Question
How can I find out my IQ?
Updated
Short answer
For an official IQ, you need a full standardized test, such as the WAIS, given by a licensed psychologist. For a personal estimate, a careful online test works: it should use real reasoning puzzles, explain its scoring and show a confidence range. Which one you need depends on what you will use the number for.
Want your own number? The test is 25 visual puzzles, about 12 minutes, no sign-up.
Option 1: a clinical test
A licensed psychologist gives a full standardized test, one to one. The best-known adult test is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; WAIS-IV was published in 2008 (Pearson: WAIS-IV) and WAIS-5 in 2024 (Pearson: WAIS-5). The report gives a score with a confidence interval, often around plus or minus 5 points at 95% (Wechsler, 2008).
Expect it to take time and money. The WAIS-5 alone takes about 45 to 60 minutes of testing (Pearson: WAIS-5), and assessments often run several hours with other tests (Cleveland Clinic: neuropsychological testing). Two university training clinics list full evaluations at $600 and about $1,750 (UW-Madison SPTC: fees) (Univ. of Miami clinic: fees). See how much an IQ test costs.
You need this route when the score has to count for something: admission to Mensa, which requires an approved, supervised test (Mensa International), school placement, a disability assessment or a clinical question.
Try one · Pattern Recognition
Which tile comes next?
Tap the option you think is right, or show the answer.
Show the answer
The missing tile shows four outlined squares (option 6).
How to solve it
- Compare neighboring tiles and name what changes each time.
- From tile to tile, one more square is added.
- The fill cycles outline, hatched and solid, then starts again.
- Everything else stays the same from tile to tile.
- The last tile shows three solid squares. Apply each change once more.
- So the missing tile shows four outlined squares.
That was 1 puzzle. The full test has 25.
Option 2: a careful online estimate
If you just want to know roughly where you stand, an online test is quicker and cheaper. A careful one uses real reasoning puzzles, says how it scores you and on what scale, and shows a range rather than one flattering number.
IQ Octopus is this kind of test: 25 visual puzzles, about 12 minutes, scored with a Rasch model and reported as an estimated IQ with a confidence range. It is not a clinical instrument and cannot be used for the formal purposes above. The method page explains how it works.
Which should you choose?
| You want | Choose |
|---|---|
| A number for Mensa, school, work or a diagnosis | Clinical or approved supervised test |
| A sense of where you stand, for yourself | A careful online estimate |
| Practice before a formal test | Free practice tests and puzzles |
For a side-by-side comparison, read online vs clinical IQ tests.
Sources
- Wechsler, D. (2008). WAIS-IV Technical and Interpretive Manual. Pearson.
- About us. Mensa International. www.mensa.org/mensa/about-us
- Pearson. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (WAIS-5), product page. 2024. www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Cognition-%26-Neuro/Wechsler-Adult-Intelligence-Scale-%7C-Fifth-Edition/p/P100071002.html
- Cleveland Clinic. Neuropsychological testing and assessment. my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4893-neuropsychological-testing-and-assessment
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, School Psychology Training Clinic. Fee schedule. edpsych.education.wisc.edu/clinics/sptc/sptc-fee-schedule/
- University of Miami psychology clinic. Payment info. psc.psy.miami.edu/payment-info/
- Pearson. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), product page. 2008. www.pearsonassessments.com/store/usassessments/en/Store/Professional-Assessments/Cognition-%26-Neuro/Wechsler-Adult-Intelligence-Scale-%7C-Fourth-Edition/p/100000392.html