# Just took the mensa test **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204 "2015-11-21T17:28:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/61 "2015-11-25T13:43:10Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Are you alluding to some Swiss dude here? No, no; I was referring to myself – I work as a patent examiner for the European Patent Office in The Hague. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/62 "2015-11-25T14:35:45Z")
OK, maybe this is a reverse whoosh on me, but the joke was that Einstein worked as a patent clerk in Switzerland while working on relativity on the side. (I forget the timeframe - whether it was special or general he was working on at the time). ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/63 "2015-11-25T21:01:51Z")
I thought the patent clerk reference was an Einstein joke too. Also, I’ve got to disagree that “intelligence” is purely a genetic trait, as well as the corollary that it shouldn’t be celebrated. Intelligence by itself without education and training (a) wouldn’t be nearly as useful, and (b) wouldn’t guarantee a passing score on a Mensa admission test, or most other tests. Math is a good example of the difference between pure genetic trait intelligence and a more operative definition of intelligence. Someone might be genetically blessed with a logical mind, or spatially oriented mind, but 12+ years of schooling condenses ~10,000 years of brilliant, intuitive, human-genius levels of “figuring it out” into a digestible, replicable, and learnable curriculum. So the confluence of intellectual ability with academic effort - that is the result that these tests are trying to map out and identify. But then again, I’m going to have to take a step back and that makes me sound pretty self-important. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/64 "2015-12-04T18:11:33Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Hi guys. > > Haven’t been around (not that I was an institution that would be missed otherwise) but I had something mundane and pointless that I wanted to share - took the Mensa test this morning. It’s on a whim, and it’s hard to explain to friends and family just why I want to take the “genius test”. It’s not even out of vanity, moreso curiosity. > > There were some people there whose competitive fire really burned brightly and took it more seriously than I did. > > Took the wonderlic, which was ridiculously paced. Then the Mensa admission test was also fast but at least finish-able, although I did skip one of the picture association questions. I also thought that the test required more background/context/baseline knowledge than I originally anticipated. Nothing major, but definitely not as pure an IQ test that I was anticipating. The story section was kind of neat though. Funny. I contacted the local chapter again (first time was in 2010) because I had the requested GRE results to qualify for membership… in the U.S. Last time I’d asked, they said they couldn’t accept those results, for some reason. This thread made me try again. And this time, I successfully joined Mensa as well. So: thanks for sharing! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/65 "2015-12-04T20:36:17Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Errors that suggest ignorance tend to drive people here into fits of pique. You mean their pique peaks. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/66 "2015-12-04T21:40:47Z")
Normally Mensa has a rule against sneak brags as well. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/67 "2015-12-05T05:38:35Z")
Interestingly, Albert Einstein does not appear to have been in Mensa. Guess he was just not that smart. I mean, he never managed to formulate a GUT (nor has anyone else). ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/68 "2015-12-05T14:05:22Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Seeing the titled of this thread, my first thought was “how many posts before someone comes along to post their IQ score completely unsolicited?” > \ I agree, posting one’s IQ score is quite uncouth. I mean, sure, I reluctantly admit that Marilyn vos Savant and Terence Tao cheated off me while we were taking the test together, but I would never post or brag about my score—that would be tacky. I did think about joining Mensa, but I couldn’t figure out how to log on to their site (and besides, it turns out that it wasn’t the **Men’s A** ardvark Club I assumed it was). ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/69 "2015-12-05T14:53:51Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Interestingly, Albert Einstein does not appear to have been in Mensa. Guess he was just not that smart. I mean, he never managed to formulate a GUT (nor has anyone else). Easy to explain actually. Einstein died in 1955 so he was alive when Mensa started in England in 1946. However Einstein lived in the USA at the time and American Mensa didn’t begin until 1961. Or he just didn’t give a damn. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/70 "2015-12-06T02:02:34Z")
Lucky for me I could use some old test scores from back in college days without taking new ones. My brain isn’t nearly what it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/71 "2015-12-11T23:52:49Z")
Update: made it. Wonderlic 38, Mensa Admissions test 104. Neat. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/72 "2015-12-14T00:29:39Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > Mensa has been fun for me, but I haven’t gone to a meeting in decades. I still read the Mensa Bulletin and I’m a member of a few Special Interest Groups (SIGs). I joined in '79 or '80. When I made E6, in '89, I had to start paying full dues. (Half off for low-income people like E5 and below.) Hadn’t been to a meeting since '82, so I finally decided the magazine subscription wasn’t worth that much and dropped out in '92. Joined British Mensa, too, for the three years I was stationed in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![NVME702-redux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@NVME702-redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NVME702-redux)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/73 "2015-12-14T20:08:34Z")
Mensa in Spanish means dumb (f), or dopey (f). I could just see myself now, telling my Mexican parents I’m in Mensa… ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/74 "2015-12-14T20:27:52Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > …but am considered a genius at opening cans with nothing but a fork. Explain your magic. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/75 "2015-12-14T21:06:26Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Update: made it. Wonderlic 38, Mensa Admissions test 104. Neat. Congratulations! I was hoping you’d let us know! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/76 "2015-12-15T09:39:57Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Update: made it. Wonderlic 38, Mensa Admissions test 104. Neat. Welcome to the dark side, we have RAMs every December around the 6th and 8th, if you can come… RAM = Reunión Anual de Mensa. Held every December long-weekend in a different Spanish city. Unlike the yearly Assembly, this one is for fun, games, relaxation, food, sunshine (if available), drinks, chess, cultural visits and a bunch of other things which do not include anybody taking minutes. > [@NVME702-redux](#): > > Mensa in Spanish means dumb (f), or dopey (f). I could just see myself now, telling my Mexican parents I’m in Mensa… In some dialects, including but not limited to Mexican Spanish; apparently it’s one of the reasons it hasn’t worked very well in Mexico. Other countries are doing fine. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/77 "2015-12-16T22:42:21Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Update: made it. Wonderlic 38, Mensa Admissions test 104. Neat. Welcome aboard! ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204/78 "2015-12-17T23:50:34Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > RAM = Reunión Anual de Mensa. Held every December long-weekend in a different Spanish city. Unlike the yearly Assembly, this one is for fun, games, relaxation, food, sunshine (if available), drinks, chess, cultural visits and a bunch of other things which do not include anybody taking minutes. Um… yeah. Totally. Wow. I don’t play chess but i’m a grandmaster at drinking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-took-the-mensa-test/738204.md?page=3)