Wots yer IQ?

[Blue]

I tend to think of the kind of people who'd want to join a 'club for the clever' as people I would probably want to avoid...

You aren't wrong - when I joined I attended about 2 meetings before deciding that that was 2 meetings too many

 

[Zoiders]

I have dyslexia so IQ tests dont float my boat and I have never wanted to take one, far to much maths involved as well, being able to add up doesnt make you a genius at everything

How ever, when I was a wee boy of about 8 my teachers and my parents became concerned about my progress in school, I was either bored or a retard, they switched my exam papers for IQ tests without telling me, of course for a child of 8 that means ticking boxes and drawing circles around things which was easy, turned out I was bored, it did me **** all good though as my highschool didnt bother to follow up on it and I wasted 5 years doing no work and then passed my GCSEs anyway despite being told I would fail due to the lack of the holy grail of course work

It has not filled me with confidence in the education system and IQ tests

 

[trustysteed]

I have dyslexia so IQ tests dont float my boat

you'd probably be pretty good at the questions on QI though!

 

[Zoiders]

you'd probably be pretty good at the questions on QI though!

I do

The pun aside, dyslexics think differently and can solve strange problems in strange ways, its the coping strategy thing you learn as a child to cover it up

 

[killiekosmos]

I once taught in a school where the IQ of the pupils was measured on the Richter Scale. Anything above 9 got you in the top section and we told the parents they were destined to be 'movers and shakers'

 

[dudi]

Last time I looked, my IQ was 136...

no idea what it means or how accurate it is though.

 

[simoncc]

I've only ever taken one intelligence test. It was called the 11 plus. Pass and fail were the only grades given.

 

[Hilldodger]

I've only ever taken one intelligence test. It was called the 11 plus. Pass and fail were the only grades given.

And....?

 

[Dayvo]

Fairlly modest really, I'm no smartarse.

Yeah, just a bloody know-it-all!

 

[Dayvo]

My mother in law did the test and was told she could join, but didn't bother as she'd been to Oxford.

Yeah, me too. Nice place, innit!

 

[Yellow Fang]

Too true mate, apparently they stick on about 30 points. I only found out because it pushed my score off the scale.

I think this may be true. When I was about 18, me and my brother did some tests from a book called 'Know Your Own IQ' by Eysenck. Frustratingly, I kept on getting 123 while my brother scored about 132. In the last one I actually scored 116, but my brain was obviously tired by then. Several years later when Mensa were running a campaign in the papers, I went along for a test and scored 156, which was enough to get me in. Sadly, I'd like to be that clever, but I don't think I am. Looking at how well I did at my A levels and how successful I was at work, I think 123 is more realistic. Considering how well my brother did at his A levels, university and career, I think 132 was realistic for him too. Despends what the statistical distribution is I suppose.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

I think this may be true. When I was about 18, me and my brother did some tests from a book called 'Know Your Own IQ' by Eysenck. Frustratingly, I kept on getting 123 while my brother scored about 132. In the last one I actually scored 116, but my brain was obviously tired by then. Several years later when Mensa were running a campaign in the papers, I went along for a test and scored 156, which was enough to get me in. Sadly, I'd like to be that clever, but I don't think I am. Looking at how well I did at my A levels and how successful I was at work, I think 123 is more realistic. Considering how well my brother did at his A levels, university and career, I think 132 was realistic for him too. Despends what the statistical distribution is I suppose.

Here's a distribution chart:

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461540296/distribution_of_iq_scores.html

This ties in pretty well with what we were told when I was at school. Then it was taken for granted that those who passed the 11+ were the brightest 20% of the population and had IQs of 112 plus. Getting to university put you in the top 10 % and entailed an IQ of 120 plus.

Interestingly enough, as the average IQ here seems to be about 150, this puts the posters here in a very cerebral elite.

 

[Blue]

I think this may be true. When I was about 18, me and my brother did some tests from a book called 'Know Your Own IQ' by Eysenck. Frustratingly, I kept on getting 123 while my brother scored about 132. In the last one I actually scored 116, but my brain was obviously tired by then. Several years later when Mensa were running a campaign in the papers, I went along for a test and scored 156, which was enough to get me in. Sadly, I'd like to be that clever, but I don't think I am. Looking at how well I did at my A levels and how successful I was at work, I think 123 is more realistic. Considering how well my brother did at his A levels, university and career, I think 132 was realistic for him too. Despends what the statistical distribution is I suppose.

It depends what scale was being used in the book.

Mensa tests use a scale that may give a higher/lesser number than a different scale but mean the same thing.

Mensa admit the top 2% of the population - that can mean different numbers on different scales.

High IQ and high academic achievement are not automatically the same thing.

 

[Blue]

The only people I've come across who are Mensa members are people who didn't go to university and have a chip on their shoulders about it. My mother in law did the test and was told she could join, but didn't bother as she'd been to Oxford.

That's too small a statistical sample to be of any use.

I was a member of Mensa and hold a degree.

People with chips on their shoulders can be found in all walks of life. Indeed, a great many of the solicitors I had the displeasure to meet during my career had degrees, chips on their shoulders and, at best, apparently mediocre IQs

 

[Dave5N]

I did a couple on the internet a few days ago. Don't think I really believe in the scores.