In-Line With The IQ Test

Alfred Binet in 1904, used Intelligent Quotient (IQ) testing on French children to assess their mental ability. Since then, these tests are used to evaluate a person’s intelligence. Educational institutes use them to identify children with special talents and intelligence. These children become bored and frustrated in a regular curriculum. They must be mentally challenged to perform better. There is a special education program for above-average children with IQs greater than 120. 

Certain institutions such as the military and police use IQ tests to screen potential applicants. The questions evaluate one’s cognitive skills. Variations of these tests such as the Lateral Thinking IQ test, IQ adjusted testing are available. It is difficult and challenging to evaluate a complex system such as the human brain and hence we have such an array of tests. A psychologist will decide the test best suited for you.

Some of the reasons for these tests:

1. To identify gifted children with above-average intellectual ability. A regular curriculum is not very challenging for academically bright students. Teachers conduct IQ tests on these students and determine their IQ scores. If their scores are above 130, they are enrolled in a school for special talent. These students usually graduate much earlier than other students. 

1. It functions as a diagnostic tool. Cognitive skills such as mental processing, speed of understanding, reasoning ability, and ability to recollect are the most vital qualities. An IQ test helps us to understand the areas that need to work on, A person can improvise on cognitive skills all by himself or take professional help. 

1. To detect early-onset dementia. IQ-adjusted testing evaluates the cognitive skills of a person over a few years. If a person’s IQ falls suddenly from 120 to 70-80, it is a cause for concern. The tests are repeated and on conformation, proper intervention is given to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

1. It can be fun to know your IQ score. People like to know the way their brain works. Learning to play music, meditation can vastly improve cognitive skills.

1. It helps to identify students who need more help to increase their memory retention. Identifying your weak points and working on them is the step forward.  It is better to find a curriculum that suits you rather than being enrolled in one that is impossible for a student to cope with.

1. In the improvised tests, separate scores are given for verbal, mathematical, and spatial reasoning abilities. This is critical for a person who may be strong in mathematical intelligence but weak in verbal skills. So, individual scores work better than aggregate scores.
2. For some jobs, such as army and police recruitment IQ tests are conducted to evaluate their cognitive skills.

There are several reasons to take an IQ test: be it for academics, fun, or health.  We must take an IQ test to understand our brains. You will always be on the winning side despite your test scores.