The WAIS is the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale . This is the standard IQ test for persons over 18.

The test consists of several exercises. Some are untimed - these indicate the "verbal IQ." Timed exercises reflect the "peformance IQ." The performance IQ is supposed to be the level to which the subject applies his/her verbal IQ to the "real world."

Compare WISC, which is an extremely similar test geared toward children.

WAIS also stands for Wide Area Information Server. It is a near-obsolete Internet service, once used to search databases on remote servers. Compare gopher, archie.