How to Make Your Own IQ Test

You can create an IQ test for a field that you know well.

Examining IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a formal and classic method of assessing intellectual aptitude. Although intelligence is relative and subjective, earning a high IQ score can result in feelings of pride and confidence. You can create your own IQ examination in order to test a type of knowledge that you specify. IQ tests were first developed in France for children, yet your custom test can be tailored for any age group.

Instructions

1. Decide what type of knowledge you would like your test to assess. Tests of IQ, or "intelligence quotient," were originally created by French psychologist Alfred Binet to measure the intellect of children. Because intelligence is subjective, your own IQ test can assess any type of smarts you like, from mathematics to art history.

2. Research formal texts and other sources for possible test questions exhaustively. Your test should exhibit a range of knowledge, from concepts that everyone will grasp to ideas that are rarely encountered or highly advanced. Search for the most comprehensive textbooks you can find on a given subject, and study it closely as source material for questions.

3. Develop your exam. Again, you should aim for a diverse selection of questions. Word problems, photo identification, and analogies could all factor in as question types, as could multiple choice questions. There should be an even balance of difficult and simple questions. Keep track of the correct answers for your questions as you include them in the exam.

4. Determine the score range for your specific IQ test. Most standard IQ tests measure scores in terms of percentiles; 50 percent of test takers rank as Average, and 2.2 percent score as either Very Superior or Extremely Low. For your own exam, you can alter these figures to account for the type of knowledge it assesses specifically.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick a subject in which you consider yourself to be an expert as the theme of your own IQ test. Since you will be the one who chooses and organizes the exam, you should have confidence that the questions you choose are accurate and relevant.

References

• Audiblox: IQ Test: Where Does It Come From and What Does It Measure?
• American Psychological Foundation; Intelligent intelligence testing; Etienne Benson; February 2003
• Indiana University; Human Intelligence: Alfred Binet; 2007
• Edublox: IQ Test Scores: The Basics of IQ Score Interpretation