Mensa states that the sole criterion for membership is to score, IQ-wise, within the 98th percentile of the general population, meaning the applicant needs to be within the top two per cent. Studies seem to demonstrate, however, that the average IQ as determined by standard IQ tests varies among various nations (no racism intended here). I remember reading (in the German edition of the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records, for what it’s worth) that about ten per cent of the Japanese adult population would score test results which would place them within the top two per cent of the German population (implying, of course, that the Japanese population is considerably more intelligent than the German one on average). While I didn’t manage to find a quotable online source for this claim, Wikipedia has an entry on a controversial book which deals with alleged differences in average IQ worldwide.
This thread is not intended for discussions regarding the veracity of significant discrepancies in intelligence among nations, nor possible reasons for these differences if they happen to be true, and especially not the old discussion about the significance of IQ. I’d just like to know whether Mensa takes account of such claims in the sense of country-specific tests: Are standards higher for allegedly more intelligent nation, so that the same person would be admitted in country A while the same person would be rejected in the - more intelligent - nation B?
They have a long list of tests from the Stanford IQ test to the SAT to their own version of an IQ test. Anyone who scores in the Top 2% of any of those tests qualifies. It is not broken down by nation.
This means that more than 2% of the world qualifies for Mensa because different people will score better one some tests than on others.
Just chiming in to say that hajario has it absolutely correct. Any valid IQ test (not achievement test) will qualify. If a person has an IQ test that’s not on the official list, it can still be submitted for consideration by the Mensa testing experts. If they can determine that the test in question is really an IQ test, properly normed, etc., they will evaluate the results.
Well, to be pedantic and complete: they do accept SAT scores, just not current SAT scores. If you took the test before 1994, you still could submit that score and be accepted. I submitted my score from 1990 back around 1996 or so and was accepted (lapsed after about two years, wasn’t getting much out of it).
I tend to think of SAT and ACT as more knowledge based tests, with very little emphasis on logic.
I’m fairly certain my 31 on the ACT in '89 is no good, but am also fairly confident based on more recent IQ tests, that I could make it if I felt obliged.
So are most IQ tests that I’ve seen, including the one I had to take to get into the AP classes in elemantary school. YMMV.
*(In case it’s not obvious to everyone why they picked that date, 1994 is when they changed the scoring on the SAT. So my 1993 1490 is worth more than a current 1490.) *