Have you ever wanted to test your intelligence just for fun or perhaps to get accepted into a high IQ society like Mensa? There are actually many ways that you can measure your IQ or mental age such as through paid or free tests that you can find online. A simple internet search for “IQ tests” will give you a vast amount of individual testing sites. But before you dive into taking a test, you should know that not all of them are created equal. Not knowing the differences can waste a lot of your time.
Your intelligence quotient, or IQ, can be calculated by taking one of many standardized tests. Designed to test and categorize intellect, these scores have a median of 100 with one standard deviation being 15 points. The vast majority (95%) of IQ test takers score in the range of 70 to 130 points, or within two standard deviations of the median. Although measuring an individual’s IQ is not a completely necessary task, the results can still be used in a multitude of contexts. For instance, these scores can be used to predict educational achievement or to determine any special needs or educational disabilities. In addition, social scientists use IQ scores to determine trends between a high or low test score and certain variables such as race, sex or nationality.
Some intelligence tests determine the score based on a quotient of the test takers mental age and chronological age, thereby allowing the tests to calculate both the IQ of children and adults. This makes sense since a young child will obviously not score as high as an adult would. However, it should be noted that modern tests no longer use a quotient to determine the score. Instead, tests use a median testing population and IQ scores are based on the results of the median test group. Therefore, percentages are no longer used and IQ scores are looked at relative to the median and are based on a standard deviation.
You will notice that different IQ tests will measure different things and in different ways. For example, one IQ test may be visual while another may be verbal. Furthermore, some tests will give a measure of intelligence based on abstract reasoning while others may test reading ability, vocabulary, math skills, memory, or even spatial imagery aptitude. However, many of the modern IQ tests available today for intelligence testing base the questions in ten broad categories of intellect:
Obviously, not every IQ test will be able to test every single category accurately. Many choose a few categories and base the majority of the test off of them. Some people think that the categories of quantitative reasoning as well as reading and writing ability focus too much on what has been learned in school and not on actual intelligence level; therefore, it is thought by some that these categories measure academic achievement rather than true intellect. This has led many of the more comprehensive tests to break scores down into broad categories in order to display the test takers main strengths and weaknesses.
Intelligence can mean different things to different people. Some people think that the ability to digest and memorize information is intelligence. While others argue that intelligence is the ability to manipulate and use the information that is acquired in new ways. And there are those that still view mathematical and verbal skills as the primary rank of intelligence. On the opposite end of that spectrum, some people believe that social competence should be considered a factor in assessing intellect. This is why you find so much variety in IQ testing.
When you take an intelligence test, you should be aware of the differences between what it being measured and how the scores will be calculated. An overall score may give you a clear idea of where your intellect ranks among other individuals in the population. However, a break down of scores will clearly show you what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can use that knowledge to your benefit.
If you’re unhappy with how you score when you take an IQ test, there are a few things you can do to improve your intelligence. A study has shown that individuals who supplement their diet with nootropics, which are man-made smart drugs natural chemical produced by the body can improve their IQ test scores. Nootropics can help supply energy and oxygen to all the cells in the body as well as the muscles, but it’s still not fully understood, in all cases, why they help with intelligence. In addition, you can train your working memory by playing reasoning games or exercising your brain by learning something new. It has also been shown that learning a musical instrument as a child shows a relationship with above average IQ. In addition, childhood malnutrition can also lower IQ.
In general, an IQ test along with a personality test can help an individual evaluate and make a choice between possible career paths. Skilled workers and high school graduates often score in the median range of IQ tests while research scientists and neurosurgeons average a score of 135 or more. Also, college graduates score an average of 115 points on an IQ test while high school drop outs score an average of 95. Keep in mind, that your IQ score does not determine what type of job you should seek; however, your score combined with an accurate personality inventory can help you narrow down your possibilities to make the decision a little easier.
You may notice that there are special high IQ societies. These organizations have strict membership requirements. Of those, some require that potential members take an IQ test and score in the 98th percentile or higher. One of the most well known groups is Mensa International. Often, these types of groups work to make good use of intelligence for research and to help foster the education of gifted children.
You will notice that there a thousands of websites that offer a free IQ test. IQ tests offered online can be a good way to quickly get a general sense of your intelligence, but often the results should be taken with a grain of salt. When you try to sift through all the tests available, be sure to look at what is being tested. If it is a test based on general knowledge or familiarity of pop culture, it is probably not what you’re looking for. You should also look at how the test will be scored. If it’s not based on a median and a standard deviation, your score may not be as accurate as you hoped. Some of the tests that are recognized and accepted by Mensa are the Miller Analogies Test, the Stanford Binet Test, the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities and the Otis-Gamma Test. While you may not be able to find these specific tests as a free online IQ test, you may be able to find similar tests that are based on them to get an accurate measure of your intellect.