Home   |   FAQs   |   Terms & Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Contact Us

The History of "IQ" and IQ Tests

            The intelligence quotient (commonly referred to as IQ) is a relatively recent measurement of how good a person is at figuring out problems.  While today IQ measurements are used primarily for fun comparisons and for joining social clubs such as Mensa, they did not start out that way.   A little more than a century ago, Alfred Binet wanted to find a way to help children who were struggling academically.  He developed a testing mechanism (the very first IQ Test) to evaluate a child’s ability and thus help place them in school.

            Since then, the IQ Test has changed and evolved into what we currently know it as today.  David Wechsler adapted the IQ Test for the adult population in 1939 for the purpose of screening potential Army candidates as well as to assist with patient care at the Bellevue clinic.  Additionally, he developed the normalized IQ Test scoring scale that is still in use today.  According to Wechsler’s scoring guide, the average person would have a score equivalent to 100.  Anyone with a higher intelligence level would score greater than 100 and anyone with less intelligence would score lower than 100.

            Regardless of the IQ Test’s history and previous purposes, it remains today one of the many recognized measurement methods for determining how smart or intelligent a person is.  There are many different versions of the IQ Test, but all will provide a similar approximation to help you gage your “intelligence quotient”.