IQ test guides

Plain-English answers to common questions about IQ and IQ tests.

• What is a good IQ score?What an IQ score means, what counts as average, above average and high, and how a score compares with other people.
• IQ score chart: scores, percentiles and what they meanAn IQ score chart showing the percentile for each score from 55 to 145, with the standard deviation explained.
• How IQ tests workHow IQ tests are built, scored and compared with a norm group, and why the result is an estimate and not a fixed number.
• How accurate are online IQ tests?How accurate online IQ tests really are, what makes some better than others, and the warning signs of a bad one.
• Types of IQ test questions, with examplesThe main types of IQ test questions: pattern matrices, number series, spatial puzzles, logic and verbal questions, with how to approach each.
• How to prepare for an IQ testPractical tips for taking an IQ test: how to practise, manage time, avoid careless mistakes and get your best result.