How to take an IQ test: 10 tips for your best result
You cannot cram for intelligence, but you can avoid the mistakes that lower a score. These ten tips help you show what you can really do.
10 tips for taking an IQ test
- Be rested. Tiredness lowers reasoning performance more than most people expect. Test when you are alert.
- Remove distractions. Put your phone on silent, close other tabs and take the test in one sitting.
- Read each question twice. Many wrong answers come from missing a word such as “must”, “except” or “not”.
- Predict before you look. For matrices and sequences, work out the answer first, then find it in the options. This stops tempting distractors from steering you.
- Name the rule. Say what changes across a row in plain words. If you cannot name the rule, you have not found it yet.
- Use scratch paper. Write the gaps in a number series or sketch a logic puzzle. Pen and paper are fine.
- Use elimination. Remove options that break the rule you found. Narrowing from five to two doubles your odds on a guess.
- Watch the clock, not the second hand. Spend about a minute per question, and skip and return to anything that takes much longer.
- Do not dwell on a miss. One missed question says little. Move on with a clear head.
- Do not memorise answers. Practise the question types with sample IQ questions and keep the real test fresh.
After the test
Read your score as a range, not a single number, and look at your skills profile for strengths and gaps. If you want to know what the number means, see the IQ score chart. If you want to retake the test, wait at least four weeks so you are measuring ability, not memory.
IQ test tips FAQ
How can I improve my IQ test score?
You can improve your score on a specific test by becoming familiar with the formats, managing time well and testing when rested. Lasting changes in underlying ability are smaller and slower, and come from things like sleep, health, education and regular mental challenge.
Should I guess on an IQ test?
If the scoring corrects for guessing, as ours does, a guess has no expected cost and may help, so answer your best guess rather than leaving questions blank unless you truly cannot narrow the options.