This pair of studies investigated the psychometric adequacy of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) with a population of 8,396 potentially gifted elementary children of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as diverse emotional and social environments. Study I showed subjects' profiles differed strikingly from those of the WISC-R standardization sample. It also found subjects differed strikingly across ethic groups and across levels of risk in the shape of the verbal IQ-performance IQ difference distribution but not in absolute size of this difference. Skewness of profiles of children with identified risk was in favor of performance IQ relative to those without risk. Study II attempted to identify either a single model or individual models to select equally accurately from five ethnic groups (African-American, Asian, Caucasian, Filipino, and Hispanic). No single model or combination of individual models was found. Implications for this use of the WISC-R in diverse gifted populations whose characteristics differ from those of the standardization sample are discussed in the context of the professional ethics of responsible test use. Forms used in the San Diego gifted identification process are attached. (PB)