IQ Test for Beginners

What happens, step by step

• You press start and question 1 appears straight away. There is no sign-up form first.
• A 12-minute timer starts and stays visible at the top of the screen.
• You work through five sets of five puzzles: patterns, spatial reasoning, sequences, analogies and rules. Each set starts easy and gets harder.
• You can go back to change an answer. If the timer runs out, the test ends with the answers you have given.
• After the last question you can choose to unlock your score and report. That part is paid; the test itself is free to take.

How this test works for beginners

You do not need maths formulas, vocabulary or general knowledge. Every question is a diagram with five options, and one of them follows the rule.

• Find a quiet 15 minutes.
• Use a laptop or tablet if you have one.
• Do not look things up or ask for help. The result is only useful if it is yours.

Should you practise first?

No. People do score higher on second attempts: a 2007 meta-analysis by John Hausknecht and colleagues found retest gains of about a quarter of a standard deviation on cognitive ability tests, roughly 4 IQ points.

Those gains are mostly familiarity, not a change in ability, so your first attempt is usually the most honest one.

What your first score means

• 85 to 115: average. About 68% of people land here.
• 115 to 130: above average.
• 130 and above: very high, roughly the top 2%.
• Below 85: below average. It is common to score lower than hoped the first time, especially if you felt rushed.