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How To Answer
Interview Questions
That Test Your IQ?
29th Dec, 2023 7 mins

Table of Contents:

Why Are IQ Questions Asked in Interviews?

20 Interview IQ Test Questions and Answers

How to Effectively Answer IQ Questions in an

Interview?

Conclusion

Why Are IQ Questions Asked

in Interviews?
You walk into the interview room, feeling nervous
and excited. As you settle into your seat, you are
prepared for the typical interview questions about
your experience and qualifications. But did you know
that many employers also include IQ questions for
interviews?

IQ, or intelligence quotient, measures a person's

cognitive abilities, including critical thinking, problem-
solving, and analytical skills. Employers use IQ
questions during interviews to assess a candidate's
mental agility and ability to think independently.
These questions provide valuable insights into how
well a candidate can handle complex tasks and make
decisions under pressure. A high IQ score indicates
that a candidate has the potential to excel in roles
that require advanced problem-solving and decision-
making skills. It also demonstrates their ability to
grasp new concepts quickly and adapt to changing
situations.

20 Interview IQ Test
Questions and Answers
Preparing basic IQ questions for interviews is
essential for showcasing cognitive abilities and
problem-solving skills. Here is the list of 20 such IQ
questions for interviews:

What comes next in the series: 2, 5,

10, 17, 26...?

Answer: The series follows the pattern of adding

consecutive prime numbers - 2, 3, 5, 7, 11...
Therefore, the next number in the series is 37.

Five friends went to a store. David

bought fewer items than Sarah but
more than Emma. John bought
more items than everyone else.
Who bought the most items?

Answer: John. If John bought more items than

everyone else, he must have bought more items than
Sarah, who, in turn, bought more items than Emma.
Therefore, John bought the most items.

Mary's father is twice as old as she

is. If Mary is 10, how old is her
father?

Answer: Mary's father is twice as old as she is, so

that he would be 20.

Which word does not belong in the

following group: Apple, Banana,
Orange, Mango, Watermelon?

Answer: Watermelon does not belong because it is

the only fruit not a citrus fruit.

A tile floor has a pattern of

alternating black and white tiles
arranged in a grid. You cover one
corner of the floor with a 2x3 rug
covering two black and four white
tiles. Can we cover the entire floor
with these rugs?

Answer: No, covering the entire floor with these rugs

is impossible. Each rug covers an equal number of
black and white tiles. Since the floor has uneven tiles,
it cannot be completely covered with these rugs.

How would you design an alarm

clock for deaf people?

Answer: I would design an alarm clock that uses

vibration instead of sound. It could have a vibrating
pad placed under the pillow or mattress, ensuring
that the vibration awakens deaf individuals.

You have two ropes, each taking

exactly one hour to burn. However,
they do not burn at a constant
rate. How can you measure 45
minutes using only these two
ropes?

Answer: First, light one rope at both ends

simultaneously. At the same time, light the other
rope at one end only. The first rope will burn
completely in 30 minutes (as it burns from both
ends), while the second rope will have 30 minutes left
to burn. When the first rope is finished, light the
other end of the second rope. It will burn in 15
minutes, completing a total time of 45 minutes.

How many times do a clock's hour

and minute hands overlap in a
day?

Answer: 22 times. This is because the hour and

minute hands overlap every 12 hours (11 times), and
since they also overlap at exactly 12 o'clock, that
adds another two times.

A man pushes his car to a hotel

and tells its owner he's bankrupt.
Why?

Answer: The man is playing Monopoly and landed on

the hotel's property, which bankrupted him.

If a plane crashes on the border

between the United States and
Mexico, where do they bury the
survivors?

Answer: You don't bury survivors.

If you are running in a race and

pass the person in second place,
what place are you in now?

Answer: If you pass the person in second place, you

take their spot, so now you are in second place.

How many times can you subtract

10 from 100?

Answer: It can be done only once because after

subtracting 10 from 100 once, you are left with 90.

Which word is spelled incorrectly

in every dictionary?

Answer: The word "incorrectly" is spelt incorrectly,

even in a dictionary.

Lisa needs 18 books from the

library. Lisa can only carry 4 at a
time. What's the minimum number
of trips Lisa needs to make to the
library?

Answer: To determine the minimum number of trips,

divide the total number of items (18 books) by the
maximum number of items carried on each trip (4
books). In this case, 18 divided by 4 equals 4 with a
remainder of 2. Therefore, Lisa needs 5 trips to carry
all 18 books, as 4 trips would cover 16 books, and the
fifth trip would complete the remaining 2 books.

How can you drop a raw egg onto a

concrete floor without cracking it?

Answer: Concrete floors are hard to crack.

If three cats catch three mice in

three minutes, how long will it
take for 100 cats to catch 100
mice?

Answer: 3 minutes. Each cat catches one mouse in

one minute, so the time remains the same for 100
cats and 100 mice.

You see a boat filled with people. It

has not sunk, but when you look
again, you don’t see anyone on the
boat. Why?

Answer: All the people were married.

You're a bus driver. At the first

stop, 4 people get on. At the
second stop, 8 people get on. At
the third stop, 2 people got off, and
at the fourth stop, everyone got
off. The question is: What colour
are the bus driver's eyes?

Answer: As you are the bus driver in this situation,

the colour of the driver's eyes would be the same as
yours.

If an electric train is travelling

south at 100 mph, and the wind is
blowing to the north at a speed of
10 mph, which way does the smoke
from the train's chimney blow?

Answer: Electric trains do not produce smoke, so

there would be no smoke from the chimney.

A boy and his father are in a car

accident. The father dies at the
scene, and the boy is taken to the
hospital. The surgeon says, "I can't
operate on this boy; he is my son."
How is this possible? (This question
tests your ability to challenge gender
stereotypes and think beyond
traditional roles.)

Answer: The surgeon is the boy's other parent, who

happens to be his mother.

Can you name three consecutive

days without using the words
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or
Sunday?

Answer: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow are three

consecutive days.

How to Effectively Answer IQ

Questions in an Interview?
Now that you're familiar with IQ questions for
interviews let us discuss some effective strategies for
answering them:

1. Listen carefully and think before you answer:

Pay close attention to the question and make
sure you fully understand what is being asked
before jumping to conclusions. Take your time
to analyse the question and identify any
underlying patterns or logic.

2. Show your thought process: When answering

IQ questions, explaining your reasoning and
showing your thought process is important.
Even if you don't arrive at the correct answer,
demonstrating logical thinking and critical
analysis can still impress the interviewer.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you

practice solving IQ questions, the more
comfortable you will become with the process.
Look for online resources or books that provide
sample questions and work through them
systematically.

Conclusion
IQ questions play a significant role in interviews as
they assess a candidate's critical thinking, problem-
solving, and analytical skills. Professionals in various
industries, such as management consulting, software
engineering, investment banking, and research and
development, often encounter these types of
questions during interviews. By practising IQ
questions for interviews and developing your critical
thinking skills, you can increase your chances of
performing well in interviews and securing job
opportunities. Check out some General Management
Courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

(FAQs)

Which professions include IQ

questions for interviews?
IQ questions are commonly asked in management
consulting, finance, engineering, software
development, and data analysis. These roles
require strong analytical thinking and problem-
solving skills.

How can I effectively answer IQ

interview questions?

Can taking career development

courses give me an edge in answering
IQ interview questions?

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