If I practice like mad by doing tests could I get my IQ score any higher?

Question

My IQ has been measured as 140 - 8 points away from getting into MENSA. I quite like the idea of joining this society (more to impress people than anything else!) so would practice help?

Answer 1

I'm a member of Mensa, and I'll basically reiterate what others said.

I remember an old discussion at a local Mensa chapter some years ago about how to handle borderline cases, i.e. cases where applicants missed the IQ cut-off by just a couple points. We were told that Mensa "policy" was to encourage people to retest repeatedly, and Mensa would even supply study materials to help them prepare for the test. As I remember, the speaker estimated that a person could gain 10-15 points on the score by studying for it and practicing. As others here said, the gain would come from increased familiarity with the reasoning behind the questions, not from an actual increase in IQ. But that was fine with Mensa. They wanted to give each and every applicant the best possible environment and opportunity for scoring at their very best.

[Added later:]

By the way, you probably know this, but you don't necessarily have to pass an IQ test. You just have to score in the 98th percentile or above on any standardized test. You can, for instance, submit past scores from old SATs or GREs or whatever.

Here is a link to an FAQ section on test scores:

http://www.us.mensa.org/Content/AML/NavigationMenu/Join/SubmitTestScores/TestScoresFAQ/TestScoresFAQ.htm

And here is a link to qualifying scores for various tests:

http://www.us.mensa.org/Content/AML/NavigationMenu/Join/SubmitTestScores/QualifyingTestScores/QualifyingScores.htm

Answer 2

In an ideal world, an IQ test would be a perfect measurement of your intelligence and you would always get the same score. But the reality is that it's not perfect - it's just a test. And as such, if you can figure out what kind of questions you missed, you might well be able to work hard on mastering that particular skill set.

I'm a Mensa member, and I remember that when I took the tests (they give you two of them) ages ago, they had a space at the end where you could add comments about the exam. I told them that, ideally, any IQ test should measure native IQ, and thus education (or lack of same) shouldn't influence the test. Someone living in a cave should get the same score as someone with a PhD. But it doesn't work that way.

The tests require skill sets that (in my opinion) favor the educated. Since I'm a college grad, that didn't affect me adversely, but I can imagine someone with significantly less education doing poorly on the tests despite a high IQ.

For instance, even though it is logic-based, someone who didn't know how many sides there were on an octagon would have little hope of answering this Mensa question: "If a circle is one, how many is an octagon?"

Try to figure out which parts of the test gave you the most trouble (e.g. symbolic comparisons, math, if/then scenarios, logic problems) and then work on those areas. I don't think a person could improve their score by a lot, but I suspect that an 8-point improvement is certainly possible.

You can find a sample Mensa test at http://www.mensa.org/workout2.php

And there are quite a lot of IQ tests available online and at the library. Take them for practice, and try to figure out what type of questions you are missing most often, then work on improving the skill sets needed for that type of question.

Answer 3

Whilst an IQ test is supposedly a measure of basic intelligence, therefore not something that can be revised for, if you practice with the same types of question you will 'tune in' a little and become more aware of little tricks that help you spot the answers.

I wouldn't bother with mensa if you're just trying to impress people, if I remember correctly it costs to join.

Answer 4

IQ tests are strange things, yet predictable. Each organisation has its own pattern of questions that one can become familiar with. As in school, we are shown a new problem and given tools to solve it. Many of the questions are simple tests of arithmetic or mathematic skill, which can easily be honed by practice. Other questions are testing grammatical skill, and again, practice helps. Pattern recognition questions vary, and practise allows u to recognise said patterns. Intelligence is about solving problems successfully, and preparation, research and revision are the tools of intelligent thinking.
Good luck, although i think mensa sucks. Who cares how high an IQ is? Do u love ure family more? Are u going to live longer? Is ure life going to bemore fulfilling? Nope? Then go be superior.

Answer 5

practicing tests wont help. you could study and learn things then you would do well on the tests. If you just learn how to answer the questions for the IQ test you may get a high IQ score bc u know the test but you still might be dumb

Answer 6

The simple answer to your question is yes. If you keep practising then you get used to the style of questions and start to think a bit more logically about certain types of puzzle. A true IQ test shouldn't test factual knowledge though so swotting in encyclopaedias isn't necessary

Answer 7

Don't do the MENSA thing, it doesn't really impress the people you will need to impress. By all means improve your mind, education is a great thing. Learn all you can, and you probably will increase your IQ, but do it for yourself. Broaden your mind, and increase your potential earning power!

Answer 8

Yes you can. If you practice doing the kinds of questions that you get in IQ tests they get easier.

Answer 9

Not really.

IQ is based on things like how aware you are of patterns, calculations and referencial complexes.

If you want a better score you would just have to have a good day. Eat bananas on the day of the test, get the potassium floating around that noggin o' yours.

Answer 10

To inprove IQ take up swimming. Start in Baltimore and keep going til you reach Ireland. EVRYONE'S IQ is higher in Ireland