The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests : 500 exercises to improve, upgrade and enhance your mind strength (3 page)

25

% of population

0

100

170

IQ score

Because beyond the age of 18 little or no improvement in a person’s

IQ rating is found, the method of calculating the IQ of a child is

different to the method used for an adult.

When measuring the IQ of a child, the subject will attempt an IQ

test which has been standardized with an average score recorded for

each age group. Thus, a child aged 10 years who scored the results

expected of a child of 12 would have an IQ of 120, calculated as

follows:

mental age (12)

 100 ¼ 120 IQ

chronological age (10)

However, adults have to be judged on an IQ test whose average

score is 100 and their results graded above and below this norm

according to known scores. A properly validated test would have to

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Introduction

be given to some 20,000 people and the results correlated before it

would reveal an accurate measurement of a person’s IQ.

Like most distributions found in nature, the distribution of IQ

takes the form of a fairly regular bell-curve (see diagram above). On

the Stanford^Binet scale, half the population fall between 90 and 110

IQ, half of them above 100 and half of them below; 25% score above

110; 11% above 120; 3% above 130 and 0.6% above 140. At the other

end of the scale the same kind of proportion occurs.

The earliest known attempts to rank people in terms of intelligence

date back to the Chinese Mandarin system, circa 500 B.C., when studying

the works of Confucius enabled successful candidates to enter the public

service. The top 1% of candidates were successful in progressing to the

next stage, where they would again be run off against each other, and

the procedure repeated yet again through a final layer of selection.

Thus, the chosen candidates were in the top 1% of the top 1% of the

top 1%.

The first attempt to measure scientifically the difference between

the mental abilities of individuals was made by Sir Francis Galton in

the nineteenth century, when he tried to show that the human mind

could be systematically mapped into different dimensions.

The first modern intelligence test was devised in 1905 by the

French psychologists Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon after they

were commissioned by the French government to construct tests that

would ensure no child be denied admittance to the Paris school system

without formal examination. The pair developed a 30-item test, which

included a wide range of different types of problems.

In 1916, the American psychologist Lewis Terman revised the

Binet^Simon scale to provide comparison standards for Americans

from age 3 to adulthood and the concept of the ratio of the mental age

to chronological age, multiplied by 100, was added. Terman devised the

term ‘intelligence quotient’ and developed the Stanford^Binet intelligence

test to measure IQ after joining the faculty of Stanford University as

professor of education. The Stanford^Binet test was further revised in

1937 and 1960 and remains today one of the most widely used of all

intelligence tests.

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

In the mid-nineteenth century psychologists used information-

loaded tests to assess the intelligence of their clients. Later, psychologists introduced the concept of mental speed when assessing performance.

Around 1930, Furneaux demonstrated that a relationship did exist

between power, meaning the absolute difficulty of a problem, and

speed, meaning the time a person required to solve it. By increasing

the difficulty by 30%, you double the time required to solve it, but a

60% increase will lengthen the time five-fold.

The first IQ testing on a mass scale was carried out by the US

army during the First World War. Personality tests or character tests

soon followed, but in the 1920s and 1930s studies began to define

more closely the general concept of intelligence. What emerged was

recognition of fluid and crystallised intelligence. Fluid intelligence was

measured by references to spatial items, such as diagrams, drawings or

pegs, and crystallised intelligence was measured through language and

number.

There are many different types of intelligence tests; however, a

typical IQ test might consist of three sections, each testing a different

ability, usually comprising verbal reasoning, numerical ability and

diagrammatic, or spatial, reasoning. In order to assess your overall

general ability, the questions in the test that follows are multi-discipline and include a mix of verbal, numerical and diagrammatic questions,

as well as additional questions involving logical thought processes

together with a degree of lateral thinking.

While it is accepted that IQ is hereditary and remains constant

throughout life and, therefore, it is not possible to improve your

actual IQ, one weakness of this type of testing is that it is possible

to improve your performance on IQ tests by practising the many

different types of question, and learning to recognise the recurring

themes.

In subsequent chapters of this book, readers will have ample

opportunity to test themselves in different areas of brain activity and

to identify their strengths and weakness in specific areas of intelligence.

It must be emphasised that a person who is good at IQ tests is not

necessarily capable of excelling at academic tests, regardless of how

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Introduction

logical and quick-witted he=she is. Often motivation and dedication

are more important than a high measured IQ rating. To score highly

on an academic test requires the ability to concentrate on a single

subject, obtain an understanding of it, and revise solidly in order to

memorise facts prior to an examination. Often it is difficult for

someone with a high IQ to do this because of an overactive and

enquiring mind, which cannot direct itself on one subject for very

long and forever wishes to diversify. Such a person would have to

apply a high level of self-discipline in order to succeed at academic

tests but, if able to apply this self-discipline, would be likely to obtain a high pass mark.

Because the test that follows has been newly compiled for this

book, it has not been standardised, so an actual IQ assessment cannot

be given. Nevertheless, a guide to assessing your performance is

provided in the Answers section.

A time limit of 90 minutes is allowed for completing all 40

questions. The correct answers are given at the end of the test, and

you should award yourself one point for each completely correct

answer. You should not exceed the time limit, otherwise your score

will be invalidated.

Where preferred, the use of a calculator is permitted on numerical

questions, except where indicated.

Test 1.1

IQ test

1 The white dot moves two places anti-clockwise at each stage and

the black dot moves one place clockwise at each stage. After how

many stages will they be together in the same corner?

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

2

72496

is to 1315

and

62134

is to 97

and

85316

is to 167

therefore

28439

is to ?

3 Put the following words into alphabetical order:

arthropod, artificer, arteriole, artichoke, arthritis, articular,

artillery, arthritic

4 Which two words are most opposite in meaning?

imaginary, realistic, illegible, impracticable, radical, embellished

5 What numbers should replace the question marks?

2

6

3

7

?

6

3

6

3

?

3

6

3

6

?

5

2

6

3

?

6 Which group of letters is the odd one out?

CEFH

LNOQ

UWXZ

HJKN

PRSU

DFGI

7 Identify two words (one from each set of brackets) that form a

connection (analogy) when paired with the words in capitals.

RESTRAIN (suppress, deny, conceal)

WITHHOLD (curb, reserve, conceal)

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Introduction

8

?

Which figure should replace the question mark?

A

B

C

D

9 Spell out a 12-letter word by moving from letter to adjacent

letter, horizontally and vertically (but not diagonally). You must

find the starting point and provide the missing letters.

C

A

I

C

L

O

D

N

E

E

10 What numbers should replace the question marks?

100, 95, ?, 79, 68, ?, 40, 23

11 Associate is to colleague as accomplice is to:

consort, friend, accessory, comrade, follower

12 Which is the odd one out?

famous, illustrious, acclaimed, fabulous, noteworthy

13 What number should replace the question mark?

7

5

13

9

3

6

4

2

6

19

?

11

2

1

5

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

14 Which is the odd one out?

A

B

C

D

E

15 GAINED VOTE is an anagram of which two words that are

similar in meaning?

16 What number should replace the question mark?

49

615

62

85

177

29

53

?

74

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Introduction

17 Which word in brackets is most opposite in meaning to the word

in capitals?

MITIGATE (augment, palliate, appreciate, trust, destroy)

18

Which shape below is identical to the shape above?

A

B

C

D

E

19 Which two words are closest in meaning?

educated, clear, literal, enervated, wordy, verbatim

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

20 What number should replace the question mark?

19

9

17

23

12

25

13

?

31

21

is to

as

is to

A

B

C

D

E

F

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Introduction

22 What letter is three to the right of the letter immediately to the

left of the letter which is four to the left of the letter G?

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

23 Which word in brackets is closest in meaning to the word in

capitals?

HABITUATED (constant, accustomed, colonized,

commonplace, energetic)

24

Which is the missing tile?

A

B

C

D

E

F

25 When full, a barrel of water contains 85 litres. How many litres

remain after 40% has been used? (the use of a calculator is not

permitted in this question).

26 DECISIVE LARK is an anagram of which two words that are

opposite in meaning?

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

27

is to

as

is to

A

B

C

D

E

28 What number should replace the question mark?

0, 19, 38, 57, ?, 95

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Introduction

29

What comes next?

A

B

C

D

E

F

30 What number should replace the question mark?

2

?

7

7

8

5

1

9

1

4

6

1

5

4

9

2

3

3

7

8

7

6

2

4

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The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests

31 Switch A turns lights 1 and 2 on=off or off=on.

Switch B turns lights 2 and 4 on=off or off=on.

Switch C turns lights 1 and 3 on=off or off=on.

ON

OFF

Switches A, C and B are thrown in turn, with the result that

Figure 1 turns into Figure 2. Which of the switches A, B or C

must, therefore, be faulty?

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

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Introduction

32 Which is the odd one out?

B

A

C