How to Calculate IQ?

In-Dept Beginner Guide About Popular IQ Tests & Scales

Anyone would want to know if their child is a genius or if their child’s reasoning and cognitive skills are impeccable. Therefore, being able to measure their intelligence and mental ability is very important for most parents.

And it’s not only children’s IQ test scores that we wonder about. Adult intelligence is just as important when it comes to measuring your cognitive and mental ability.

We have the best IQ test for you and your children, but first, get ready to learn everything you need to know about IQ tests, the iq formula, how to measure iq, and some interesting facts!

What Does IQ Stand For?

IQ stands for intelligence quotient. It is a value that can be calculated with the formula of IQ = (intelligence age/actual age) x100.

What Is IQ?

IQ is a measure of an individual’s reasoning ability. In short, it is supposed to assess how well someone can utilize information and logic to answer questions or make predictions.

“What does an IQ test measure?” you ask? Intelligence quotient tests help evaluate IQ by measuring short- and long-term memory. They also measure how efficiently and quickly people can solve puzzles and recall information they’ve heard.

How to Test IQ?

So, what is an IQ test? An IQ test, which is also called an intelligence test among people, aims to express the intelligence potential of an individual numerically.

The unknown value in the formula of intelligence age/actual age x100 is the age of intelligence. The intelligence test determines this unknown value to complete the formula and sets a general IQ score regardless of age.

The purpose of these tests is to guide people to increase their IQ scores by shaping their education according to IQ (intelligence).

IQ Score Table

The measure of an IQ test scale may vary depending on the test. Below is a table of the IQ test score classification of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale:

Where to Take An IQ Test & Intelligence Test?

Although intelligence quotient tests can be conducted in a collective environment, it is recommended that they are conducted in designated places to be applied in private areas first. Where and how to take the test depends on the type of intelligence quotient test.

Some intelligence quotient tests are practical, some are completely on paper. For example, cards and cubes are frequently used in performance tests. Therefore, the intelligence quotient test depends on which mental field is being tested or the type of test that is being administered.

IQ tests should be taken under the supervision of a specialist in a clinic if possible. The testing environment where the IQ test is conducted is really important and it is necessary to remove any distracting materials.

Children who take IQ tests must be focused on the test without any distractions. For instance, children should not feel hungry or be in need of going to the bathroom during the test.

You can find out more about the most popular intelligence tests in the world in the rest of the article, but these tests may also have sub-tests. Some IQ tests may require to test different variables such as visual, analytical and auditory IQ tests, and so on.

Do IQ Tests Mean Intelligence Tests

There are various aspects of intelligence such as emotional and spiritual and IQ refers to our logical intelligence. Therefore, the term IQ will not be enough to reflect "the whole concept of intelligence".

We must remember that intelligence is a much broader concept than logical skills. For this reason, we would like to explain the terms of EQ and SQ in addition to IQ.

What Is EQ?

It means emotional intelligence. Individuals with high EQ use the right lobe of their brains better. They demonstrate very high verbal abilities. Also, our social relationships are directly proportional to EQ.

What Is SQ?

It means spiritual intelligence. It is described as the internal balance and spiritual intelligence of an individual. In fact, SQ can be considered as the sum of our IQ and EQ together. The development of SQ will also improve IQ and EQ in the same direction. SQ can be improved by solving verbal intelligence questions, which enables us to use both our imagination and verbal intelligence and activate the synapses in our brain.

The People Who Have the Highest IQ Scores in the World

American writer Marilyn vos Savant : 228

Korean Physicist Kim ung-yong : 210

British Physicist Isaac Newton : 190

French Writer Voltaire : 190

Russian World Chess Champion Kasparov : 190

Italian Scientist and Painter Leonardo da Vinci : 180

Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu : 180

German Musician Goethe : 179

German Theologist Martin Luther : 170

Italian Astronomer Galilei : 165

German Musician Beethoven : 165

German Physicist Albert Einstein : 160

British PhysicistStephen Hawking : 160

What Are the Most Popular IQ Tests

There are many different intelligence quotient tests available. We list the most popular ones for you below.

• Stanford-Binet (SB-V): The Stanford-Binet IQ test measures the ability of verbal reasoning, abstract/visual reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and working memory.
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV): The IQ test consists of two main categories. The verbal part includes several types of tests to measure verbal reasoning, vocabulary ability, auditory perception and long-term memory. On the other hand, the performance category in this intelligence test covers visual attention, visual perception, and 3D perception.
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) (ages 6 to16): It is similar to WAIS. The WISC includes questions for kids to understand easily.
• Leiter International Performance Scale: Evaluates nonverbal cognitive abilities which make intelligence tests an ideal format for children with speech and hearing disorders.
• Mensa IQ Test: Calculates IQ score according to 35 multiple-choice visual pattern questions.

Some of the tests are visual IQ tests or visual memory tests and some only measure kids or adult intelligence.

Cards and diagrams are the main tools for performance tests and children are expected to find the right answer from these cards or diagrams as quickly as possible. On the other hand, verbal intelligence tests measure linguistic ability. In reasoning ability tests, children are supposed to find the best solutions for the given cases.

In Which Cases Should An IQ Test Be Taken?

Intelligence tests are usually carried out for two different purposes, but can also be taken out of curiosity or for other reasons.

Case 1: An intelligence test is performed if the individual seems to be inadequate compared to his/her peers.

Case 2: An intelligence test is performed if the individual shows superior ability or superior intelligence potential compared to his/her peers.

If the IQ test is taken due to inadequacy, the following signs should be observed:

• Having problems such as incompetence on academic performance, the inadequacy of literacy skills, and slow learning.
• Feeling uncomfortable in a social environment, being in need of someone's assistance for personal care and needs.

If the individual has characteristics of gifted children or adults, you may have observed some of the signs listed below:

• Excessive curiosity, remembering everything precisely, learning and making plans quickly.
• Having a very wide range of vocabulary, having full command of difficult concepts and terms, the obvious superiority of language skills compared to their peers.
• Having a high level of imagination and creativity.

"Remember that the results of IQ tests may not always give a definite answer. Therefore, neither the confidence of parents in their children nor the confidence of children in themselves should be impaired."

IQ tests are developed by a great number of researchers who are experts in the field of psychology and education. Despite all these studies, these intelligence tests may lose their currency and credibility. For this reason, even the most popular test may give a wrong result.

There are also some tests that are prepared by non-specialists and they might be non-official tests. Surely, accepting the results of these kinds of tests will not be fair while evaluating children's abilities. Do not forget that the main purpose of an IQ test is to support and lead children's development.

History of IQ Tests

You may be wondering “Who invented the IQ test anyway?”. The first time in history, dated around 2200 B.C., Chinese rulers selected their servants according to some examinations. The Ancient Egyptians also used similar kinds of methods.

However, the first studies of modern IQ tests began in the late 19th century. Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon developed a system for testing IQ in 1905. According to this system, the average intelligence scores of people within certain age groups were determined and the success of people has started to be evaluated based on these scores.

The term IQ (Intelligence Quotient) was named by German scientist L. Wilhelm Stern. The system Stern had developed was based on generating the score by calculating the ratio of mental age and physical age of the test maker. Modern intelligence quotient tests are still based on these variables. And the term “IQ” is still widely used.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are the answers to the most asked questions about IQ.