Different Types of IQ Tests [& How to Prepare for Them]

All IQ tests aim to measure and accurately represent the degree of your cognitive development, but different types of IQ tests approach this goal differently. Usually, that difference is reflected in the tasks and the areas of cognition they focus on.

However, these differences can impact your preparation process before the test. After all, you’re less likely to be successful if you don’t know much about the specific IQ test you’re taking.

To help you achieve the highest possible score, this article will introduce you to the most common types of IQ tests as well as show you what IQ testing actually is.

So, let’s dive in.

Key Takeaways

• IQ testing was first developed to determine why some children needed more help in school before it became popular among adults as well.
• Different types of IQ tests include the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, the Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Ability Test, and the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test.
• The average IQ score falls in the 85–115 range; scores lower than this indicate potential cognitive disability, while higher scores are a sign of giftedness.
• You can prepare for an IQ test by taking practice tests and analyzing the correct answers, solving puzzles and brain teasers, and learning to time yourself so you don’t waste too much time on each task.

What Is an IQ Test?

IQ test types and questions

An IQ test measures general intelligence, or the so-called “g factor,” and provides a score that reflects how your cognitive abilities compare to those of your peers.

To identify which kids needed more assistance in school, French psychologist Alfred Binet created the first IQ test in 1905. Once he examined the administered tests, Binet compared everyone’s results and determined the average performance for each age group.

Afterward, he calculated the children’s IQ by dividing their so-called mental age by their actual age and multiplying the result by 100.

So, for example, if a 10-year-old showed the cognitive abilities of a 12-year-old, their mental age would be 12. Using Binet’s formula to calculate their IQ, we would get: 12 / 10 x 100 = 120.

Nowadays, mental age is considered too unreliable a concept to be used for calculating IQ.

Instead, the test taker’s performance is compared to the performance of their peer group to determine which percentile they belong to. If they’ve done better than 90% of their age group, they’ll be in the 90th percentile, which roughly translates to an IQ of 119.

However, it’s important to remember that there are different types of IQ tests. Most use a similar methodology to calculate IQ, but the final result may not be the same.

Why Are IQ Tests Different?

IQ tests are all different, mainly because of the scientists who develop them. After the success of Binet’s IQ test, other psychologists took an interest in the topic and started devising their own theories and tests to support them.

In addition, there are different types of IQ tests for adults and children, as well as others that can be applied to any age. Within these broader categories, you can find tests that measure verbal intelligence and those that claim to be non-verbal and culture-neutral.

And finally, many of the high-IQ societies develop their own admissions tests that suit their specific criteria. The Mensa IQ test is a famous one, but certainly not the only one. For instance, the Mega Society is particularly notorious for only admitting members who pass one of the tests developed by its founder.

6 Types of IQ Tests

A person taking a test

There are many types of IQ tests that psychologists administer to measure intelligence. However, the following six are especially widely used and considered the most accurate.

#1. Stanford-Binet

The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was the first standardized IQ test developed after Lewis Terman, a Stanford University psychologist, translated and adapted Binet’s original French test.

The first version, published in 1916, used mental age to calculate IQ scores. However, Stanford-Binet went through several revisions over the years and is now in its fifth edition, which greatly differs from the original.

Currently, Stanford-Binet measures five factors of cognitive ability, including knowledge, fluid reasoning, quantitative reasoning, working memory, and visual-spatial processing.

All these types of IQ test questions come in verbal and non-verbal forms. That way, very young children can also have their intelligence tested.

As one of the best-known IQ tests, Stanford-Binet is frequently used for school placement, diagnosing learning or cognitive disabilities, and candidate assessment during the job hiring process.

#2. Raven’s Progressive Matrices

Since it’s entirely non-verbal and easy to administer, Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) is one of the most widespread IQ tests in the world. The test was originally developed by John C. Raven in 1936 for research purposes.

Raven’s idea was simple: his IQ test would measure one’s ability to recognize patterns as well as to store and reproduce information.

To achieve that, Raven devised tasks with items in a matrix that change following a specific pattern. The test taker is then asked to figure out which item from the available options would complete the matrix.

Although initially developed for research purposes, RPM eventually found other practical applications. For instance, the British army started using it to test its entrants in 1942, and soon, this became a common practice in many military services across the world.

#3. Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test

Raymond Cattell, a British-American psychologist, tried to create an intelligence test in 1949 that would be independent of the test taker’s environment or culture. To achieve that, he excluded any verbal tasks, focusing on matrices, tasks with completing drawing sequences, mazes, and other kinds of visual puzzles.

While developing the Culture Fair Intelligence Test, Cattell came up with the concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence. He proposed that these two types of intelligence were components of general intelligence, and his theory gained massive support over the years.

Although the Culture Fair Intelligence Test comes close to neutralizing the effects of the environment, it’s not entirely devoid of any cultural influences. Arguably, that’s impossible to achieve since certain cultures will always encourage the kind of thinking that’s tested on IQ tests, while others won’t.

#4. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was developed by American psychologist David Wechsler in 1955 when he decided to improve upon his own Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale from 1939.

Originally, Wechsler disagreed with Stanford-Binet’s use of a single score to represent all subsets of human intelligence and with the inclusion of timed tasks. However, the current edition of the WAIS IQ test incorporates both of these, contradicting his earlier beliefs.

To arrive at the full-scale IQ score, the WAIS tests four broad components of intelligence: the Verbal Comprehension Index, the Working Memory Index, the Perception Reasoning Index, and the Processing Speed Index. Each consists of core subsets that yield specific scores, which are combined to get the final result.

Despite its complexity, the latest edition of WAIS is likely the most popular test administered to adults and older adolescents, surpassing even Stanford-Binet. Generally speaking, it’s used for assessing the level of an intellectual disability as well as the degree of giftedness.

#5. Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Ability Test

In 1977, Richard Woodcock and Mary Bonner Johnson developed one of the most comprehensive sets of intelligence tests currently available. That test is the Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Ability Test, also known as WJ IV, as it’s now in its fourth edition.

WJ IV includes the Standard Battery and the Extended Battery, both of which consist of ten tests.

Used together, these tests give a detailed analysis of your cognitive prowess and explore the following abilities:

• Long-term memory
• Short-term memory
• Comprehension-knowledge
• Quantitative knowledge
• Visual-spatial thinking
• Auditory processing
• Processing speed
• Fluid reasoning
• Reading-writing

Considering how detailed the original form of WJ IV is, there is a shorter version of the test, allowing you to obtain the Brief Intellectual Ability (BIA) score. The BIA test takes only about 15 minutes to complete and measures fluid reasoning, processing speed, and comprehension-knowledge.

#6. Differential Ability Scales

The Differential Ability Scales (DAS) is the latest entry on the list of IQ tests, developed by Colin D. Elliott in 1990. It’s exclusively used to test children in the 2–17 age range.

To cater to the differences between very young children and older adolescents, the DAS includes two batteries of tests: the Early Years cognitive battery and the School-Age cognitive battery. The latter also encompasses a subset of questions testing school readiness given to children when they first reach school age.

Overall, the DAS measures both cognition and achievement, which can be translated into fluid and crystallized intelligence. As a result, it includes a variety of tasks, such as processing speed, visual recognition, verbal working memory, and recall of objects and designs.

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How to Interpret Your IQ Test Results

To interpret your IQ test results, you need to know the average IQ test score and how yours compares to it.

The following explanation will help you understand where you fall on the intelligence scale:

145–160 - Very gifted or highly advanced

130–144 - Gifted or very advanced

120–129 - Superior

110–119 - High average

90–109 - Average

80–89 - Low average

70–79 - Borderline impaired

55–69 - Mildly impaired

40–54 - Moderately impaired

Although this explanation only takes into account Stanford-Binet labels, the Wechsler Intelligence Scales and the Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Ability Test follow a similar formula. The only difference is in the words they use to describe each score range.

To put it simply, your intelligence is average if you rank between 85 and 115. Anything below that is considered low IQ, while any score above that places you in the gifted category.

However, keep in mind that the IQ score shows only one aspect of intelligence—your ability to solve problems, recognize patterns, use deductive reasoning, and retain and recall information. Other types of intelligence, such as interpersonal, naturalistic, or existential intelligence, can’t be measured by an IQ test.

How to Prepare for an IQ Test

A person preparing for IQ test types on his laptop

To prepare for an IQ test, you need to become familiar with typical IQ test tasks and work on developing your cognitive faculties.

Here are a few simple ways to do that:

• Take practice tests. Free IQ tests are easy to find and incredibly useful for developing strategies to help you with the actual test. Typically, they include the same tasks you’ll find on the official test, and they’ll show you an estimate of your IQ score, informing you of your current capabilities.
• Analyze the answers. Some practice tests allow you to view and analyze the answers after you’ve completed the tasks. Take advantage of this—analyzing the answers can help you understand how to solve similar tasks in the future.
• Time yourself. As you solve practice tasks, give yourself about a minute for each before you move on. Official IQ tests have time limits, so you must get used to a faster and more efficient solving pace.
• Play memory games and solve puzzles. Games that engage your cognitive faculties are an excellent way to prepare for an IQ test, as they develop precisely the skills you need to achieve the highest possible score.
• Get enough rest. Make sure to be well-rested before taking the official IQ test. A good night’s sleep can significantly boost your cognition as well as increase your stress tolerance.

Final Thoughts

As you have seen, IQ tests are not all the same. On the contrary, they all have their own approaches, backgrounds, and target participants. Some are used for school placements and hiring processes, while others are oriented toward collecting relevant research samples.

But no matter what type of IQ test you are taking, you can prepare for it and improve your chances of achieving a good result. On a last note, inform yourself as much as possible, follow our tips, and good luck!