- Is this a real IQ test?
- No. A real IQ test (WAIS-IV, Stanford-Binet) is given by a licensed psychologist, takes a few hours, and uses standardized test materials with norms recalculated every decade or so. This is a 20-question quiz that mimics the kinds of items you'd see on one, mapped to the same bell curve (mean 100, SD 15) so the number feels familiar. The estimate is fine for fun. Don't put it on a résumé.
- How is my IQ estimate calculated?
- Each correct answer is worth three points: estimated IQ = 70 + 3 × (correct out of 20). That gives anchor points of 70 for zero correct, 100 for ten correct, and 130 for a perfect score — matching the standard IQ curve where most people score between 85 and 115. The percentile comes from the normal cumulative distribution function with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, the standard parameters for modern IQ tests.
- Why only 20 questions? Real tests have hundreds.
- Real tests need many items because they measure several specific abilities (verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed) and need internal consistency to be statistically reliable. A 20-question quiz can only give a rough signal — it can't reliably separate, say, an IQ of 108 from an IQ of 112. We picked 20 because it's enough to give an interesting estimate without turning the quiz into a chore.
- What's a "good" IQ score?
- IQ is designed so that 100 is exactly average — half the population scores above, half below. About 68% of people score between 85 and 115. About 95% score between 70 and 130. There's no "good" or "bad" number; the score just tells you where you sit on a curve. Most jobs, hobbies, and relationships don't care what's on the curve.
- Does IQ actually measure intelligence?
- Partially. IQ tests measure a cluster of abilities — abstract reasoning, vocabulary, spatial visualization, working memory — that correlate with each other and with some real-world outcomes (academic performance, certain job categories). They don't measure creativity, emotional intelligence, practical wisdom, social skill, persistence, or curiosity — all of which matter at least as much in real life. The number is one signal among many.
- Can I improve my IQ score?
- You can improve your score on a specific test by practicing similar items — that's why "brain training" apps exist. Whether that reflects a real change in underlying ability is debated. The classic finding is that practice effects show up on the exact tasks you trained on, but transfer poorly to other tasks. The most reliable way to score higher on items like the ones in this quiz: read widely (vocabulary), do puzzles (pattern recognition), and get a good night's sleep before the test.
- Is my quiz data saved or sent anywhere?
- No. Everything runs in your browser. The questions, your answers, and the calculated score never leave the page. We don't have a database of who scored what; we couldn't email it to you even if you wanted us to.
- I scored low — should I be worried?
- Probably not. A 20-question quiz isn't accurate enough to draw conclusions from a single attempt. Maybe you were tired. Maybe a couple of the questions had ambiguous wording for you. Maybe the categories tested aren't your strong areas. If you're genuinely concerned about cognitive function, talk to a doctor — they can refer you for a real assessment with someone qualified to interpret it.
- I scored high — am I a genius?
- Same answer in reverse. A perfect score on a 20-question quiz means you got 20 questions right, which is great, but it doesn't put you in Mensa. Mensa accepts the top 2% of scorers on full-length, supervised tests (typically IQ 132+ on WAIS-IV or 130+ on Cattell). If you want a number you can actually use, the Mensa supervised test is the standard path.
