An Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from several standardized tests designed to assess human intelligence.
An IQ test consists of a number of tasks measuring various measures of intelligence including short-term memory, analytical thinking, mathematical ability and spatial recognition. Like all IQ tests it does not attempt to measure the amount of information you have learned but rather your capacity to learn.
Intelligence is NOT knowledge!
Knowledge is the collection of skills and information a person has acquired through experience or learning whereas intelligence is the ability to apply such knowledge. A person who knows nothing may still be highly intelligent:
“I know that I know nothing.”
– Socrates
The “Flynn Effect”
The fact that each generation scores higher on an IQ test than the generation before it is called the “Flynn effect”. It is fully present in pre-school children, does not increase during the school age years and is greater for non-verbal abilities than for verbal abilities.
In this fast-paced spin through the cognitive history of the 20th century, moral philosopher James Flynn challenges our fundamental assumptions about intelligence.
Are we actually getting smarter, or just thinking differently? He suggests that changes in the way we think have had surprising (and not always positive) consequences.
Average IQ Range
Calculation in relation to 100: The standard of scoring on an IQ test is based on a scale from zero to 200 that is based on the general average score in the larger population. IQ scores are defined so the average score for a population is 100 and so the most common scores will also fall near or around 100.
A graph of the most common IQ scores will appear as a hill with its peak at 100. This is called a bell curve. So, for any IQ scale, normal intelligence will be around 100. If you score 100 on an IQ test, you’re in the 50th percentile of scoring. This means you’ve scored higher than 50 percent of people who’ve taken the test.
Physicist Stephen Hawking. When asked his IQ, he replied:
“I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers.”
– Stephen Hawking
IQ-Tests
CFIT stands for Culture Fair Intelligence Test. What does ‘culture fair’ mean? This nonverbal intelligence test is culture fair because it avoids cultural and language biases and focuses on logical reasoning only.
The benefits are quite obvious: All may step up at the starting line with the very same equal opportunity, regardless of their cultural (therefore ‘culture fair’) i.e. educational, language and other backgrounds. Even a illiterate person can take such a CFIT and benefits from common prerequisites.
At its extreme, culture does impact IQ scores. That means that what we think of as intelligence here means a lot in some places and rather little in others.
According to some researchers, the “cultural specificity” of intelligence makes IQ tests biased towards the environments in which they were developed – namely white, Western society. This makes them potentially problematic in culturally diverse settings.
The test may be based on the highly scientifically validated progressive matrices test of John Raven but was originally constructed by Raymond Cattell as an attempt to measure cognitive abilities devoid of sociocultural and environmental influences. Cattell proposed that general intelligence comprises both fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.
- Fluid intelligence is the ability to solve novel reasoning problems and is correlated with a number of important skills such as comprehension, problem solving, and learning.
- Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, involves the ability to deduce secondary relational abstractions by applying previously learned primary relational abstractions.
With this CFIT – there is also a free short demo IQ test available – only 5% of the people in the world score 124 or higher which the minimun required to become a member of the International High IQ Society (IHIQS).
To prepare for a Mensa International on-site test, you may want to practice with their online Mensa IQ Challenge or go to IQHaven. Mensa’s requirement for membership is a score at or above the 98th percentile on certain standardised IQ or other approved intelligence tests, such as the Stanford–Binet test. The minimum accepted score is 132 on the Stanford–Binet scale, while it is 148 for the Cattell.
Go ahead and take some of these IQ tests. Who knows? Perhaps, you too even qualify for The Tripple 9.
“1N73LL1G3NC3 15 7H3 4B1L17Y 70 4D4P7 70 CH4NG3”
– Stephen Hawking
The Trio
Here’s a quick overview of the Stanford-Binet, Cattell, and Wechsler tests. These tests are often compared and analyzed in various studies to understand their relationships and differences. For example, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales and the Wechsler Scales have been correlated in terms of their validity and reliability. These tests have different purposes and applications, but all aim to provide insights into cognitive abilities and personality traits.
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales: This test, originally developed by Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon, was later revised at Stanford University. It’s used to measure cognitive abilities and intelligence, particularly in children. The test assesses five factors: knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing, working memory, and fluid reasoning
Cattell‘s 16 Personality Factors (16PF): Developed by Raymond Cattell, this test measures 16 primary personality traits. It’s used to understand human personality and can help in clinical settings, career counseling, and more. The 16PF provides a comprehensive view of an individual’s personality
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS): Created by David Wechsler, this test measures intelligence and cognitive ability in adults and older adolescents. The WAIS is widely used and assesses various aspects of intelligence, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed
Comparability
It’s’ always amusing if one talks about IQ tests, results thereof and even dares compare these outcomes with one another. There are countless IQ test varieties out there and so naturally are the results.
“Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.”
– Albert Einstein
That’s why it’s impossible to compare such results unless they are based on the very same IQ test and conditions or at least correctly converted according to IQ Classifications – also taking the Standard Deviation (stdev) into account – for example:
- Cattell-IQ = (Wechsler-IQ – 100) * 24/15 + 100
- Wechsler-IQ = (Cattell-IQ – 100) * 15/24 + 100
My IQ Test Results
With the on-site test provided by the Switzerland Chapter of Mensa International, I scored 29 correct (out of a possible 33). This implies an IQ of:
133 – Stanford-Binet scale (stdev 16)
| IQ-Range | IQ-Classification |
|---|---|
| 140+ | Very gifted or highly advanced |
| 130 – 140 | Gifted or very advanced |
| 120 – 129 | Superior |
| 110 – 119 | High Average |
| 90 – 109 | Average |
| 80 – 89 | Low Average |
| 70 – 79 | Borderline impaired or delayed |
| 55 – 69 | Mildly impaired or delayed |
| 40 – 54 | Moderately impaired or delayed |
150 – Cattell scale (stdev 24)
| Standard-Scores | Classification |
|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very Superior |
| 120 – 129 | Superior |
| 110 – 119 | High Average |
| 90 – 109 | Average |
| 80 – 89 | Low Average |
| 70 – 79 | Below Average |
| 69 and below | Well Below Average |
131 – Wechsler scale (stdev 15)
| IQ-Range | IQ-Classification |
|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very Superior |
| 120 – 129 | Superior |
| 110 – 119 | High Average |
| 90 – 109 | Average |
| 80 – 89 | Low Average |
| 70 – 79 | Borderline |
| 69 and below | Extremely Low |
Traits Conclusion
Eric is a clearly contoured individual who consistently exhibits a homogeneous behavior across various situations, driven by a total challenge mindset. He thrives in competitive environments, motivating others and achieving goals, while maintaining security and stability. His strong inner motivation influences people and circumstances, with a resilience that ensures his effectiveness under pressure. His intuitive, creative, and holistic approach to work emphasizes innovation and integration, complemented by a logical and analytical mindset for problem-solving. Eric’s ability to express ideas and teach, alongside his organizational skills, positions him as a thinking, organized creator and commercial entrepreneurial communicator who persuades doers. Gifted according to Stanford-Binet, highly intelligent per Cattell, and very superior per Wechsler, Eric is open to experience, conscientious, agreeable, and relaxed under stress. He achieves targets through determination and analytical focus, often perceived as pragmatic and objective. His top personality talents include implementation, creation, and analysis, with a work environment preference for detail orientation, risk appetite, and factual orientation. Autonomous and influential, Eric enjoys advanced working conditions, balances work-life effectively, seeks prestigious and financial rewards, values security, and consistently delivers performance while favoring self-development and occasionally underestimating work relationships.
