Probably you are familiar with term IQ test. In a lot of printed publications, focused on women in particular, you may find them. You can find them online too, just by Googling ‘IQ test’. You simply fill in your answer to the tasks given in the test. Press ‘Submit’ and seconds later you will have the judgement of your mental capacity.
To start over, what is an IQ test really? And what’s the number mean? IQ is the ‘Intelligence Quotient’, a number telling how ’smart’ you are compared to other people. It’s supposed to give you an idea of how well you’ll do at a certain profession or how well you’ll perform academically.
The basic concept of an IQ test is to estimate how well the brain solves problems in paper form. It assesses the ability of your brain to figure out solutions to issues presented to you in written form. Then your results are compared to other people. It is the most used method to measure human intelligence.
Taken over the whole population the average IQ score is 100. If your score is higher than 100 you are more intelligent than average. A score below 100 tells that you are less intelligent than average.
Advantages of the IQ Test
- Hiring E.g. you like to hire someone for a position. You could get a better understanding of the applicant’s intelligence by conducting an IQ test. The test could be on logical, linguistic and spatial intelligence. These may be more related to the type of work involved. A high score would indicate the candidate is well suited for the position. Some candidates who would probably not be able to do the work could be screened out this way.
- Academic admission On top of the SAT and other tests IQ tests to judge their intelligence. As there are often fewer places than applicants, this could be an additional screening tool. That way there is a better chance to pick the top performers and weed out students with less potential.
Negative sides of the IQ test
- IQ tests are far from infallible though Plenty of folks who have taken an IQ test as part of the interview process didn’t do so well at work. It is quite common that they do not climb very fast or high on the corporate career ladder.
- Not the most important success factor Many students with high IQ are a dissapointment when they hand in their term papers. According to some scientific studies have shown that a high self-discipline is more important than a high IQ score. Relying only on smartness is not enough you must put whatever IQ you have to work to do really well. Often high IQ students are overtaken since they do not put in enough effort as the courses become more difficult.
-
Many abilites are not measured by IQ testsFor example IQ tests can’t measure how well you’ll do as a leader. Another area not covered is your emotional intelligence, also called EQ, how good you are at handling other people and relationships. There is also the theory of multiple intelligences, that defines 8 different aspects of intelligence that you may have to varying degrees. Intelligence is so much more than a single score.