IQ Test


The test for determining a person’s intelligence quotient is considered a widely accepted and most objective method for analyzing and comparing an individual’s mental potential. In literature and online, you can find many variations with different tasks, varying in information presentation, number of questions, and complexity, but they all share the same goal: to assess a person’s ability to identify patterns and solve unfamiliar tasks not encountered in daily practice.

The most objective method for comparing results among individuals is a specially designed IQ test that does not require reading, arithmetic, or language skills. All essential information is presented through schematic images, often containing geometric shapes, and the individual’s task is to identify the pattern in their arrangement and add the missing element.

How to Take an Intelligence Test

This version of IQ analysis tasks is presented as a grid of nine elements (three horizontally and three vertically), one of which is intentionally left blank. This level of difficulty is more suited for mature adults, while a simplified test with only three cells is offered for children, though this does not preclude children from taking this test.

To accurately determine the pattern of element distribution in the grid, one must consider the placement characteristics of both horizontal and vertical lines. A comprehensive analysis of the workspace reveals specific placement rules in this example, allowing the correct filling of the missing cell.

The correct answer must be chosen from six provided options, and for some, the answer options themselves may serve as an additional hint toward the correct solution.

Completing this online IQ analysis requires answering 30 questions without a strict time limit, though an optimal duration of about 10-15 minutes for all tasks is considered standard. Immediately upon test completion, the screen displays the score, which is used to judge a person’s intellectual potential and compare it with other candidates.

How Points Are Awarded

To ensure intelligence quotient metrics have a solid basis for comparing individuals of varying developmental levels, the point system is based on real student performance. The average score was set at 50% of all students graduating from American universities—in other words, the majority. It was also determined that the remaining scores were roughly split evenly, with one portion falling below the “average” and the other surpassing it.

Through simple mathematical calculations, each task, accounting for its complexity, allows most people engaged in study or work (i.e., regular brain activity) to achieve an average score. Each test has its own scoring algorithm, but they are balanced so that accuracy deviation is no more than one point, enabling a comprehensive comparison of multiple individuals’ potential.

What is a Normal IQ Score?

As described above, the standard was set at the score achieved by the majority of American university students and graduates, assigned a value of 100 points, with scores from 90 to 110 (a range of 10 points) considered equivalent.

Only a quarter of IQ test-takers fail to reach the coveted 90 points, a score considered low. This indicates difficulty in noticing patterns or requiring significant time to identify them.

Conversely, 25% of test-takers achieve scores above 110, representing attentive individuals with developed thinking, capable of rapid and intensive analysis. Many aspire to this group, but not all succeed. Such a score may be innate but can also be acquired through thinking training.

What scores have been achieved by individuals with developed thinking?

  • In large companies’ practices, individuals scoring 121–130 points are considered excellent candidates for mid- and senior-level leadership roles, capable of overseeing processes and identifying issues early.
  • A score of 140 points is considered the mark of a genius.
  • Renowned physicists S. Hawking and A. Einstein had a score of 160 points.