A piece of cake. So am I a genius?
Before you start getting smug, we should point out that these ten questions are taken (sometimes with modifications) from the first part of a book divided into three sections. The authors describe that section as 'easy' and say that they only included it "to lure you in". Clearly, the serious puzzles are in the other two sections.
We would also warn you against assuming that tests like these give some kind of infallible scientific measure of how intelligent a person is. You could buy the thick book that we've got, do a few hundred of them and then find that your score has gone up significantly. Does that mean that you have become more intelligent, or does it just mean that you have become more familiar with this kind of intellectual game?
Having said that, if you managed to find all ten answers in less than 20 minutes you are obviously a quick thinker who is very good at abstract reasoning. You might not make it as a poet or a painter, but you could be one of the great theoretical physicists of the future.
If you feel frustrated that we haven't been able to give you a number for your IQ so you know whether you really do rank alongside the great Albert Einstein and the unfortunate Steven Hawking you should contact Mensa in the UK. They will be only too pleased to give you an official test, then tell you your IQ, and if it is over 148 (the minimum you need to get to qualify as a genius) they will send you a badge and invite you over for a coffee or a beer.
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Disaster! Am I really so dumb?
Don't assume that just because you couldn't do more than one or two of the puzzles in twenty minutes you are dumb. There may be other explanations. It may be that you are a bit like some of us at fullspate who object to having to jump through hoops. Doing IQ tests can feel to some people as if they are being told to jump through hoops held high as if they were dogs in a circus. People like that are not going to even want to concentrate and work out the answer. We respect that kind of attitude. After all, who wants to be a circus dog?
Even if you were genuinely trying and your mind just drew a blank, it doesn't mean you are mentally retarded. Let's remember that tests like these only assess one kind of intelligence: abstract reasoning. Nowadays it is accepted that there are lots of different kinds of intelligence - even the abilities to ride a bike, dance, juggle or kick a football with both feet are now considered signs of a form of intelligence. You might not be cut out for a job as a theoretical physicist, but you could become a great painter or a poet.
Don't forget what they call "emotional intelligence". You could flunk both maths and your poetry writing course and never get picked for the football team and yet still have a very subtle appreciation of how other people are feeling. This, too, is considered to be a form of intelligence. Some of these theoretical physicists have the emotional intelligence of a shark. Your EQ, though, could be really high and you could make a great parent.
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