Mensa IQ tests are doorways into the home of the brightest of the bright.
This elite organization is home to some of the most talented minds. Being a member of Mensa is no small feat, and it guarantees bragging rights pretty much wherever you go.
When it comes to IQ tests, Mensa is the king. Or queen, depending on your point of view. But it all hinges on how well you do with the IQ tests Mensa offers.
Who Is Eligible To Join Mensa?
You need to achieve a score in the top 2 per cent of the population on Mensa IQ tests to join Mensa, so it certainly isn’t for everyone. Mensa membership really is reserved for the best and the brightest. Unless you have an IQ of at least 130 on most conventional IQ tests, you won’t be eligible to join Mensa.
Just to create some perspective…the normal IQ scores that most folks achieve is 100.
Most large cities have branches or chapters of Mensa. Becoming a member not only looks great on your resume, but it gives you an opportunity to flex your intellectual muscles with like-minded smarties.
You will certainly be in select company. Overall, there are only 110,000 members in Mensa International, spread through 50 national groups.
Mensa IQ Tests: How Smart Do I Have To Be To Join Mensa?
Mensa has very strict standards for membership. In most cases, you’ll be required to take an official Mensa test with a certified Mensa tester. In some cases, however, Mensa will accept verified IQ test results from tests other than their own. But they will only accept results from certain tests.
For something like the Stanford Binet test, you need to score a minimum of 132 points. On the Cattell test, you have to aim a little higher — for a minimum of 148. When compared to your average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill IQ tests, a score of 130 or higher should put you in Mensa range.
Anxious to get started seeing if you are Mensa-worthy? There’s a new app available for smartphones that will help you test your IQ. The Mensa Brain Test works on pretty much all smartphones — iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc. — and will only set you back $1.99.
With five practice questions, and three types of tests, this is one of the most accessible Mensa IQ tests available, and a great way to train your brain. In the process, you’ll find out if you really have what it takes to be a member of Mensa.
There are 20, 40 and 60 question tests, so budget your time accordingly! Expect to test your IQ in areas like logic, visual skills, language abilities and (dreaded by us anyway) math.
Prefer to use your phone or tablet to measure your IQ? Barnstorm Game’s Mensa IQ Check app is just a fun and inexpensive way of putting your smarts to the test. There are versions available from Apple, GooglePlay and even Amazon.
Mensa IQ Tests: Options Galore
Mensa offers a reasonably priced ($5 at the time of this writing) practice IQ test online. This test gives you a great chance to practice your skills, and see if it’s worth investing in an official Mensa test, which can cost in the neighborhood of $60.
Overall, achieving the following test scores on these approved tests should make you eligible for Mensa membership:
You might be surprised at some of the prominent folks who have successfully joined Mensa. People like Scott Adams (the cartoonist who created Dilbert), novelist Jean Auel, Buckminster Fuller, Norman Schwarzkopf, Geena Davis, Sharon Stone, Quentin Tarantino and Joyce Carol Oates. Marilyn Vos Savant, a writer who has (arguably) the highest recorded IQ, is also a member of Mensa.
You can learn more about what genius IQ looks like here.
Think You’ve Got What It Takes To Join Mensa?
There are many benefits to Mensa IQ tests, and Mensa membership, including intellectual stimulation and a chance to meet people with similar intellectual capabilities. There are also special interest groups for Mensa members, with topics ranging from tap dancing and Star Trek to microbiology.
Special publications are produced for Mensa members, and the group also contributes to many community charity programs worldwide.
Most Mensa members fall between the ages of 47 and 64, though the youngest members joined at 2 years of age. So, it can be done!
It’s not easy, but achieving a high score on a Mensa IQ test is satisfying and rewarding — but certainly not easy! It’s a good idea to make sure that you are as prepared as possible before you take a Mensa test. There are many books, quizzes and puzzles on line that can help you flex your intellectual muscles.
Luckily, there are also several practice IQ tests available to help you get ready for the Big Event.
This Mensa Workout is provided by — you guessed it — Mensa. It’s not an actual IQ test, but instead helps you get a sense of the kind of questions you might face on an actual Mensa IQ test.
You’ll be given 30 questions to answer in 30 minutes. You can get feedback and a grade as you go, just to help you see if you are on track.
Be forewarned — these questions aren’t easy, and the Mensa Workout is not for the faint of heart.
Popular Science has a quick, straightforward but not all that easy Mensa practice test to see if you are ready for the real thing. There are just four questions that are examples from an actual Mensa test, but they measure your math and language skills, and well as your abilities with spatial perception. Fun, quick and free — check it out here.
Mensa IQ Tests: Practice makes perfect
There are also some practice tests you can take through Bergman Data. You can sample a few questions for free, then pay $19 for four complete tests that are billed as great preparation for the actual Mensa exams.
You can check out these practice IQ tests here.
There’s another practice test online that promises questions that are strikingly similar to the actual Mensa test. Provided courtesy of the Tucson Weekly, the quiz can be taken online. There are only 10 questions, so you aren’t looking at a big time investment! Not scientific, but definitely amusing and gives you a sense of the flavor of real Mensa offerings.
You can take the Mensa Mini Quiz here.
Looking for some quick insights into your potential to pass the Mensa test? This online quiz includes eight Mensa IQ test questions that are a great indication of what you can expect with an actual test. The questions are broken down into the key areas — verbal and non-verbal reasoning, mathematical ability, etc. — so they can help you establish the areas in which you shine, as well as where you need to boost your skills a bit.