# Are IQ tests generally administered? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932 "2017-05-18T16:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/21 "2017-05-19T01:09:00Z")
> [@Pilgrim\_Shadow](#): > > I’ve taken three IQ tests. I took the WISC when I was 13. I took two others as part of a general battery of psych tests. One when I was 18, another when I was 33. > > My scores were in the high superior range, except for the math/visual part which was hampered by my learning disabilities. > > It’s frustrating to be smart and stupid at the same time! > > I think – could be wrong – that for an IQ test to be legitimate, it needs to be administered one-on-one by a psychologist licensed in the field of psychometrics. I would be very surprised if you could take one online that the experts would call legit. Out of curiosity, why were you given these tests, was it due to your learning disabilities? I only ask as I have acquaintances who have children with learning disabilities (severe as in mute with grunts, can’t tie shoes, seizures, etc.) and it’s the same thing: kid is given an assessment test with the “happy” verdict that their child is actually in the cumulative “superior/high/advanced” range, with a few exceptions that they need to work on. Then commences some entirely non-empirical/non-scientific treatment. Cha-ching! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/22 "2017-05-19T12:38:34Z")
In a meeting with my 6th grade teacher my mother was told a specific number for my IQ. But I don’t recall ever taking anything like an actual IQ test similar to samples I’ve latter seen. And certainly nothing one-on-one. So grade schools way back when had assessment tests that the teachers thought gave usable IQ numbers. (My college bookstore sold an IQ test among the textbooks. I bought it and took it. Gave me a score close-ish to the old grade school number. Despite some of the questions being seriously flawed.) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/23 "2017-05-19T14:33:48Z")
Keep in mind that, once a “real” IQ test has been developed, and results are obtained, other tests can be developed that have a high correlation to the results of the “real” IQ test, intentionally or not. For example, the SAT has had over the years a high correlation with measured IQ. That’s why I’ve always told my Sophomore Geometry students not to get overly worried about “studying” for the SAT, because it’s not really that dependent upon information and more dependent upon so-called “intelligence”. As an example, I go through a few of the math problems and show that, in almost every case, the key to the answer is identifying some relationship, the “trick” to the question, rather than knowing specific things about Geometry or Algebra. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/24 "2017-05-19T15:12:15Z")
When I was a kid, a neighbor asked my mom if he could evaluate my and my sibling’s IQs. He was doing postdoc work in some area of psychology. It was a full day of testing. My mom made a fuss over how high I scored, and according to her (I only vaguely remember the whole thing) I said I wouldn’t trust the guy’s results because he didn’t seem all that bright. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/25 "2017-05-19T15:39:53Z")
I took an IQ test in later grade school in the late 60’s. They told us our scores (I was 130 - so not as smart as I thought I was). Of course you can study for tests - I helped my wife with some “aptitude” tests by trying online examples. The typical ones are a sequence - outline square, black square, outline square with inside those black circle, white circle, black circle, what’s next in the sequence? You have to do a few of these to get the hang of exactly what’s being asked… it’s better than encountering them cold. Same with number sequences - do a dozen or more so that you are familiar with the various patterns - like Fibonacci, squares, or even “add 4, subtract 1, add 4, subtract 2, etc.” My wife had to take one of these tests for a job at age 35 - what are the odds that someone that long out of school in a nontechnical would figure this out very quickly when encountering it cold? ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/26 "2017-05-19T15:42:53Z")
I was tested in 6th grade as a part of evaluation for the gifted and talented program. Apparently the school counselor told my parents something about the results but I never knew anything more than that I qualified for the gifted and talented track. Many years later I was injured in a workplace accident and there was some concern about periodic loss of sufficient oxygen to my brain due to interruptions of blood flow. As a part of that workup I was referred for neuropsychological testing which included, among other tests, a IQ test. They even had me request records of the testing done by the school from years prior in order to compare. So though the significance of an IQ test can be debated, there is at least this one anecdotal point where such testing can be used to compare cognitive changes over time. ---
**Author:** ![dirty\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@dirty\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirty_hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/27 "2017-05-19T15:55:04Z")
A woman I was hanging out with for a time was telling me about this guy she was seeing and possibly interested in romantically. She said something about him being smart and that his IQ was xxx…something. I’m like who goes around telling people what his IQ level is? Loooooooooser! Kinda lame, if you ask me. Most people will get an idea of your intelligence based on what you talk about, how you express yourself, your interests, and what not. Is stating your IQ some sort of pick-up line I’m not aware of? Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/28 "2017-05-19T16:21:55Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I hear a lot of people mention their IQ (particularly here and particularly when they are high!). I have no idea what my IQ is, and more to the point, I have no idea if it was ever tested. > > Are IQ tests regularly given at some point in the course of normal education, and I just don’t remember it? As has been mentioned, online “tests” are there to feed the responder’s ego and to get them to pay for a report that provides detailed “results” of their performance. I don’t think it’s possible to score below the average range on one of them, and I’ve tried. Many schools do give group ability tests to screen for gifted/talented students. They are useful for this purpose, but lack the specificity, validity, and reliability of individually administered tests. Individual IQ tests are still given regularly in the public schools, primarily as part of disabilities evaluations. They are required as part of an assessment for mental deficiency, and often for other learning disorders as well. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/29 "2017-05-19T16:25:58Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Online tests score you instantly. Real IQ tests (I have a WAIS IV sitting in my lap to check!) have an extensive interpretative book, as **there are several subscales that don’t really have right answers**. Even the most accurate test online is still covering a less holistic definition of IQ. Not sure what you mean here? ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/30 "2017-05-19T16:27:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I was a kid, a neighbor asked my mom if he could evaluate my and my sibling’s IQs. He was doing postdoc work in some area of psychology. It was a full day of testing. > > My mom made a fuss over how high I scored, and according to her (I only vaguely remember the whole thing) I said I wouldn’t trust the guy’s results because he **didn’t seem all that bright.** Hey, doesn’t that guy post here? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/31 "2017-05-19T16:28:10Z")
Plus, there’s not a specific answer. Like regular tests and exams or SAT or GRE, your performance may vary from day to day. There’s also cultural biases. So all the test can really tell you is that “you’re near this number” not nail you down to a specific number. I suspect people who say “My IQ is xxx” are cherry-picking their best test score - or, lying. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/32 "2017-05-19T22:02:03Z")
> [@Kelby](#): > > Not sure what you mean here? I’m not a psychometricist, but it looks like some of the scales require interpretation by the administrator based on a rubric (so not subjective but not completely objective). Like some of the verbal parts deduct points for poor vocabulary or vague answers. And it has instructions for the admin to correct cases where the tested misinterprets a question, and allows the admin to request clarification in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/33 "2017-05-19T22:18:44Z")
born 1949. Mother was teacher. The entire student body was tested in 3rd and 8th grades The only reason I know mine: I made a lot of noise when, at age 23, I requested a copy of my “Permanent Record” - and the entire box and label was blocked out. By the time i got to the Admin building, an assoc superintendent had the unedited version in hand. We had a lovely chat as to why I didn’t maintain a 4.0 (no interest, no external motive) Answer: Too high to be meaningfully measured. It did solve the mystery as to my encounters with the other students ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/34 "2017-05-19T22:23:18Z")
Fun with IQ testing: The BITCH test - a lovely bit of tongue-in-cheek from the black side. (Black Intelligence Test Correlated for Honkies) What color is a banana? WRONG! It is brown by the time it shows up in the 'hood stores ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/35 "2017-05-19T22:28:18Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Fun with IQ testing: > > The BITCH test - a lovely bit of tongue-in-cheek from the black side. > (Black Intelligence Test Correlated for Honkies) > > What color is a banana? > > WRONG! > > It is brown by the time it shows up in the 'hood stores **Moderator Note** This is not the place for jokes along these lines. No warnings issued, but stick to the topic. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/36 "2017-05-19T23:09:08Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > This is not the place for jokes along these lines. No warnings issued, but stick to the topic. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator I am not the one that posted that comment but the BITCH test is a real test designed by a black academic to try to prove a point about cultural relativism. I am not sure if it succeeded in that goal because I was one of the whitest people in the psychometrics class where we studied it and I still got the highest score. It may be a little satirical but it isn’t a true joke and the questions require serious thought to answer correctly. It isn’t a very good IQ test because it relies on lots of jargon but it was a response to the infamous “regatta” question that supposedly appeared on some standardized test at one time. [http://www.susanohanian.org/show\_commentary.php?id=170](http://www.susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=170) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/37 "2017-05-19T23:14:52Z")
However, real IQ tests are not designed that way. It isn’t just people sitting around making up questions that they think someone should know. Instead, it is math (statistics) used to differentiate people along a normal (Bell) curve within their own group and all other groups as a whole. It doesn’t really matter what the question or task is. As long as it differentiates people along a normal curve and coorelates highly with questions on similar tests and real world measures, it is considered valid and reliable. It is basically the same thing as if you tried to design a test of generic athletic ability. It would be something like a modern decathlon with some skills from various team sports added. It won’t tell you who is going to be an athletic superstar (even college sports careers can’t do that) but it will narrow the field to tell you the group you should be looking at. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/38 "2017-05-19T23:30:01Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am not the one that posted that comment but the BITCH test is a real test designed by a black academic to try to prove a point about cultural relativism. Thanks for the clarification. However, I note that the actual name is “Black Intelligence Test of Cultural Homogeneity,” not “Black Intelligence Test Correlated for Honkies,” as **usedtobe** had it. And his question is not one that is on the actual test. So it would be subject to moderation even if he had made it clear what he was referring to. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/39 "2017-05-20T00:48:16Z")
I took an IQ test in the 6th Grade which was way back in 1967. I took 2 more IQ tests to join Mensa back in 1978. They were proctored by a psychologist. I’ve taken a few on-line “IQ” tests and for the most part they were jokes. If you want to take an on-line test that is somewhat valid, American Mensa provides one at a cost. It’s not a full IQ test but should have some correlation to a real test. I’m not sure of the price. > **[Take the Online Mensa Practice Test](https://www.us.mensa.org/join/mht/)** > > The Mensa Practice Test is a fun, unofficial way to discover if you are Mensa material. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932/40 "2017-05-20T01:09:39Z")
A buck-45 in eighth grade. Used as a bludgeon when I didn’t perform better in class, but ADHD hadn’t been invented yet. IRL, it’s proven to be just another worthless number. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-iq-tests-generally-administered/786932.md?page=3)