The first intelligence test by Binet originated from a request by the educational institution.

At the end of the 19th century, France faced a major challenge: schooling had become compulsory, and the education system now had to manage a much wider diversity of students than ever before. This requirement for universal education quickly revealed difficulties among certain children who seemed unable to keep up with the imposed academic pace. To address this issue, the Ministry of Public Instruction decided in 1904 to create a commission tasked with finding solutions to identify these struggling children and provide them with appropriate education.

It was in this context that psychologist Alfred Binet was approached by the ministry. Binet, then known for his work in experimental psychology, was given the task of developing a tool capable of objectively measuring children's intelligence, in order to distinguish those who were capable of following a regular school curriculum from those who required special education.

Binet, in collaboration with physician Théodore Simon, then developed what would become the first standardized intelligence test, known as the Échelle métrique de l'intelligence (Metric Scale of Intelligence), first published in 1905. This test, composed of various cognitive tasks, aimed to measure the "intellectual capacity" of children by identifying those who, according to Binet's scale, were "abnormal" from an academic standpoint. The term "abnormal" referred to intelligence below the expected norm for a child of a given age, and these children were often directed to special improvement classes.

Binet's test was not designed to measure innate or universal intelligence, but rather to assess children's aptitude for success within the framework of the French school system. In other words, it measured the skills that were considered essential for academic success, such as verbal comprehension, memory, and logical reasoning.

However, this approach was not without criticism. Binet himself was aware of the limitations of his test. He cautioned against interpreting these results as an absolute measure of intelligence. For him, the test was primarily a practical tool intended to identify children who needed specific educational assistance, not a definitive judgment on their intellectual abilities.

Despite these precautions, Binet's test had a lasting influence on how intelligence was perceived and measured worldwide. It laid the foundation for the subsequent development of IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests in other countries, notably in the United States, where they were widely used for educational, military, and even eugenic purposes. This evolution sparked significant debates about the nature of intelligence, the cultural biases inherent in these tests, and their role in legitimizing social inequalities.

In summary, Binet's first test, although designed as a practical tool for the educational institution, triggered a revolution in the way intelligence is measured and understood, raising questions about the validity and ethics of such evaluations.

It became the cornerstone for the development of the Wechsler test, which is still used today, continuing the same educational logic.