Free IQ Tests

The Mozart Effect - Does it incease your IQ?

2008-05-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

The Mozart effect is the theory that simply hearing classical music, typically Mozart, can increase your IQ or boost certain parts of your intellect. It all began with Alfred Tomatis who conducted simple experiments where he attempted to use Mozart symphonies as stimulus to cure a variety of different disorders. A later experiment was conducted where Mozart was used on students to try and increase the IQ by 8 or 9 points.

Another study was conducted where children of 3 and 4 were given 8 months of piano tutoring then given IQ tests. They typically scored 34% higher on tests of spatio-temporal reasoning than the other control groups who were given singing lessons, computer lessons or no lessons at all.

While the results and effects of the Mozart effect may have been blown out of proportion and gained a large amount of weight in the media, it is still an interesting and significant finding and shows that the IQ can be increased temporarily simply by activating certain parts of the brain passively.

Toys that increase your IQ!

2008-05-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Lego & Meccano

By playing with constructive toys like Lego and Meccano your brain is learning how to utilize different skills. Fitting together different shaped blocks and using subtle techniques that you might take for granted like which shapes fit where and how to make something look good actually employs your analytical and spacial awareness skills. Essentially you are having fun while learning how to increase your IQ! Why not steal your kids collection for a few days and construct a Lego masterpiece or start a new Meccano project to develop your creation skills and thought processes.

Boardgames

Boardgames like Boggle and Backgammon are perfect for jogging your math and literary skills and forcing you to learn new words and sums. Just about any board game involves some degree of skill which in turn requires you to think and plan. Games like scrabble are a perfect example, where you are forced to use memory and association. Even humble Monopoly forces you to make business decisions and keep track of your incoming and outgoing assets while trying to stay ahead.

Yo-Yo or Diablo

Yo-Yo's are an almost annual fad. Most years for a few brief weeks or months there seems to be a Yo-Yo craze and then they suddenly die out again. Well fortunately Yo-Yos are pretty cheap and fascinatingly learning how to use them and do different tricks activates and improves your hand-to-eye coordination and your motor functions. Learning to do some simple tricks or using two Yo-Yos at once will activate both hemispheres of the brain at once and really give your brain a jolt. Likewise the Chinese Yo-Yo or Diablo (pictured) is a unique toy whose roots began in Carnivals and festivals. You can buy one for $30 dollars or so on e-bay and after just a couple of weeks practice you can pull off some impressive tricks. A half hours practice per day will work out the alignment of your brain and also help to improve coordination skills.

2 Free IQ Tests Reviewed

2007-10-16T03:42:00.000-07:00

Bergmans IQ test
This test claims to be similar to the Mensa test. However it's very short and can't really be very accurate with such a small sampling. None-the-less it's one of the better free IQ tests and offers no hype, just questions. Unfortunately they try to sell you "3 complete IQ tests including solutions and a Helper to solve Mensa problems. The price is $19 for all of it." afterwards, but since the first part is free, it's worth trying.

Enigmadness.com
This is a really cool site with links to a whole bunch of free IQ tests available. One of the better, short ones was The Oracle Exam which had 15 good questions and didn't take very long but was fun to do. Enigmadness has a good list of tests though, and usually tells you roughly how long they'll take too.

If you want to do better in free IQ tests then consider reading the rest of the posts on this site, they will show you how to engage your mind and increase mind power.

Free IQ Tests Experiment

2007-10-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've always had a kind of mild obsession with being seen as intelligent and outsmarting people, which I think most of us have to some degree, even if we don't admit it. So I tried out a little experiment. I looked back on my list of free IQ tests and picked a few of the better ones. I took an hour or two out of my day and did each of the 3 free IQ tests I had picked, making sure not to cheat and to try and get a really accurate gauge of my IQ. One of my results was 107 (although slightly above average, I wasn't too happy), another was 121 (not bad) and the last of the free IQ tests rated me at 118 (again, not too bad). While I knew that I was likely to get 3 completely different results, I didn't have any idea what they would be. I can't say I was happy or sad, I just took it at face value and wrote my results down with the average (which was 115).

Anyway, fast forward a week and I decided to spend some of my hard earned dollars and buy the ominous sounding IQ Brain Power Boost (which I now recommend from my site). I wont try to sell it, but it was a pretty good read. I didn't expect much because the sales page was horrible, but I just wanted to put my money where my mouth was and actually try out a product to see if it would have any benefit. The other 4 books included turned out to be useful to me too.

Anyway, fast forward another 3 weeks (I meant to do it sooner but such is life) and I visited 3 completely different free IQ tests. I chose 3 different ones because I knew from experience that I'd score higher if I went back and took the original 3 (because taking the same IQ test twice always yields a higher score the second time round). However, I made sure they were similar to the ones I had tried previously and made sure they took roughly the same amount of time, and had the same amount of questions. Can you guess what happens? Of course you can, it worked! I doubted it from the start to be perfectly honest, so I was genuinely surprised when the first IQ test came back 130, even more shocked when the second came back 134 and almost as happy when the third came in at 121 (again). That's an average of 128, 13 whole points more than my previous average.

Now while I accept that free IQ tests are not 100% reliable (I'm the first to admit it), I genuinely feel that reading and following the book, and trying out different methods to try and boost my brain power actually worked and as a direct result of my effort I gained those extra IQ points. If and when I have time I'll verify this with a real life IQ test but in the mean time I recommend getting a hold of some good material and trying the examples provided.

3 Ways To Improve Your IQ You Know About But Don't Do!

2007-10-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

I regularly post unique and interesting ways to engage your body and mind at the same time and improve your IQ. I like these because they're fun to try and usually really simple, and new activities that you haven't tried before are always going to engage new lesser used parts of your brain. However, I think it's important to go back to basics and take a look at the obvious ways to improve your IQ that most of us already know about but don't take seriously or don't bother with.

1. Sleep better

We all know that when stay up all night and stay in bed til 2pm the next day our brains are functioning at minimal capacity. We also know that horrible feeling of not getting enough sleep and having to go a full day on emergency backup levels, droning about like a zombie. There's a lot to be said for an honest nights sleep. While the amount of sleep we need to feel fully refreshed varies from person to person, it's generally recommended that you get 7 or 8 hours per night. Developing a regular routine is also very good for your brain, hence why people who get up early are always more productive than people who sleep in. Don't worry about when you need to go to bed, your body will be sure to let you know. Instead, focus on trying to get up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. If you feel you could be doing better, get up a half hour earlier for a week, then increase it another half hour. By focusing on when you wake up rather than when you go to sleep, your body will learn that it can't negotiate and you'll soon lose the urge to lie in snooze mode when you wake up.

2. Get More Exercise

We've heard it a million times "A Healthy Body Equals A Healthy Mind!" So why don't we pay attention? There is irrefutable evidence that healthier people who work out regularly are more productive, most organized and most importantly, more intelligent! Your fitness level DOES equate with your intelligence level. The reason being that as a healthy individual you can circulate more oxygen through your blood and keep your brain "pumped". You're also fighting diseases easier and digesting and absorbing vitamins and minerals easier and faster. Vitamins and minerals which are essential to growth of body and brain!

3. Eat Right

Which brings us onto the third and final thing we know but always forget to act on: eating healthy. Maintaining a healthy diet is one of, if not THE key factor in maintaining intellect. Numerous studies have been conducted where kids in school grudgingly had their meals replaced with healthier alternatives and almost overnight their progress and work showed better results. There are thousands of brain foods out there waiting to be eaten. Blueberries and wild foods are packed with nutrients while oily fish and flaxseed contain high levels of Omega 3 (which essentially lubricates the brain). While these unique food products will help, the most essential part is a healthy, well balanced diet just as the brain and body were designed to consume. Stick to the infamous food pyramid(pictured) and watch your IQ grow.

High IQ's? - Haiku's!

2007-09-13T06:02:00.001-07:00

Your brain will awaken,
Like a ray of morning sun,
As you try haiku!

The properties of high literacy and writing relating to the brain are already known and documented. Lesser known to many is that Haikus and other forms of poetry go one step better than traditional methods of writing and force you to obey rules and criteria which prompts your brain into complex problem solving action while simultaneously focusing on creativity and artistic values, thus using both sides of your brain.
A Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry which requires 3 lines, the first should have 5 sounds (syllables in Western culture), then 7, then 5. Usually Haikus relate to nature, but they can even be funny and witty.

Use your power of mind,
To create something fresh, unique.
Your brain will love you!

To the pub for a round of IQ points chaps!

2007-09-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

The pub is an intellects dream. It's choc full of number games- Darts, dominoes, etc. and they're all free!

If you've ever watched darts players on the T.V. you'll know just how good at maths they are. They even know their 13 times table! This is because they are forced to do subtractions in their head while weighing the best numbers to go for and while trying to coordinate their hand to eye movements too- truelly a brain work out.

Dominoes, while not requiring much physical skill, does involve numbers and abstract concepts like bluffing and so works out the brain much the same way a game of poker would.

Then there's the pool table. Playing pool requires you to stay one step ahead of your oponent and to utilize your hand to eye coordination. As with the others, you'll probably need to juggle around a few numbers in your head too. Stay away from the bar though, alcohol has a detremental effect on various parts of your brain- especially your ability to reason! And of course we all know that alcohol kills brain cells.

Finally though, after a game of darts, a round of dominoes and a hustling at pool, what better way to end your brain stimulating night out than with the pub quiz? Questions that test your general knowledge are known to stimulate your mind more than those which you may be specialized in. Not only that but you might make some money!

2 more unorthadox ways to improve your IQ

2007-09-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Jigsaw Smarts

Remember at Christmas when you were 7 and Johnny next door got the new Hot Wheels collection, skelectrics set and a 2 way radio system, and all you got was 3 pairs of socks and a Jigsaw from Aunt Jemima? Well you can thank Aunt Jemima, she was doing you a favor (yeah right). By doing a variety of simple puzzles you can give your brain a serious work out and get the energy flowing. Jigsaws force us to use our spatial awareness and reasoning skills to determine where each piece goes and doing even just a few a month can tone up that brain matter.

Crosswords

7 Across, 5 letters - Synonymous with intelligent.
Did you get it? Even if you didn't, you still had to think about it, and that's exactly my point. By doing crosswords you're thinking all the time. Literally straining in fact, to get the answers. A recent study showed that while doing crossword puzzles alone the brain burns up to 1.5 calories per minute. That's 90 calories an hour! Another frequently mentioned study is that of a convent which academics visited in the 80's? They found that although some of the nuns were into their 90's, they were all very mentally active and alert. While their diet was the same as the surrounding populace, the only significant difference that could be found was that the nuns did a crossword every day of their lives. So do a crossword and stave off Altzheimers, keep sharp and get smart. Smart.. Oh, that's the answer!

6 Free IQ Tests Reviewed

2007-08-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Most of the free IQ tests you'll try aren't very good at measuring your IQ since they're just designed to generate some widget you can copy and past into your MySpace or whatever to show off to your friends: "Look guys, I'm a genius with a 3049 IQ!!". They're an ego booster.

That said, these low quality, free IQ tests still have value: they're great for increasing your IQ! Some may argue of course, that you're simply learning what kind of questions you're likely to be answering and so obviously you'll do better in IQ tests. While this is true, you ARE also increasing your IQ since you're actually attempting the questions. It's the same as doing crosswords, puzzles, etc, since that's essentially what an IQ test is. So yes, what better way to increase your IQ than by doing IQ tests?

Here are another 6 free IQ tests available online. Like the rest I've posted a link, short review, and the number of questions.

Westside Advanced Recognition and Reasoning Exam

This is a very bland and boring looking free IQ test. It's also just text (not automated), and so you'll have to write down your answers on paper or in notepad or whatever. It's also one of the longer IQ tests (1 hour). Despite all those negative aspects, it's pretty good and feels professional. I reckon someone could offer to automate this (via JavaScript or something) for the guy and produce a real good IQ test.

Questions: 25 Questions in 3 Sections
Time: 1 hour

Free IQ Test

"This test is for entertainment purposes only. It does not represent an actual evaluation of your Intelligence Quotient." - From site

This is a pretty accurate description of this test. It looks like someone has just thrown together a bunch of questions with JavaScript. It gives you a basic generated score at the end. This isn't really an IQ and the questions are overly easy, but it's still got some fun questions I haven't seen on the other free IQ tests and it doesn't take too long.

Time: Not timed - Took me about 10 minutes or so
Questions: 30

Mental Performance Test

This test is given to people who want to join The High IQ Society and as such it's of a decent standard. This is different from the other free IQ sites in that you have to manually email your results to the creator before you can get your results, and he mentions that it takes up to 3 weeks for a reply!

Time - Not timed - Allow an hour or so
Questions - 60

Entrace Tests

Ever wanted to be part of an exclusive club for high IQ people? Read on.. these 3 tests will grant you entry to some of the most elusive clubs of the intelligence world.

The 3, free IQ tests below all use http://www.chez.com/remuemeninges/scale.htm The Power Scale and are available in PDF format. They're all harder IQ tests, and will take at least an hour to complete, although they are not timed. After you've completed them you need to send in your result by e-Mail or by post. Eventually, your results will be sent back.

916

The 916 is an admission test for: the WAHIP, the High IQ Society for the disabled, the Altacapacidadhispana, the SIGMA, the SMARTS, the The Mind Society, the Top One Percent Society, the Elateneos, the EXISTENTIA, the Artifex Mens Congregatio, the Neurocubo, the GLIA, the Milenija, the ISI-S, the Introspective High IQ Society, the Camp Archimedes, the PLATINUM the PARS - and the GIGA Societies, and potentially for several other societies (Cerebrals, Glia, Poetic Genius, Pi, Mega..).

Wow! If that doesn't whet your appetite then you're blind, deaf and dumb. This is the ultimate entry test to all those exclusive clubs. Not only that but it's a great, fun, free IQ test! Again, however, you need to send your results off by email or post and wait for your result.

Questions: 26

The Hyper-Test

The Hyper-Test
"The Hyper-TesT, with visuo-spatial and algorithmic subtests, is power-type IQ test intended to measure the power of reasoning and the persistence." - From site

I like this test because it's all visual. 95% of the questions are in the form of pictures and the rest are texts which describe a visualization or a situation. So it's testing a specific part of your mind.

Questions: 26

Concep-T

The third and final IQ test in the Power Scale series, Concep-T TesT is an admission test for the SIGMASociety and potentially for several other societies (Cerebrals, Glia, Poetic Genius, Pi, Mega...). It's a very verbal and linguistically orientated test (to do with language and writing) and has some very difficult questions. Definitely worth a try.

As I mentioned before, most free IQ tests are pretty low standard and don't actually measure your IQ, but there are some out there. The 3 above are good examples and should be attempted when you have a good bit of spare time.

These are just some of the many free IQ tests I've reviewed, for some simpler and quicker free IQ tests check out my previous posts. I'm also interested to hear what you have to say, so if you take any of these tests or you just want to be heard, then do it, add a comment!

3 more fun ways to increase your IQ!

2007-08-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Musical Prodigy

Most people have heard, in one shape or another, of the theory that listening to Mozart increases your IQ (although one piece of Mozart's work triggered seizures in epileptics!!). Specifically it is said to increase spatial awareness, the part of the brain that deals with spacial areas and directions. While this is generally believed to be true, it has been found that the increase in that specific part of the brain is only to the tune of 3 or 4 IQ points.

Instead, throw your CD collection out the window and clean out your MP3 folder and entirely replace your music collection with genres you have never entertained before. If you're into Rock, try Rap music. If you're a Jazz-man, switch to Blues. Mix it up and try all those weird genres you thought you'd never like -Yes, even Techno and Country & Western!. This prompts creative parts of the brain since you are experiencing new feelings (music is all about emotional reaction and connects with our feelings).

Poker genius

Ever heard the term Poker genius? That's because many of the top players are genuinely genius. Poker, especially Texas Holdem' is a game of skill, calculation, manipulation and a bit of luck thrown in for good measure. Poker, like chess, forces you to juggle many different possibilities and outcomes in your mind at once. Unlike chess though, it also requires the ability to read other players, determine bluffs and pick up body language, and do it all while not revealing any information about yourself.
Oh, and did I mention it's great fun?

Gamer Guru

"Computer games don't affect kids, I mean if Pac man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music."

Many computer games have been proven to increase proficiency in visual tasks and hand-to-eye coordination and many sections of the U.S. military are given training on popular computer games. As little as an hour of fragging a day for 10 days can wield significant results and improve motor functions.

So racking up a few kills may equate to racking up a few IQ points!

Another 2 Unique Ways to Increase Your IQ

2007-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ride a unicycle

You can buy a unicycle from E-bay for as cheap as $40 - Not bad for something that will exercise both your body and mind.
Unicycles are great for increasing your balance and balance is key to many activities. It will also help to align the left and right hemispheres of your brain which is important since in most people one side is very dominant. Unicycling will also improve your coordination and your reaction times. And of course as with any other physical activity it will get you fitter, increasing blood-flow to the body and brain.

It takes about a week or so to learn to unicycle and you should probably invest in some knee pads, but it's another great way to impress your friends AND get fitter and smarter!

The Oxford English Dictionary contains more than 615,000 entries, but the average English vocabulary is as low as 10,000! Even the most educated linguists have a repertoire that only stretches to around 100,000 or so. By adding to your lexicon of words you can increase your intelligence, your ability to communicate and entertain people and hold their interest easier.

Words have physical effects on people and are an important aspect of life. For example if you said to your friend
"Make the badness come out of your body and your mood will get better." he'd understand what you meant but it wouldn't have much of an effect.
Instead, if you were to say
"Allow your anxiety to drain from your body your outlook will enhance." you'd probably have a much more positive reaction. This is because people identify with certain words and become more engaged and connected to you on a subconscious level if you are more articulate and can describe what you mean well.

Check out 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know and other lists at ListsOfBests.com.
Use it in conjunction with Dictionary.com (which has a neat Thesaurus function too) for maximum effect.

Here are 2 to get you started:

soliloquy
1. an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts): Hamlet's soliloquy begins with “To be or not to be.”
2. the act of talking while or as if alone.

ziggurat
n. A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories.

More free IQ tests

2007-08-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

Here are several more free IQ tests available online. Again I'll post the number of questions and approximate time given for completion. Apart from the BBC's Test the Nation these are all very short, free IQ tests.

A.C.E Intelligence test

A unique and interesting intelligence test with a strange final question, the purpose of which I have no idea. This test also has a section where you can specify if you already know the answer to a question, or whether you're just making a guess. It has a professional feel but the other aspects of the A.C.E. society and website seem dubious to say the least (check out their about us page!)

Time: 20 minutes
Questions: 33

Simple IQ

Pretty quick IQ test which is age related and time limited. It doesn't mention how the IQ is calculated or calibrated, but the bad jokes make up for it.

Time: Max 13 minutes
Questions: 38

IQ Test.com

This is similar to SimpleIQ (above) and the questions are almost identical (so someone has been stealing from someone!) but seems to be a lot more professional and contains more information. It also e-mails your results instead of displaying them.

Time: Max 13 minutes
Questions: 38

BBC's Test the nation

This televised intelligence test was very popular, claiming several million viewers. It's also very accurate and has been developed using several hundred people. The free IQ tests above simply don't compare in accuracy. Unfortunately, this test requires a broadband connection (due to videos) and as such isn't suitable for everyone.

Time: 45 minutes
Questions: 170

IQ test for free

For bonus points you might want to try this one, which differs from the rest of the free IQ tests in that it's VERY accurate in it's answer and only has 9 questions!

Time: < 5 minutes
Questions: 9

These free IQ tests are less accurate (with the exception of the BBC test and the final one) and are grouped because they're pretty quick to complete. If you'd like to get a more accurate gauge of your intelligence then feel free to look at the earlier post Free IQ Tests

4 more ways to improve your IQ

2007-08-26T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more immediate ways to increase your results in those free IQ tests and increase your cognitive capabilities.

1. RAK up the IQ points with a DVORAK keyboard!

It sounds like a cat choking on a hairball, but it'll help you increase your know-how! The standard (most popular) typeset is QWERTY, which came into standardization with the first typewriters (*interesting side fact that has nothing to do with this article whatsoever: "Typewriter" is the longest word you can make using only letters from the top run of your keyboard?). QWERTY is an arrangement of keys that was actually designed to slow typists down! This was because typewriters were notoriously erratic and often broke down due to people typing too fast. And so in an ironic twist of fate the most popular typeset is in fact the most inefficient one! DVORAK is one of the more efficient ones, in fact for every mile that your fingers travel on a DVORAK keyboard, they'd have traveled 4 miles on a standard QWERTY keyboard! So- learn to type faster AND increase your intelligence while doing so.

How to switch your keyboard to DVORAK and more from mwbrooks.com
All about DVORAK at Wikipedia.org

2. Cubic Cognitive Comprehension

The most misspelled (*interesting fact that has nothing to do with this article whatsoever no. 2: Misspelled is also one of the top misspelled words in the English language!) puzzle in history, Rubik's Cube was invented in the 70's by a Hungarian architect and is said to be the most sold toy in the world! It's also one of the best for getting your gray matter going. You're bound to know someone who has one stored away in a deep dark box, or thrown behind the sofa in a moment of profound frustration. If not, pick one up at your local toy store for pennies and get shuffling!

3. Sodiku.. Sodak..Sudako..Sod it!

The word sudoku derives from the Japanese phrase "Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru," which means "the numbers must be single," or "the numbers must occur only one.". Sudoku is a great and popular puzzle because the rules are so simple yet the methods to solve it can be extremely difficult. Sudokus range from easy to fiendishly difficult and there are many different kinds to try out once you get bored of the standard version.

At WebSudoku.com you can start playing immediately (for free) and adjust the difficulty too.

*Additional note: You can actually buy Sudoku themed Rubik's cubes, thus you can kill two birds with one stone!

4. Juggle your way to smarts

The left hemisphere of your brain controls your right hand and the right hemisphere of your brain controls your left hand. This means that by using your less dominant hand you are stimulating the opposite half of your brain. This is a common phenomena which explains why ambidextrous people are often more intelligent. Taking up juggling is not only a good way to show off to your friends but it will wake up parts of your mind.

WikiHow has a good guide to get you started playing with your balls (sorry couldn't resist that one).

Free IQ Tests

2007-08-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

"The human brain is unique in that it is the only container of which it can be said that the more you put into it, the more it will hold." - Glenn Doman

Over the last couple of posts I've been focusing on increasing intelligence and deviating from the main point of this site: offering free IQ tests. So, without further ado, here are some free IQ tests you can take right now. Please note that these are not your standard vanity tests on sites like tickle.com that are as accurate as a blindfolded game of darts. These are free IQ tests that have some degree of accuracy and aren't just designed to tell you you're a genius and feed your ego.

Bergmans IQ Test

This is a free application download (about 1.5mb) which will run you through a series of 20 questions which you must complete in one hour. This test has been designed to be very similar to the Mensa IQ test (more about Mensa later), and hints that it is a Mensa practice test.

Questions: 36
Time: 1 hour

IntelligenceTest.com

This site offers an online test and claims that 3 million people have already taken it. This means that the comparisons are pretty accurate. Another neat thing is that you can only take this test once per computer terminal (I assume this means IP address), meaning that there are less cheaters and results are more accurate.

Questions: 30
Time: 10-15 minutes

High IQ Society

These guys claim to have calibrated their IQ test over 4 years using over 400,000 test results. Their IQ test is unique in that it selects questions from a pool of over 2.4 billion, thus virtually guaranteing that no two tests will be the same. They even admit the limits of online testing and that all IQ tests have error involved. They also invite anyone who scores 124 or over to join their society. Regardless of whether this is a motive for you or not, it's still an strong and accurate IQ test.

Questions: 36
Time: Varies

GIQ Test

"We are confident we've created the best online IQ Test." is the caption on the front page. While that may be a dubious claim, these guys have certainly done their homework. They have a nice summary page showing how the IQ test was developed and researched. While it is free to take this IQ test, the reports and analysis will cost you $10. You may or may not want to shell out this cash. I'd recommend trying the free IQ tests first, then if you're still serious consider this one.

Time: 25-45 minutes

These tests are all either seriously calibrated or PhD certified. If you're serious about measuring your IQ then they will provide better results than the majority of free IQ tests out there, but you should also consider taking a real life, certified IQ test. While it may be a grueling and time consuming feat it will provide a result a hundred times better than any of the 5-minute, free IQ tests online.

A healthy body is a healthy mind

2007-08-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

Most people know that a half hour of exercise per day will help you become more healthy and alert. Most people also understand that a healthy body is a healthy mind. This is because people who keep themselves fit and active have good circulation (important for feeding nutrients and oxygen to the brain), good cell regeneration (which aids in memory) and the ability to sleep better at night (one of the most important factors in brain power).
However, an interesting, lesser known fact is that different parts of the body are controlled by different parts of the brain. By activating body parts which you don't pro-actively use in your day-to-day life can have a dramatic effect on your brain and your IQ.

1. Righty-lefty

By switching to your non-dominant hand you are forcing your brain to start thinking about how to do things and emulate your dominant hand. This will open up the opposite hemisphere of the brain and you'll soon notice a difference. Not only this but you'll be able to juggle better too!

2. Read upside down

Read the new Harry Potter book? Try reading it upside down! This will be slow and difficult at first, since essentially you're learning to read again (with a new set of characters) but over time you will become proficient and can impress your friends with your new upside-down reading ability! Strictly speaking this isn't a body part, it's more of a cognitive ability.

3. Feet 'n' toes

A common characteristic of intelligent people the world over is that they are often very dexterous and flexible. Often they will be ambidextrous (use both hands equally) and use their feet to pick things up, turn on light switches etc. By using your feet more often you focus your brain to force on a new body function and increase spatial awareness.

4. Pick up 'n' play

Learning a musical instrument like the guitar or the piano can drastically increase your intelligence, and sometimes in a startlingly short amount of time. Again, you're learning something new and experimenting with your fingers, opening up new parts of your mind.

"I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music."
George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

IQ and nutrition

2007-08-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Tired of doing badly in free IQ tests? Then take heed in the fact that IQ is not static. You can increase (or decrease!) your IQ by taking simple measures. The brain is a muscle and as with any muscle needs exercise to grow stronger. However, instead of providing you with a bunch of links to puzzles and crosswords and free IQ tests and such, I'd like to take a look at IQ and nutrition.

There's a popular saying: "You are what you eat" which couldn't be more true when it comes to intelligence. Health and intelligence are both directly influenced by what you eat and even the simplest diet changes could have a long term effect on your smarts. If you don't believe me take a look at an excerpt from an article by Dr. Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior:

In 1980 Dr. Ruth Harrell and her colleagues at Old Dominion University, Virginia, gave comprehensive vitamin and mineral supplements to a group of five mentally retarded children. Eleven other retarded children received a placebo. Over a period of only four months, the supplemented children increased their IQ's by 5.0 to 9.6 points. The unsupplemented children showed no significant change. Over a further four months all sixteen children were given the supplements. The previously unsupplemented group showed an average increase in IQ of 10.2 points with a range of 3 to 21 points. Three of the five children supplemented throughout showed further IQ gains in the second four months. Over the eight months they gained 9, 16, and 25 IQ points respectively. These gains are highly significant, especially as they were achieved with a mixture of different retardation syndromes, including Down's syndrome.

And theres more:

Another study compared poorly nourished black children to a matched group of well-nourished black children over a period of seven years. Each time IQs were tested, the poorly nourished group was between fifteen and twenty IQ points below the other group. At the final testing at age eight, the well-nourished group was twenty-three IQ points above the children who had remained malnourished. - Taken from http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/adisease/add-adhd/harrellstudy.html

Recently there has been a dramatic increase in use of Omega 3 in commercial products. I've seen it advertised on products like butters and spreads, cereals and milk. This is because the amazing properties of Omega 3 on intelligence and the brain have only come into mainstream acknowledgement within the past few years. Omega 3 is found naturally in oily fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout and salmon, nuts and seeds like walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Blueberries have also been found to reduce mental decline and are a great source of antioxidants (which prevent cell damage in the brain).

Take a look at http://www.fi.edu/brain/diet.htm this site which has a "brain food" diet plan and Worlds Healthiest Foods which has a comprehensive list of healthy foods and their properties.

All about IQ tests

2007-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

What is an IQ test?

An IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test is simply a measure of a persons intelligence. Obvious right?

But what is intelligence? This may seem like a stupid question, but it's had scientists and academics engaged in verbal beat 'em ups for a hundred years. They just can't agree on a conclusion! If you asked 10 of your friends and family to write down a definition of intelligence, you'd get back 10 entirely different answers.

This is because intelligence is different for everyone. There are a number of categories, or areas of the mind that people use. Some people have very bad memories but can paint a masterpiece as easy as blowing bubbles. Other people have very logical thought patterns and can program a computer as easy as falling over, but ask them to juggle two tasks at once and they'll fall to pieces. So how do you define whether someone who is good at maths is better than someone who is good at machinery? Well, IQ tests are generally designed to weigh up all the different areas of the brain and measure intelligence in each category and then give an overall score.
You could argue that someone who is intelligent has a very high score in one specific area, or you could say that it was someone who was proficient across the board, without lagging in any area.

iq
noun: a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)

Defining an IQ test is tricky because there are so many types. IQ tests come in many different shapes, forms and themes. Whereas some will ask a series of specific questions, others will vary sharply in many different subjects. Some will include practical, hands-on tests and others will be strictly pen-on-paper. There are also both paid and free IQ tests, both online and offline paid and free IQ tests and official and unofficial IQ tests.

All tests, though, whether free IQ tests or otherwise are united in their goal (although there are exceptions to this rule too!): to give as accurate a measure as possible of a persons intelligence. The first IQ test, in fact, was arranged by a college professor to establish which of his students would need extra help.

What does an IQ test involve?

Most IQ tests will be split into several categories such as short-term memory, verbal knowledge, spatial visualization, and perceptual speed. Usually there will be a time limit, either overall, for each category, or both.

IQ tests can be taken online and will, again, usually have a time limit. Your result will then be emailed to you or displayed on screen, usually with a comparison to other people. These tests are sometimes limited in their capacity, since they cannot do verbal testing, face-to-face, or practical hands-on assessment.

Offline tests are usually different and will likely involve human supervision. They are much more personal and have usually been calibrated to a higher degree.

Are IQ tests really accurate? Is my really IQ 279,013?!

Some of the free IQ tests online are very inaccurate since they have been developed by non-professionals who know little or nothing about how intelligence and the human mind work. However, many will argue that even professional and standardized tests are inaccurate since the human mind is too complex and varying to measure in any sensible way. That said, IQ tests definitely offer a measure of intelligence, but as stated it's important to remember that this measure may not be entirely accurate.

Alot of the online free IQ tests are popular because they're so quick and easy.
"Wow, I'm a genius!" the fella says after spending 15 minutes answering some multiple choice questions and getting an IQ result equal to that of Einstein, off to proudly strut his results across a plethora of profile sites and forums.
As apposed to to the poor fella who takes the real world test.
"I'm a failure!" he exclaims, having spent 6 hours in a dark room being watched like a hawk and subjected to all manner of verbal, physical and mental probes only to be told that he's average; just like everyone else.

Online free IQ tests may be more of a measure of your vanity than your IQ!