# Help me with this "IQ Test" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546 "2019-03-04T20:56:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/1 "2019-03-04T20:56:34Z")
I did one of those mini-IQ tests that you get in books. I did ok, I got most of them but I can’t work out a few. Can anyone help? The instructions are simply: Each question has a 3x3 grid from which one item is missing. Choose from the eight items on the right (A-H) the one that completes the grid the best. This is an example: [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) This, I think, is pretty straightforward. The answer is F. I have the answers to these three, but I can’t work out why. What does the dope think? Q17: [http://tinypic.com/r/345jy2o/9](http://tinypic.com/r/345jy2o/9) Q21: [http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9](http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9) Q22: [http://tinypic.com/r/25ankvn/9](http://tinypic.com/r/25ankvn/9) ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/2 "2019-03-04T21:03:58Z")
I’d say 22 is B. The 3rd column is the spots that overlap in the 1st and 2nd columns . ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/3 "2019-03-04T21:11:58Z")
I feel like 17 should be a. with everything moving (very generally) in a clockwise manner. But it seems like there is a missing diamond in the ‘box’. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/4 "2019-03-04T21:13:57Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I feel like 17 should be a. with everything moving (very generally) in a clockwise manner. But it seems like there is a missing diamond in the ‘box’. That’s what I got for 17, as well. Seems to be simple clockwise rotation. ETA: Oh, wait…you’re right. There is something missing with A that doesn’t quite work…hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/5 "2019-03-04T21:14:06Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I’d say 22 is B. The 3rd column is the spots that overlap in the 1st and 2nd columns . Correct! So obvious now you’ve said it :smack:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/6 "2019-03-04T21:15:52Z")
No clue on 21 so far. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/7 "2019-03-04T21:19:34Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I feel like 17 should be a. with everything moving (very generally) in a clockwise manner. But it seems like there is a missing diamond in the ‘box’. Yeah, I think it’s a misprint. Everything else rotates correctly. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/8 "2019-03-04T21:21:36Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > No clue on 21 so far. It’s definitely A or C, but let me work it out a sec ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/9 "2019-03-04T21:22:33Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > No clue on 21 so far. In a test I would answer F. But I don’t have a great justification. Everything in the 1,2 positions of the top row of the square on the left of a given square seem to end up in the 2,3 positions of the middle row of the given square. The only answer with two clubs in those positions is F. ETA: Ok. Yeah, I get it now. Everything is getting pushed 4 spaces over. Bottom right wraps around to top left. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/10 "2019-03-04T21:32:58Z")
I’d like to help, but I clicked on the first link and immediately got a “CONGRATULATIONS, PRIZE WINNER! If you’re a COMPLETE IDIOT, click HERE to get your $50,000 Walmart gift certificate!” pop-up scam ad. Tinypic can suck my tiny… well, nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/11 "2019-03-04T21:34:40Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > ETA: Ok. Yeah, I get it now. Everything is getting pushed 4 spaces over. Bottom right wraps around to top left. No… That doesn’t work in all the situations either. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/12 "2019-03-04T21:40:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s definitely A or C, but let me work it out a sec It’s A. Let’s look at each row of diagrams as being a sequence (as in the other ones) So, top row of three diagrams, we have a 9x9 grid. First two symbols are a club and a diamond. In the next grid, this club and diamond move down a row and over a column. In the final grid, the club is on the bottom right, and the diamond, with nowhere to go, “carries over” back to the first position in the grid. Same sequence happens in the second series of three diagrams. We get spade, spade to start, then spade spade one over and one to the right, then spade on the bottom right and spade on the top left. So, for third series, we have heart diamond in positions 1 & 2, move down and over one and we have heart diamond again, so to complete the series, we know heart has to be on the bottom right and diamond on the top left. That leaves us with aswers A & C. (Well, also D&G, but I eliminated them because each series has the same amount of suits in them and D&G have an extra club or spade [there should be only two of each] So look at what other sequence we can follow to pick A or C: Well, let’s look at the other patterns. In the second series, let’s follow the hearts. They’re at first row third column, and third row third column; they move to first row second column, and second row first column. At the end they are second row third column, third row second column. Follow this pattern with the first series of grids and you see it follows. The spade and clubs in the first series hop around the same way. Apply that to the last series, and you should have a club in the second row, third column, and a diamond in the third row, second column. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/13 "2019-03-04T21:48:10Z")
OR let’s try it like this: I broke the problem down into smaller chunks; there’s probably a more complete solution, but the first thing I noticed was all the grids had two hearts, three diamonds, two spades, and two clubs. So that, off the bat, eliminated D, E, F, and G. Next I saw the suits progressing like this from left to right: ```auto XY- --- Y-- --- -XY --- --- --- --X ``` And for the second round of elimination, I saw another set of suits progressing like this: ```auto --X -X- --- --- Y-- --X --Y --- -Y- ``` And that left me with A. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/14 "2019-03-04T21:54:19Z")
I think you’re right. I can see the patterns. I wonder if there is some super obvious explanation though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/15 "2019-03-04T22:02:10Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I think you’re right. I can see the patterns. I wonder if there is some super obvious explanation though. Here’s the final sequence that happens in all of them: ```auto 123 637 278 456 912 563 789 845 491 ``` ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/16 "2019-03-04T22:09:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Here’s the final sequence that happens in all of them: It’s obviously rotating through a pocket dimension. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/17 "2019-03-04T22:17:03Z")
These are the answers given: Q17: [http://tinypic.com/r/345jy2o/9](http://tinypic.com/r/345jy2o/9) Answer: A Q21: [http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9](http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9) Answer: F Q22: [http://tinypic.com/r/25ankvn/9](http://tinypic.com/r/25ankvn/9) Answer: B ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/18 "2019-03-04T22:23:43Z")
I don’t think there’s an algorithmic rotational element to it or anything. I think it’s fairly arbitrary, but consistent, with enough information for one to figure out the pattern. The tricky bit is that there are four symbols used to represent nine positions in the grid, so if you follow a heart, you don’t know for certain if you are follow the same heart from one grid to the next in each sequence of three. So you have to do a little trial and error, but there’s enough info there. I happened to start my logical process by analyzing the suit count of each grid and then just positions 1 & 2 and seeing if I can follow them, and it happened to work out, but a better strategy, I think, would have been to just follow the pairs of suits. There are hearts and two clubs (and three of the rest). Just follow where the two hearts go from grids one to three. Then look at those positions in the next row of grids and see if you can see any commonality. By George, yes you can! In all instances, the two hearts are represented by a diamond-club pair in the second row of grids. And you can see that pattern continuing in the incomplete third row. Then follow the pairs of clubs from the top and notice they correspond to spade-heart in the second row (and heart-diamond in the third row). Voila. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/19 "2019-03-04T22:23:59Z")
Uh… Well, I would have gotten it right (21 I mean), but I don’t know why any more. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546/20 "2019-03-04T22:25:38Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > These are the answers given: > Q21: [http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9](http://tinypic.com/r/qxq7gn/9) > Answer: F Well, if that’s the answer, that’s not the only defendable answer. ETA: I just double checked, and the series I gave in post #15 follows completely in all the examples from left to right. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-this-iq-test/830546.md?page=2)