What Cattell score does Mensa accept?

Mensa UK quotes 148 on Cattell III B as its qualifying score. That is the 98th percentile on that scale, the same rank as about 131 on a standard SD 15 test.

Is a Cattell 148 the same as an IQ of 148?

No. 148 on a scale with SD 24 is a lower rank than 148 on a scale with SD 15. Compare scores by percentile, not by the printed number.

Glossary

Cattell Culture Fair test

Definition

The Cattell Culture Fair test is a nonverbal intelligence test built from shapes and patterns to reduce the role of language and schooling. Its Cattell III scale uses a standard deviation of 24 rather than 15, so the same rank prints as a much larger or smaller number.

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Why it matters for IQ scores

The Cattell III scale uses a standard deviation of 24 (Wikipedia: IQ classification). That one difference causes endless confusion when people compare numbers across tests. A rank that reads 148 on the Cattell scale reads 130 on an SD 15 test.

An example: the Mensa line

Mensa UK quotes qualifying scores of 148 on Cattell III B and 132 on the Culture Fair test, and both are the 98th percentile on those scales (Mensa UK). On a standard SD 15 test, the 98th percentile is about 131. Three different numbers, one rank.

Common confusions

“Culture fair” is a goal, not a guarantee: shapes reduce the role of language, but familiarity with tests and puzzles still plays a part. Read more in culture-fair IQ tests. To convert between scales, use the percentile to IQ converter. Related terms: standard deviation, Raven's Progressive Matrices and Mensa.

The test at a glance

The Culture Fair Intelligence Test was designed to measure intelligence with minimal influence from verbal fluency and educational level (Buros: CFIT (store)). Its Scales 2 and 3 each have four subtests: series, classification, matrices and conditions (Zahra et al., 2022). The publisher told the Buros Center in January 2016 that the test is out of print (Buros: CFIT). The full guide: Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test.

Try one · Logical Reasoning

Which tile completes the second pair?

Tap the option you think is right, or show the answer.

Show the answer

The missing panel shows a large outlined square, with small solid shapes: a circle at the left side (option 1).

How to solve it

Compare the first two panels and name exactly what changed.
The main shape and the small shapes swap forms: the main shape takes the form of the small ones, and the small ones take the form of the main shape.
Nothing else changes.
Apply the same change to the third panel: a large outlined circle, with small solid shapes: a square at the left side.
So the missing panel shows a large outlined square, with small solid shapes: a circle at the left side.

That was 1 puzzle. The full test has 25.