Aspects of IQ testing
Of the different methods that purport to measure intelligence, the most famous is the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test, which is a standardized test designed to measure human intelligence as distinct from attainments.
There are a number of different types of intelligence tests, for example Cattell, Stanford-Binet and Weschler, and each has its own different scale of intelligence.
It is generally accepted that a person’s mental age remains constant in development to about the age of 13, after which it is shown to slow up, and beyond the age of 18 little or no improvement is found.
Although it is generally accepted that it is not possible, in adulthood, to increase your actual IQ, it is possible, paradoxically, to improve your performance on IQ tests by practising on the various types of question, and learning to recognize the recurring themes. By constant practice on different IQ tests, and by getting your mind attuned to the different types of question you may encounter, it is possible to improve your IQ rating by several percentage points.
It should be pointed out that while IQ tests measure a variety of different types of ability such as verbal, mathematical, spatial and reasoning skills, it is now becoming increasingly recognized that there are many different types of intelligence and that a high measured IQ, although desirable, is not the only key to success in life.
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 intellectual or emotional make-up, including personality, attitude, intelligence or emotion.