The following is a list of unofficial rules concerning the free online IQ tests that can be found on this website.
Bear in mind that you can take the tests on this website in whatever way you would like.
However, if you want to get the most out of your experience using this website, whether your goal is entertainment, practice, or self-discovery, these rules are worth following.
Below, after each rule is stated, it is briefly justified.
You should not use any calculators, computer programs, or reference books like dictionaries, thesauruses, and encyclopedias, whether physical or online, while taking these tests.
The same applies to the use of scrap paper or anything similar.
The only tool you should use is your mind.
The reason this rule exists is simply that these tests were designed with this rule in mind. The use of other tools to complete these tests undermines these tests' stated measurement goals.
It is hard to overstate the significance of your initial attempt on any of the free IQ tests that are hosted on this website. Here are some reasons why the first try matters the most.
The measurement of your ability that you obtain on your first attempt is the attempt that is least affected by your exposure to the specific questions on the test.
It is still somewhat affected, because you encounter certain questions after already encountering certain other ones. In other words, some practice effect is unavoidable, but it is minimal on your first attempt.
This attempt reflects your initial, unbiased response to the challenges presented in the test as best as possible. It provides a genuine measure of your instincts and whatever problem-solving abilities the test "taps into".
Additionally, taking a test for the first time offers a unique learning opportunity. It is important to view these tests as tools for measuring your abilities and improving your abilities. Your first attempt at any test allows you to encounter unfamiliar, promoting the development of various cognitive faculties as well as general problem-solving ability.
Finally, embracing the challenge of a test on your first attempt contributes to personal growth. It encourages a mindset of continuous improvement and resilience, which ultimately leads to an improved confidence when encountering material that is similar in nature to the questions on this website's intelligence tests.
Your score on any specific kind of IQ test can increase with practice. This increase in score is the result of an increased familiarity with the kind or kinds of items on that test. as you become more familiar with the particular nuances of that test. In psychometrics, this is known as the practice effect.
Whether this actually reflects an increase in intelligence is an interesting question. On the one hand, it is natural to distinguish aptitude, or innante ability, from achievement, or learned ability. On the other hand, one of the most robust definitions of intelligence in the context of psychometrics is that of psychologist Edwin G. Boring: intelligence is what intelligence tests measure. According to this definition, interpreted strictly, an increase in score would mean an increase in intelligence, ignoring any error in the test's measurement.
It is worth noting that repeatedly taking a certain kind of IQ test allows a subject to discover strategies and memorize patterns that are unique to that kind of test, and the ability to increase one's score with practice does, in itself, seem like a demonstration of one's innate intelligence. In other words, there is no guarantee that an arbitrary subject will indeed improve his or her score with practice.
The IQ tests on this website are offered to visitors as brain-building exercises and the chance to discover the breadth of their abilities, be they innate or learned, unpracticed or practiced; "practice" is not a dirty word. Visitors should aim to become as adept as possible at these tests, and demonstrate no shame about this.