In this post you will learn about:
Things you should know about IQ tests
Pros and cons of IQ tests?
How reliable are IQ tests to measure your intelligence?
Are online IQ tests reliable? Are they worth the try?
What IQ test choose?
What's the WAIS-IV Test?
Pre-test tips
How to interpret your results and what is the difference between the IQ index and the GAI Index?
How has the IQ Test changed me?
Things you should know about IQ tests:
IQ doesn’t mean everything (Don’t think that having a high or low IQ is going to determine everything in your life, you still have to put a lot of hard work into what you do)
IQ is only telling you that you may find things easier to do or to understand than others
Success is not directly linked to IQ: IQ will merely tell you if you'll have to put more time into something than others
IQ is interesting because it tells you where your strengths lie and where your weaknesses are.
The IQ test usually does not take longer than 2 hours, but you have meetings with your psychologist before and after the test:
1 meeting before, to understand the motivation of doing an IQ test and to understand more about your personality and your situation.
1 meeting after, to announce your final results and to give you the advice to help you improve your weaknesses.
IQ doesn’t take into account your creativity and your emotional intelligence
What are the pros and cons of IQ tests?
PROS :
Indicated where your strengths and weaknesses are
It can help you to decide your future career path
It can help you to discover if you have disabilities
Depending on your results, your psychologist can give you advice on areas of improvement
The results if are positive can definitively build your confidence and help you to believe in yourself
It can be fun to do
You'll learn more about yourself
CONS:
It takes a lot of time to book an appointment with a psychologist and to actually do the test
You may be afraid of the results
It is expensive: 250€ ($200) on average
It can damage your confidence and self-image if you put too much pressure on yourself
It can be stressful and scary to do
How reliable IQ tests are to measure your intelligence?
The reliability of your IQ test is something that will always be questioned, because the meaning of intelligence is still debatable. It includes too many things like personality traits, way of thinking, natural ability, and lots of types of intelligence such as linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, musical skills…
Therefore, we can’t determine someone’s intelligence based on an IQ test because too many factors are combined.
However, an IQ test will still be very useful because it helps you to find your natural ability and where your strengths are. But you will also find why people with high IQ tend to understand things more easily and quicker. Or on the contrary, why do you need more time to acknowledge what you just learned.
Having a high IQ or a lower IQ are both fine, it is the way you will approach your natural ability to achieve even higher that matters. You can have a low IQ and excellent learning habits and be more successful than a high IQ person who doesn't make any effort.
Are online IQ tests reliable? Are they worth the try?
Having done both, I can tell you that ONLINE IQ tests are a WASTE OF TIME.
Let me explain WHY.
Not accurate. I have done several online IQ tests and my results don’t match the result that I got from a professional psychologist.
Doing it is risky because it exposes you to ‘fake’ results. Fake good or bad results are obviously not worth it, because they can damage self-esteem.
What test should I take?
A lot of different IQ tests exist such as:
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
Universal Nonverbal Intelligence
Differential Ability Scales
Peabody Individual Achievement Test
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
I did the Wechsler Adult intelligent scale or WAIS-IV (4th edition) which is one of the most accurate IQ Tests because it has been developed to address the weaknesses of the Standard Binet IQ test. Furthermore, the WAIS-IV IQ test is often reviewed and tested to update over the years:
WAIS (1955)
WAIS-R (1981)
WAIS-III (1997)
WAIS-IV (2008)
What is the WAIS-IV Test?
The WAIS-IV distinguishes 4 dimensions of intelligence presented in the form of 4 indices:
The Verbal Comprehension Index (Similarities, Vocabulary, Information) reflects a person’s verbal performance, regardless of the ability of attention, concentration, or speed of completion of a given task. The subtests (= tests) of this index measure knowledge acquired in the environment, the formation of verbal concepts, verbal reasoning, and verbal expression.
The Perceptive Reasoning Index (Cubes, Matrices, Visual Puzzles) consists of tests involving reasoning, visual, or motor problem-solving skills.
The Working Memory Index (Memory of Numbers, Arithmetic) focuses on a person’s performance in areas that mobilize strong concentration and attention skills. The proofs of this index also appeal to the mental solving abilities of memory problems.
The Processing Speed Index (Symbols, Code) reflects the ability to initiate, organize effective action strategies, and the ability to quickly accomplish a given task. It also evaluates perceptive speed. At stake here are visual scanning and visual discrimination, short-term working memory, visuomotor coordination, and concentration.
Tips time!
If you are deciding to do an IQ Test, make sure that you book your appointment with your professional psychologist in advance to do your IQ test.
But also ensure that you are doing the right IQ Test because depending on your age you are not going to have the same test as other people.
My last piece of advice is to be calm, relaxed and to get enough sleep, and the thing to avoid is to NOT stress!
Don’t be stressed because this state of mind will limit you and therefore, you won’t do your best.
And my last piece of advice is to NOT FAKE YOUR RESULTS by practising questions before passing the test because if you do it, WHAT IS THE POINT TO TAKE AN IQ TEST?
How to interpret your results and what is the difference between the IQ index and the GAI Index?
IQ score ranges
Above 130 = Very gifted 2.1% of the population
From 121 to 130 = Gifted 6.4% of the population
From 111 to 120 = Above average intelligence 15.7% of the population
From 90 to 110 = Average intelligence 51.6% of the population
From 80 to 89 = Below average intelligence 15.7% of the population
From 70 to 79 = Cognitively impaired 6.4% of the populationAfter passing the Test you will get 2 indexes to help you measure your intelligence:
The IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and the GAI (General Ability Index).
Furthermore, for each of your results, it will be compared to a calibration that matches your age. Thus, the IQ is very reliable because it takes into account other people's results to determine your results (it avoids inflated results).
For example, you got a good score on a section of the test, however, after comparing it to the score that other people of your age have (calibration) you will find your score very low probably because people from the same age as you did better.
So keep in mind that your results are compared to other people's results which explain why the IQ is a good tool to know where you stand among the others
The IQ or Intelligence Quotient:
These subtests are drawn from the following scales:Verbal Comprehension (Similarities, Vocabulary, Information, and Comprehension), Visual Spatial (Block Design), and Fluid Reasoning. The GAI does not include Working Memory or Processing Speed subtests.
The GAI or General Ability Index:
The General Ability Index (GAI) provides an estimate of intellectual functioning that is less influenced by working memory and processing speed than a Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ).
Working Memory: Demonstrating attention, concentration, holding information in mind and being able to work with information held in mind; this includes one visual and one auditory subtest.
See more on https://sport-net.org/what-gai-score-is-gifted/
How has the IQ Test changed me?
Depending on your results and your expectations, your feelings will be different from mine. Personally speaking, I have been pleasantly surprised by my IQ results ( I will not say my results 😉) which is something that definitely helped me to build my confidence.
Believe me, knowing that I had a high IQ not only helped me to have faith in myself but also changed my way of thinking. Indeed, now that I know I have a high IQ, I approach things differently and try more activities. Depending on your personality the IQ Test will be different degrees helpful.
Furthermore, the IQ Test tells you what are your strengths and weaknesses, which can be interesting to consider for your university path and job career.
However, if you have been disappointed by your results, don’t blame yourself: IQ is just a number. You'll find success only by working hard and believing in yourself, IQ doesn't really matter.
Any thoughts about IQ tests? Comment them below!
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