How to Tell How Smart You Are

An IQ test is standard measurement of a person's intelligence.

A common measurement of a person's intelligence is his IQ or Intelligence Quotient. IQ considers your mental age compared to your chronological age. Modern IQ tests reference the intelligence of peers as the average. "Deviations" from the average are assigned a percentile-ranking number. According to the website Psychological Testing, most IQ tests are designed to measure your "factual knowledge, short-term memory, abstract reasoning, visual-spatial abilities and common sense." While there is no universally agreed way of determining intelligence, taking an IQ test will help provide you with information on your mental abilities.

Things You'll Need

• IQ test

Instructions

1. Obtain an IQ or Intelligence Quotient test. You can take free tests online from websites like IQTest and Free-IQTest (see Resources).

2. Take the test. You are not allowed to use pencil, paper or a calculator. All aspects of the test must be performed mentally. This test is also timed to measure you mental agility.

3. Review your results. The higher your IQ number, the smarter the test considers you. According to the website Psychological Testing, the average person's IQ is 100. An individual with an IQ of 130 is considered to have superior intelligence or is "gifted."

Tips & Warnings

• Your IQ can change as you get older.

References

• Psychological Testing: Intelligence Testing
• IQTest: What is an IQ Score?

Resources

• IQTest: Home
• Free-IQTest: Home