How Much Does an IQ Test Cost? US and UK Prices

"IQ test" covers everything from a two-minute quiz to a half-day assessment with a clinical psychologist, so the price range is enormous. What you pay mostly buys three things: a qualified person's time, a properly normed test, and a written report that other people will accept.

Here is what each option costs in the US and the UK in October 2026, what you get for the money, and the one pricing model to avoid.

IQ test costs at a glance

Option	US price	UK price	What you get
Psychologist (WAIS or Stanford-Binet)	$400 to $2,000	£450 to £1,200	Full-scale IQ, index scores and a written report
Full neuropsychological evaluation	$2,500 to $6,000+	£1,200+	Diagnosis plus IQ, several hours of testing
Mensa supervised test	$60 group, $99 private	£49	US: pass or fail only. UK: an IQ score
Mensa UK home test	n/a	£15	An indicative score, unsupervised
One-time online test	about $5 to $80	about £4 to £60	An estimate of reasoning ability
Free online quiz	$0	£0	Entertainment; rarely a meaningful number
"£1 trial" subscription sites	$1, then about $30 every four weeks	£1, then £29.99 a month	A score and an ongoing charge

Prices are published rates checked in October 2026. Mensa runs occasional discounts, and clinics change their fees, so confirm before you book.

How much does a psychologist charge for an IQ test?

In the US, a standalone IQ assessment from a licensed psychologist usually costs $400 to $2,000. The lower end is a single test such as the WAIS with a short report. The upper end is common in big cities and when the psychologist adds interviews, questionnaires or other measures.

In the UK, private cognitive assessments run from about £450 for a two-hour WAIS assessment with a report, to around £750 to £1,200 at larger clinics or when a neuropsychologist runs it.

The price looks high next to an online test, but it pays for a lot of skilled time:

• Testing: about 45 to 60 minutes for the WAIS-5, or 60 to 90 minutes for the older WAIS-IV, one to one with the examiner.
• Scoring and interpretation: converting raw scores with the publisher's norms and checking for patterns across the index scores.
• The report: a written summary, often several pages, that schools, employers, courts and doctors will accept.
• Feedback: many psychologists include a session to talk you through the results.

A full neuropsychological evaluation, which looks at memory, attention and other functions alongside IQ, often costs $2,500 to $6,000 or more. You only need one if there is a clinical question, such as a brain injury or suspected dementia.

How much is an IQ test in the UK?

You have four routes in the UK:

1. British Mensa supervised test: £49. Taken at a test centre (about 2¼ hours) or online with a remote proctor (about 1½ hours). Your IQ score is emailed to you.
2. British Mensa home test: £15. A 45-minute paper test that gives an indicative score, mainly to help you decide whether to book the supervised test.
3. A private psychologist: £450 to £1,200. The only route that gives you a full report you can use for education, work or legal purposes.
4. Online tests: from free to a few pounds for a one-time report. Read the payment terms first (see the section on subscription traps below).

How much does the Mensa test cost?

Mensa test	Price	Time	What you get
American Mensa, local group session	$60	1 to 2 hours	Pass or fail
American Mensa, private session	$99	1 to 2 hours	Pass or fail, results within days
British Mensa, in person	£49	About 2¼ hours	Your IQ score
British Mensa, online and proctored	£49	About 1½ hours	Your IQ score
British Mensa home test	£15	45 minutes	An indicative score
Mensa online workout	Free	About 15 minutes	Practice only, no IQ score

The key difference: American Mensa says it does not give out IQ scores or percentiles, only whether you qualified. British Mensa sends you a score. If you want the number rather than membership, that matters. Membership is a separate annual fee if you qualify. Our Mensa practice test page shows what the questions look like.

Is an IQ test covered by insurance?

Usually not, unless there is a medical or educational reason. In the US, health plans may cover psychological testing when it is needed to diagnose or treat a condition, such as an intellectual disability, a learning disability or a cognitive problem after an injury. Testing "to find out my IQ" is almost never covered.

If a child is suspected of having a disability that affects their learning, US public schools must evaluate them at no cost to the family under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Ask the school in writing.

Can you get an IQ test on the NHS?

Not as a consumer service. The NHS does carry out cognitive assessments, but only as part of a clinical pathway, for example a memory clinic, a neurodevelopmental assessment or care after a brain injury. A GP will not refer you simply because you want to know your IQ. For children, the route is usually through the school and the local authority's educational psychology service.

Can you get an IQ test cheaply or for nothing?

There are a few genuinely low-cost routes:

• School records. If you were tested as a child, the result may still exist. Our guide on how to find out your IQ explains how to request it.
• University training clinics. Some psychology departments test the public at reduced fees, with trainees supervised by qualified staff.
• Sliding-scale practices. Some psychologists lower fees based on income. Ask.
• Practice tests. Free, and useful for seeing the question types, but not a trustworthy score.

Are online IQ tests worth paying for?

A one-time payment for a well-built online test is reasonable if you want a quick, private estimate of your reasoning ability and you know what you are buying. It is not worth paying for an online test if you need a score for a diagnosis, a school or an employer. Only a psychologist's report will do for that.

Before you pay, check four things:

1. Is the price shown before you start? You should know what the result costs before you invest 20 minutes.
2. Is it one payment or a subscription? Look for the words "trial", "membership" or "per month" near the button.
3. Is the test timed and fixed? Untimed tests with easy questions give flattering scores.
4. Does it say what it is not? An honest online test says plainly that it is not a clinical assessment.

Our guide to how accurate online IQ tests are goes deeper on what separates a useful test from a flattering one.

Watch out for £1 IQ test subscriptions

The most expensive online IQ test is often the one that costs £1. Several IQ test sites advertise a tiny upfront fee for your result, but the small print turns it into a short trial that renews as a monthly subscription.

In July 2026 the consumer group Which? reported that it had received 32 complaints about unwanted IQ test subscriptions in the first three months of the year, most of them naming MyIQ. In one case, a £1 payment was a seven-day trial followed by £29.99 a month, and the customer paid £464 over about seven months before stopping the payments. MyIQ told Which? that the trial and the recurring terms are shown on the checkout page and in the welcome email, and that customers can cancel online or by email.

How to protect yourself:

• Read the line next to the payment button, not just the big price.
• Search the site's name plus "subscription" or "cancel" before paying.
• If you have been charged, cancel through the site's account settings, then ask your bank or card provider to block further payments. In the UK, you can also ask your card issuer about a chargeback.

What does the LifeScore IQ test cost?

The LifeScore IQ test is 25 visual reasoning puzzles that take about 12 minutes. You can start without signing up. When you finish, your score and full report are a one-time payment of £3.99 (US$4.99). There is no trial and no subscription, and you see the price before you pay. Optional extra reports are offered, but you never need them to see your score.

It is an estimate of your reasoning ability, not a clinical assessment, and it is not administered by a psychologist. If you need a formal IQ for a diagnosis or an application, book a psychologist. If you want a quick, honest reading first, it costs less than a coffee.

Common questions

Why is a professional IQ test so expensive?

You are paying for several hours of a qualified psychologist's time, a licensed test kit, publisher norms, scoring and a written report. The test session alone takes one to two hours, and the scoring and report often take longer.

What is the cheapest real IQ test?

In the UK, the £49 British Mensa supervised test is the cheapest way to get a proctored IQ score. In the US, Mensa's $60 test only reports pass or fail, so a university training clinic is often the cheapest way to get an actual score.

Do you have to pay to take an IQ test online?

Many online tests let you start without paying, then charge for the result. Check the price and the payment terms before you begin, and avoid any "trial" that renews automatically.

How long does an IQ test take?

From about 10 minutes online to two or three hours with a psychologist. See our full guide to how long an IQ test takes.