue identifying figures that meet both conditions while avoiding distractors that resemble a target in only one respect.
In the Japanese WAIS-IV, Cancellation is a supplemental subtest of the Processing Speed Index, or PSI for ages 16–69. PSI is normally calculated from the core subtests Symbol Search and Coding, so a report can include a Cancellation scaled score even when it was not used to calculate PSI.
Cancellation was added in WAIS-IV. In the 2024 US WAIS-5, it was removed and Naming Speed Quantity was added as a secondary subtest and a motor-free processing-speed measure. This describes the US edition rather than a global removal from every current WAIS version. WAIS-IV and WAIS-5 compared explains the other additions and changes.
The person completes two tasks with 45 seconds for each
Cancellation contains two tasks with different target combinations, and each has a 45-second time limit. Both require a broad, structured array to be scanned and every figure that meets the target conditions to be marked.
Unlike Symbol Search, which presents a small search set for one item at a time, Cancellation requires the same target conditions to be retained while a wide area is searched continuously. Performance therefore depends not only on moving the eyes quickly but also on tracking which parts of the array have already been searched and reducing omissions or duplicate scanning.
Cancellation uses selective attention and a systematic search strategy
The person must repeatedly:
- retain the target color and shape;
- move their gaze across the broad array to search for targets;
- keep track of the area already searched while progressing through the array;
- avoid responding to distractors that meet only part of the target definition; and
- mark each target quickly and accurately.
The central demands are selective attention to the required figures and efficient visual search across a broad area. Accurate rejection of distractors and the speed of the marking response also contribute to the score.
What higher and lower Cancellation scores can show
In the Japanese WAIS-IV, a higher scaled score indicates strength in retaining the target conditions and finding the relevant figures quickly and accurately across a broad array while avoiding similar distractors.
A lower score can reflect greater difficulty retaining both target features, searching a wide area systematically, distinguishing distractors, or marking each target. The process differs depending on whether targets were overlooked, distractors were marked, or only a limited part of the array was searched within the time limit. Characteristics of lower processing speed explains related demands and practical adjustments in everyday work.
If Cancellation is clearly lower than Symbol Search, continuously searching a broad array while retaining the same target rule may be more demanding than matching symbols within a small search set. If it is lower than Coding, selective attention and wide-area visual search may have affected performance more than referring to a key and writing symbols. How to read WAIS results explains how to interpret these differences within the full profile.
How Cancellation differs from Symbol Search and Coding
| Subtest | Direct task | Processing emphasized |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation | Find and mark targets in a broad array of figures | Wide-area search, selective attention, and accurate rejection of distractors |
| Symbol Search | Decide whether either target appears in a small set of symbols | Focused visual search, shape matching, and present-or-absent decisions |
| Coding | Write the symbol paired with each number | Searching and matching a key, written symbol production, and associative learning |
Symbol Search and Coding are core PSI subtests in the Japanese WAIS-IV, while Cancellation is supplemental. Comparing the scores can show whether performance is relatively stronger in focused matching, continuous wide-area search, or written work using a reference key.
BrainTypeIQ Symbol Search uses focused matching rather than wide-area cancellation
BrainTypeIQ Symbol Search compares two target symbols with five search symbols in each item, and the person records a present-or-absent decision on screen. Its structure is therefore closer to WAIS Symbol Search than to Cancellation.
BrainTypeIQ does not require continuous scanning across a broad paper array or handwritten marking. Instead, it measures processing speed, or Gs, through rapid visual search, matching, and decision-making within compact search sets. Its own items, online administration, timing, scoring, and comparison norms provide a focused processing-speed measure within BrainTypeIQ's five-domain profile.