C H A P T E R 1
An IQ (intelligence quotient) test is a standardized test designed to measure human intelligence as distinct from attainments. Intelligence quotient is an age-related measure of intelligence level. The word ‘quotient’ means the result of dividing one quantity by another, and one definition of intelligence is ‘mental ability or quickness of mind’.
Usually, adult IQ tests consist of a graded series of tasks, each of which has been standardized with a large representative population of individuals in order to establish an average IQ of 100 for each test.
There are many different types of IQ tests. However, a typical test might consist of three sections, each testing a different ability, usually verbal reasoning, numerical ability and diagrammatic, or spatial, reasoning. In order to give you the opportunity to practise on all types of questions that you are likely to encounter in actual IQ tests, the two IQ tests that have been specially compiled for this book are multidisciplinary and include a mix of verbal, numerical and diagrammatic questions, as well as additional questions involving logical thought processes and a degree of lateral thinking.
Although it is generally accepted that a person’s IQ remains constant throughout life and, therefore, it is not possible to increase your actual IQ, it is possible to improve your performance on IQ tests by practising the many different types of question, and learning to recognize the recurring themes.
As the two IQ tests contained in this book have been newly compiled, they are not therefore standardized, so an actual IQ assessment cannot be given. However, a guide to assessing your performance for each test is provided...