The named IQ tests, explained
Raven's, the WAIS, Stanford-Binet, Cattell and Mensa come up in every conversation about IQ. Here is what each one is, who can take it, what it costs and how to try questions in its style.
What's your IQ?
25 questions · about 12 minutes
What would you score? Try question 1.
Which option completes the grid? One tap, no sign-up.
Pick a test
- Raven's Progressive MatricesRaven's Progressive Matrices is a non-verbal test of abstract reasoning
- Mensa practice testMensa admits people who score in the top 2% on an approved, supervised intelligence test
- WAISNo
- Stanford-BinetThe Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales are individually administered tests of intelligence for ages 2 to 85 and over
- Cattell Culture Fair testThe Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) is a non-verbal test of fluid intelligence created by Raymond Cattell
- IQ test questions and answersIQ tests draw from a small set of question types: matrix and pattern puzzles, number and figure series, verbal analogies and vocabulary, odd-one-out and similarity questions, working memory tasks and speed tasks
The tests side by side
| Test | Format | Online | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raven's | Matrix puzzles | Practice only | By age |
| WAIS-5 | 10+ subtests, examiner | No | SD 15 |
| Stanford-Binet 5 | 5 factors, examiner | No | SD 15 (older: 16) |
| Cattell | 4 non-verbal subtests | Practice only | SD 24 |
| Mensa | Supervised test | UK, proctored | Top 2% |
Every scale has a mean of 100; SD is the standard deviation. Raven's reports a percentile or standard score by age. "Practice only" means style-alike practice, not the real test. Mensa UK offers a proctored online test; the top 2% qualifies. For when each edition came out and how big its norm sample was, see our history of IQ testing.
Take an IQ test by type
Each of these pages opens the LifeScore test on question 1, with a guide to that kind of test underneath. It is the same 25-question visual test throughout, with no sign-up to start.
- Hard IQ testWhat makes the hardest questions hard
- Visual IQ testEvery question is a picture
- Quick IQ test25 questions in about 12 minutes
- IQ test with no sign-upWhat you are and are not asked for
- Fluid intelligence testReasoning with new rules
- Culture fair IQ testAs fair as a picture test can be
- IQ test for geniusesWhat counts as a genius score
- IQ test questions and answersTen worked examples
How online IQ tests fit in
A score means something only when it is compared with a norm group under standardised conditions. Professional tests meet that standard. Most free online tests do not publish a norming sample, and they have no supervision, so their scores are estimates.
That does not make them useless. A well-made online reasoning test can show you how you handle patterns, sequences and rules, and can be a first step before deciding whether to pay for a professional assessment. Just do not treat its number as a Wechsler IQ.
To see what the questions look like, try ten original IQ questions with worked answers. To see how test scores you already have relate to IQ, use the score converters.
Deciding which route to take? Compare every way to find out your IQ, what each one costs and how long each test takes.
IQ tests: common questions
What is the most accurate IQ test?
Which IQ tests can I take at home?
What is the difference between Raven's, the WAIS and Cattell?
Why do IQ tests use different scales?
Is the LifeScore test one of these?
What's your IQ?
The LifeScore test has 25 visual reasoning questions in 12 minutes. It is not one of the tests above and it is not clinically normed, but it is a fast way to see how you handle pattern and rule questions.
25 questions · about 12 minutes