Where can I get an IQ test? I am an adult and was never tested as a child. Searching google has only given me online tests. I want a professionally done test.
I considered myself intelligent, but some of the sequences/posts on this site are quite challenging for me. It has made me curious on exactly how intelligent I am. I don’t want to be too over or under confident when it comes to intelligence. I try to learn new things and that helps me find the limits of my intelligence, but I figure my IQ will also be interesting to know as well.
Per saturn’s comment, online tests can be pretty accurate, especially the ones which are imitating (copying) the matrix-style tests; I keep a list as part of the DNB FAQ.
Note the many caveats. In particular, you cannot take multiple tests! Obviously for most of them you can’t take it twice because the questions don’t change, but less obviously, they’re all similar enough that if you take one, you can expect your score on the second to be noticeably increased just from familiarity/experience. (This is why I suggest that people doing dual n-back do before/after IQ tests with a minimum of months in between, and preferably years.)
Someone once said: if you do lots of IQ tests, you’ll eventually get better at them; does this mean you have become more intelligent? If it doesn’t, then IQ tests are not a good measure of intelligence; if it does, we all should do lots of IQ tests so that we’ll become smarter. :-)
If you mean that seriously, you’re simply wrong; if it’s meant to be humorous, meh. I won’t downvote per my usual practice for replies, but I could understand why the others did.
Note however that IQ is not a property of individuals measurable on an individual basis like, say, height or weight is. Its utility lies in its statistical power to predict the average performance of large groups of people. When it comes to testing a specific individual, except perhaps for the greatest extremes (like diagnosing mental retardation), the fact that you achieved a certain score gives only probabilistic information about you.
Moreover, for individuals scoring in high percentiles, to which you probably belong if you find the stuff written on this blog interesting, there are strong diminishing returns to high scores even statistically. It’s like e.g. wondering about your height with regards to your basketball prospects: your potentials are indeed likely to be much greater if you’re, say, 6′2“ rather than 5′10”, but if you already know that you’re more than a few inches above average, the difference between, say, 6′9“ and 6′5” won’t matter anywhere as much.
Moreover, for individuals scoring in high percentiles, to which you probably belong if you find the stuff written on this blog interesting, there are strong diminishing returns to high scores even statistically.
This doesn’t seem to be so up to at least the 1 in 10,000 level. However, I agree that the predictive power of theses tests is still small relative to the remaining sources of variation (although it is one which we are relatively good at measuring) and they shouldn’t be over-weighted.
Strictly speaking, the weight of an individual can fluctuate even in the course of a day, due to the consumption or excretion of fluids. It can fluctuate more permanently when you lose or gain body mass in the form of fat or muscle.
I’m under the impression that, in contrast, measured I.Q. of an individual is supposed to stay more or less within the same approximate range throughout the course of that individual’s life (with obvious caveats for brain damage, senility, and as you say, exceptional individuals at the extremes of the distributions).
From what I know, there are high correlations between an individual’s IQ test scores at different times, especially in the short run. Depending on the study, it ends up being something like 0.95 in the short run and 0.7-0.9 between different ages (I’m just quoting rough ballpark figures from memory—they of course differ between studies and age spans). Some impressively high correlations were found even in a study that compared test scores of a group of individuals at 11 and 77 years of age.
On the other hand, people can be coached to significantly improve their IQ test scores. At least so says Rushton, of all people.
Then of course, as with all issues where you might want to make some sense of what IQ scores exactly imply, the Flynn effect throws a wrench into any attempt to come up with a neat, plausible, and coherent theory.
But even regardless of all this, one should still not forget that the connection between IQ and any realistic measure of success is itself just probabilistic. This is especially true for high-scoring individuals: instead of worrying whether one’s score is 120, 130, 140, or whatever, one would be better advised to worry about whether one is deficient in other factors important for success and accomplishment in life.
On the other hand, people can be coached to significantly improve their IQ test scores. At least so says Rushton, of all people.
I’d point out that this should be extremely obvious a point, given how some subtests are Gc-loaded. You can ‘improve’ your IQ by studying some vocab, quite aside from the usual practice effects.
(And one of the standing questions about dual n-back is whether it doesn’t (partially) amount to training for matrix-style Gf IQ tests.)
Why would that be true? Isn’t it relative difference in height that matters for basketball? I would have thought that 6′9″ would be great news, all other things being equal.
Private psychologists will probably perform them, but there is also the convenient option of finding out when your local branch of Mensa is having its next round of testing. One of the cheaper options, plus access to Mensa services such as the Travel special interest group (staying for free with interesting people around the world) if you’re above the requisite percentile.
Some private psychologists will do them. If there’s a research university near you, you might be able to get one for free by participating in a study.
However, I discourage you from doing this. The usefulness of knowing your own IQ is already limited at best, and the extra accuracy compared to a good online test isn’t worth the amount of time you’ll need to spend on it.
I grew up with a very weird opinion about my place in the world as a result of a kindergarten IQ test (they never told me a number, but I knew it was good, because, for example, I got to the point where I had to ask the proctor what it means when someone writes a fraction—of course I didn’t know it was called that).
Everything I’ve done since then has been a let down :) You’re better off not knowing. Just use whatever you’ve got. There are many high-IQ-tested people who have crazy views and behavior, and are unsuccessful and unhappy (I don’t deny that there exists some meaningful single general intelligence number, but what does knowing it give you?)
Besides, such tests can definitely be studied for as a skill, as much as any game (waste of time warning: Cambridge Brain Sciences games). So caring about the result just means you’re going to effectively waste time practicing.
Where can I get an IQ test? I am an adult and was never tested as a child. Searching google has only given me online tests. I want a professionally done test.
I considered myself intelligent, but some of the sequences/posts on this site are quite challenging for me. It has made me curious on exactly how intelligent I am. I don’t want to be too over or under confident when it comes to intelligence. I try to learn new things and that helps me find the limits of my intelligence, but I figure my IQ will also be interesting to know as well.
Thanks.
Per saturn’s comment, online tests can be pretty accurate, especially the ones which are imitating (copying) the matrix-style tests; I keep a list as part of the DNB FAQ.
Note the many caveats. In particular, you cannot take multiple tests! Obviously for most of them you can’t take it twice because the questions don’t change, but less obviously, they’re all similar enough that if you take one, you can expect your score on the second to be noticeably increased just from familiarity/experience. (This is why I suggest that people doing dual n-back do before/after IQ tests with a minimum of months in between, and preferably years.)
Someone once said: if you do lots of IQ tests, you’ll eventually get better at them; does this mean you have become more intelligent? If it doesn’t, then IQ tests are not a good measure of intelligence; if it does, we all should do lots of IQ tests so that we’ll become smarter. :-)
Even a metric that can be gamed is possibly useful when not being gamed.
If you mean that seriously, you’re simply wrong; if it’s meant to be humorous, meh. I won’t downvote per my usual practice for replies, but I could understand why the others did.
I didn’t say I agree with that person… (I think IQ tests are a good measure of intelligence provided you haven’t taken similar tests for a while.)
Note however that IQ is not a property of individuals measurable on an individual basis like, say, height or weight is. Its utility lies in its statistical power to predict the average performance of large groups of people. When it comes to testing a specific individual, except perhaps for the greatest extremes (like diagnosing mental retardation), the fact that you achieved a certain score gives only probabilistic information about you.
Moreover, for individuals scoring in high percentiles, to which you probably belong if you find the stuff written on this blog interesting, there are strong diminishing returns to high scores even statistically. It’s like e.g. wondering about your height with regards to your basketball prospects: your potentials are indeed likely to be much greater if you’re, say, 6′2“ rather than 5′10”, but if you already know that you’re more than a few inches above average, the difference between, say, 6′9“ and 6′5” won’t matter anywhere as much.
This doesn’t seem to be so up to at least the 1 in 10,000 level. However, I agree that the predictive power of theses tests is still small relative to the remaining sources of variation (although it is one which we are relatively good at measuring) and they shouldn’t be over-weighted.
Thanks for the link, I wasn’t familiar with these results.
Strictly speaking, the weight of an individual can fluctuate even in the course of a day, due to the consumption or excretion of fluids. It can fluctuate more permanently when you lose or gain body mass in the form of fat or muscle.
I’m under the impression that, in contrast, measured I.Q. of an individual is supposed to stay more or less within the same approximate range throughout the course of that individual’s life (with obvious caveats for brain damage, senility, and as you say, exceptional individuals at the extremes of the distributions).
From what I know, there are high correlations between an individual’s IQ test scores at different times, especially in the short run. Depending on the study, it ends up being something like 0.95 in the short run and 0.7-0.9 between different ages (I’m just quoting rough ballpark figures from memory—they of course differ between studies and age spans). Some impressively high correlations were found even in a study that compared test scores of a group of individuals at 11 and 77 years of age.
On the other hand, people can be coached to significantly improve their IQ test scores. At least so says Rushton, of all people.
Then of course, as with all issues where you might want to make some sense of what IQ scores exactly imply, the Flynn effect throws a wrench into any attempt to come up with a neat, plausible, and coherent theory.
But even regardless of all this, one should still not forget that the connection between IQ and any realistic measure of success is itself just probabilistic. This is especially true for high-scoring individuals: instead of worrying whether one’s score is 120, 130, 140, or whatever, one would be better advised to worry about whether one is deficient in other factors important for success and accomplishment in life.
I’d point out that this should be extremely obvious a point, given how some subtests are Gc-loaded. You can ‘improve’ your IQ by studying some vocab, quite aside from the usual practice effects.
(And one of the standing questions about dual n-back is whether it doesn’t (partially) amount to training for matrix-style Gf IQ tests.)
Why would that be true? Isn’t it relative difference in height that matters for basketball? I would have thought that 6′9″ would be great news, all other things being equal.
Mensa runs IQ tests frequently, worldwide, for a small fee. That’s the best choice (and the only thing they’re useful for).
Private psychologists will probably perform them, but there is also the convenient option of finding out when your local branch of Mensa is having its next round of testing. One of the cheaper options, plus access to Mensa services such as the Travel special interest group (staying for free with interesting people around the world) if you’re above the requisite percentile.
I was under the impression that Mensa’s most recent test only provides pass/fail rather than an actual IQ score.
It gives you a percentile, which can be correlated.
There is a rough correlation between IQ and standardized test scores.
Some private psychologists will do them. If there’s a research university near you, you might be able to get one for free by participating in a study.
However, I discourage you from doing this. The usefulness of knowing your own IQ is already limited at best, and the extra accuracy compared to a good online test isn’t worth the amount of time you’ll need to spend on it.
I grew up with a very weird opinion about my place in the world as a result of a kindergarten IQ test (they never told me a number, but I knew it was good, because, for example, I got to the point where I had to ask the proctor what it means when someone writes a fraction—of course I didn’t know it was called that).
Everything I’ve done since then has been a let down :) You’re better off not knowing. Just use whatever you’ve got. There are many high-IQ-tested people who have crazy views and behavior, and are unsuccessful and unhappy (I don’t deny that there exists some meaningful single general intelligence number, but what does knowing it give you?)
Besides, such tests can definitely be studied for as a skill, as much as any game (waste of time warning: Cambridge Brain Sciences games). So caring about the result just means you’re going to effectively waste time practicing.