Articles & guides

Everything about IQ, explained honestly

In-depth guides on what IQ scores actually mean, how tests work, what the research supports, and where the popular myths go wrong.

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Reference

IQ Score Guide: every score from 55 to 160

Percentile, classification, and rarity for every IQ score — plus detailed guides for specific scores. Start here to find what your score means.

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IQ Fundamentals
12 min

Can You Improve Your IQ? What the Research Actually Says

Yes, but modestly. Formal education adds 1-5 IQ points per year (Ritchie & Tucker-Drob, 2018). Exercise and sleep help. Brain-training apps mostly don't. Here's what the research supports and what it doesn't - with realistic expectations about timeframes.

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IQ Fundamentals
12 min

How to Join Mensa: Qualifying Scores, Accepted Tests, and the Process

Mensa requires a score at the 98th percentile or above - IQ 130 on Wechsler, 132 on older Stanford-Binet. Here's the complete guide to qualifying tests, the process in the US and UK, fees, preparation, and what membership actually offers.

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IQ Fundamentals
11 min

How Accurate Is an IQ Score? What Measurement Error Actually Means

Professional IQ tests have reliability of 0.95+ but every score has a ±5 point margin. Here's how to read your score with the confidence interval applied, why scores change between tests, and how online tests compare.

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IQ Fundamentals
8 min

IQ vs EQ: What's the Actual Difference?

IQ measures cognitive ability; EQ measures emotional and social skill. They correlate only weakly - here's what each one actually predicts, and which matters more for what.

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IQ Data
11 min

Average IQ by Country, Age, and Profession: What the Data Actually Says

A careful look at average IQ across countries, age groups, and professions - including which of these comparisons are methodologically sound and which are internet folklore.

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IQ Testing
9 min

How Accurate Are Online IQ Tests?

Well-designed online IQ tests estimate your score within about 10-15 points of a clinical assessment. Badly designed ones are essentially random. Here's how to tell the difference.

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IQ Fundamentals
9 min

What Is a Good IQ Score? A Complete Breakdown by Percentile

A good IQ score is typically 110 or above - putting you in the top 25% of the population. Here's the full percentile breakdown, what each IQ range means, and where you rank.

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