Book of

IQ Test

1
Contents
Introduction 1
Test One: Questions 7
Test One: Answers 24
Test Two: Questions 29
Test Two: Answers 46
Test Three: Questions 51
Test Three: Answers 69
Test Four: Questions 74
Test Four: Answers 88
Test Five: Questions 92
Test Five: Answers 108
Test Six: Questions 112
Test Six: Answers 128
Test Seven: Questions 133
Test Seven: Answers 149
Test Eight: Questions 153
Test Eight: Answers 166
Test Nine: Questions 171
Test Nine: Answers 186
Test Ten: Questions 191
Test Ten: Answers 209
Further Reading from Kogan Page 213

2
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blank
 Introduction

Of the different methods that purport to measure

intelligence, the most famous is the IQ (Intelligence
Quotient) test, which is a standardised test designed to
measure human intelligence as distinct from attainments.
Intelligence quotient is an age-related measure of
intelli- gence level. The word quotient means the result of
dividing one quantity by another, and one definition of
intelligence is mental ability or quickness of mind.
Usually, IQ tests consist of a graded series of tasks, each
of which has been standardised with a large
representative population of individuals in order to
establish an average IQ of 100 for each test.
It is generally accepted that a person’s mental ability
develops at a constant rate until about the age of 13, after
which devel- opment has been shown to slow down, and
beyond the age of
18 little or no improvement is found.
When the IQ of a child is measured, the subject attempts
an IQ test that has been standardised, with an average
score recorded for each age group. Thus a 10-year-old
child who scored the result that would be expected of a
12-year-old
would have an IQ of 120, or 12/10 ×
100:

mental age (12) chronological age (10)

1
× 100 = 120 IQ

2
The Times Book of IQ
Tests

Because after the age of 18 little or no improvement is

found, adults have to be judged on an IQ test whose
average score is
100, and the results graded above and below this norm
according to known test scores.
Like so many distributions found in nature, the
distribution of IQ takes the form of a fairly regular bell
curve (see Figure
0.1 below) in which the average score is 100 and similar
proportions occur both above and below this norm.
% of population

0 100 170
IQ score
Figure 0.1 The bell curve

There are a number of different types of intelligence tests,

for example Cattell, Stanford-Binet and Wechsler, and each
have their own different scales of intelligence.
The Stanford-Binet is heavily weighted with
questions involving verbal abilities and is widely used in
the United States of America. The Weschler scales consist
of two separate verbal and performance sub-scales each
with its own IQ rating. On the Stanford-Binet scale half
the population fall between 90 and 110 IQ, half of them
above 100 and half of them below; 25 per cent score above
110; 11 per cent above
120; 3 per cent above 130 and 0.6 per cent above 140. At
the other end of the scale the same kind of proportion
The Times Book of IQ
Tests
occurs.
Although it is IQ tests that we are specifically concerned
with in this book it should be pointed out that IQ tests are just
one part of what is generally referred to as psychometric
testing. Such
test content may be addressed to almost any aspect of our intel-
lectual or emotional make-up, including personality,
attitude, intelligence or emotion. Psychometric tests are
basically tools used for measuring the mind; the word metric
means measure and the word psycho means mind.
There are two types of psychometric tests that are usually
used in tandem by employers. These are aptitude tests, which
assess your abilities, and person- ality questionnaires, which
assess your character and personality.
Aptitude tests are also known as cognitive, ability or
intelli- gence (IQ) tests. Such tests are designed to test your
ability to comprehend quickly under strictly timed
conditions. Cognition may be broadly defined as knowing,
perceiving and thinking and it is studied by psychologists
because it reveals the extent of a person’s ability to think.
There are many different types of tests. However, a
typical test might consist of three sections each testing a
different ability, usually comprising verbal reasoning,
numerical ability and diagrammatic, or spatial, reasoning.
In order to give you the opportunity to practise on all types
of questions that you are likely to encounter in actual IQ
tests, the tests that have been specially compiled for this
book are multi-discipline and include a mix of verbal,
numerical and diagrammatic ques- tions, as well as
additional questions involving logical thought processes as
well as a degree of lateral thinking.
In the past 25 years psychometric testing has been
brought into widespread use in industry because of the
need for employers to ensure they place the right people
in the right job at the outset. One of the main reasons for
this is the high cost of errors in today’s world of tight
budgets and reduced profit margins. To recruit a new
member of staff an employer has to advertise, consider each
application, reduce the appli- cants to a shortlist, interview
and then train the successful applicant. If the wrong hiring
choice has been made, then the whole expensive process has
to be repeated.
 It is important that such tests are evaluated in tandem
with each other as if a person scores well on an aptitude test
it does not necessarily mean that they will be suited to
the job, as whilst you may be good at doing something, you
may dislike it intensely, and success in most tasks is
heavily dependent on your personal qualities and your
attitude.
Although it is generally accepted that a person’s IQ
remains constant throughout life, and, therefore, it is not
possible to increase your actual IQ, it is possible to
improve your perfor- mance on IQ tests by practising the
many different types of question, and learning to recognise
the recurring themes.
Besides their uses in improving one’s performance on
IQ tests, practice on the type of questions contained in this
book has the added advantage of exercising the brain.
Our brain needs exercise and care in the same way as other
parts of the body. We eat the right foods to keep our
heart healthy, we moisturise our skin to keep it from
drying out and, just as gymnasts strive to increase their
performance at whatever level they are competing by
means of punishing training schedules and refinement of
technique, there are exercises, or mental gymnastics, we
can do to increase the performance of our brain and
enhance quickness of thought.
Many people still have the outdated belief that there is
little they can do to improve the brain they are born with
and that brain cells continually degenerate with age: but,
in fact, our brain cells continually develop new and
stronger connections and adult brains can grow new cells
irrespective of age.
The main thing is to use your brain continually. For
example, the more we practise at tests of verbal aptitude
the more we increase our ability to understand the
meaning of words and use them effectively; the more we
practise at maths the more confident we become when
working with numbers, the better our ability to perform
arithmetic operations accu- rately, and the quicker we
become at performing these opera-
tions; and the more we practise our ability to move our
fingers and manipulate small objects the more dextrous
we become at operations involving this type of aptitude,
and the quicker we become at performing them accurately.
The tests that follow have been newly compiled for this
book and are not, therefore, standardised, so an actual IQ
assessment cannot be given. However, a guide to
assessing your performance for each test is provided below
as well as a cumulative guide for your overall performance
on all 10 tests.
A time limit of 90 minutes is allowed for each test. The
correct answers are given at the end of the test, and you
should award yourself one point for each completely
correct answer. Calculators may be used to assist with
solving numerical questions if preferred.
Use the following table to assess your performance:

One test:
Score

Rating
36–40 Exceptional
31–35 Excellent
25–30 Very
good
19–24 Good
14–18

Average

Ten tests:
Score

Rating
351–400 Exceptional
301–350 Excellent
241–300 Very
good
181–240 Good
140–180

Average
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6
 Test One: Questions

1. Which piece below, when fitted into

the piece on the left, will form a
perfect square?

A B C

D E
 Test One: Questions

2. Which word in brackets is most opposite to the word

in capitals?

PROSCRIBE (allow, stifle, promote, verify, indict)

3. 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, ?

What number should replace the question mark?

4. Which number is the odd one out?

9678 4572 5261 5133 3527 6895 7768

5. Isotherm is to temperature as isobar is to:

atmosphere, wind, pressure, latitude, current

8
6.
1 2 4 7

4 ? 7 10

6 ? ? 12

7 8 10 ?

Which is the missing section?

6 5

8 10 9 7

12 13
A B

6 5

7 8 7 9

14 13
C D
7. Which is the odd one out?

8. Identify two words (one from each set of brackets) that

have a connection (analogy) with the words in
capitals and relate to them in the same way.

GRAM (energy, weight,

scales) KNOT (water, rope,

speed)
9.

56

19 28

Each number in the pyramid is the sum of the two

numbers immediately below it. Fill in the pyramid
with the missing numbers.

10. Which is the odd one out?

A B

C D E
11. How many minutes is it before 12 noon, if 48 minutes
ago it was twice as many minutes past 9 a.m.?

12. Complete the five words below in such a way that the
two letters that end the first word also start the second
word, and the two letters that end the second word also
start the third word etc. The same two letters that end
the fifth word also start the first word, to complete the
cycle.

** IV **

** OT **

** IC **

** NG **

** RA **

13. Which is the odd one out?

heptagon, triangle, hexagon, cube, pentagon

14. Switch A turns lights 1 and 2 on/off or off/on

Switch B turns lights 2 and 4 on/off or off/on

Switch C turns lights 1 and 3 on/off or off/on

= ON

= OFF

Switches C, A and B are thrown in turn with the result

that Figure 1 turns into Figure 2. Which switch does not
work at all?

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

Figure 1 Figure 2
15.

Which is the missing tile?

A B C D E

16. Which word in brackets is closest in meaning to the

word in capitals?

BRUNT (dull, edifice, impact, tawny, nonsense)

17. Which of the following is not an anagram of a type of

food?

PAST EIGHT I

CAN ROAM

WIN BOAR

CAN PEAK

COOL CHEAT
 18.
3 6 2

7 4 21 16 3 ?

What number should replace the question mark?

19.
N O I

A R O S

L F E

Work from square to adjacent square horizontally or verti-

cally (but not diagonally) to spell out a 12-letter word.
You must find the starting point, and provide the missing
letters.

20. How many lines appear below?

21.

Which is the missing tile?

A B C

D E F

22. 67/ , 29/ , 55/ , 313/ , 4 3/ , ?

8 16 8 16 8

What number should replace the question mark?

23.
I
Y
U G
L S

O L
G T

O
PN L
I
T

Work clockwise round the circles to spell out two eight-

letter words that are synonyms. Each word commences in
a different circle, and you must find the starting point of
each. Every letter is used once each and all letters are
consecutive.

24. 10, 30, 32, 96, 98, 294, 296, ?, ?

What two numbers should replace the question

marks?

25. able, rot, son, king

Which word below shares a common feature with all

the words above?

line, sit, take, hope,

night
26. Identify two words (one from each set of brackets)
that have a connection (analogy) with the words in
capitals and relate to them in the same way.

SEA (wet, swimmer, ship)

SNOW (mountain, ice,

skier)

27. Which word meaning LOCALITY becomes a

word meaning TEMPO when a letter is removed?

28. Alf has four times as many as Jim, and Jim has three times
as many as Sid. Altogether they have 192. How many has
each?

29. Which is the only one of the following that is not an

anagram of a word meaning out of this world?

flow under

sexed Utah

enviable

blue icier

blend

30. A man has 53 socks in his drawer: 21 identical blue,

15 identical black and 17 identical red. The lights are
fused and he is completely in the dark. How many
socks must he take out to make 100 per cent certain
he has a pair of black socks?
31.

Draw the missing figure in the above sequence.

32. How many minutes is it before 12 noon if nine

minutes ago it was twice as many minutes past 10 a.m.?

33. Which two words are closest in meaning?

conclave, medley, theme, conglomeration,

dissertation, augury

34. broke rage prose cute dared ?

Which word is missing?

palm hymn evil snow take

35. Find five consecutive numbers below that total 22.

7396413793541765
36.

To which hexagon below can a dot be added so that

both dots then meet the same conditions as the two dots
in the hexagon above?

A B C

D E
37. Find two words (4, 6) in this diagram. Letters are
traced across the circle by chords. If the next letter is
four letters or less away it will be found by tracing
around the circum- ference. Clue: free flight.

B A Z
C Y
D X
E W
F V

G U

H T

I S

J R
K Q
L O P
M N
38.
A

H B

G C

F D

What letter is directly opposite the letter that is two

letters away clockwise from the letter that is directly
opposite the letter E?

39.
9

7 2

5 7 6

4 6 ? 8

What number should replace the question mark?

40.

Which is the missing section?

A B