it turns out I'm stupid. seriously!

[mickey]

There's a battery of intelligence tests on Cambridge University's website. They're a lot like the Lumosity practice tests. Most of the time IQ tests don't work because of cultural bias or bias toward knowledge rather than intelligence, but after taking these tests, I'm pretty convinced that they do measure true intelligence.

My top score on one of the 14 tests was in the bottom 47% of test-takers. The tests in which I did least badly were the ones most connected to level of knowledge (I'm a college dropout but 49 years old). There was one outlier, because I got at least 6 on all other tests and got -26 (yes, MINUS 26) on that one test. In that one I was bottom 3% because I was just totally confused by it.

People tend to think I'm intelligent because of my large vocabulary and facility with the English language, but it turns out I'm really a dummy who just happens to know more words than other people, only because I've lived longer than other people. So, hi, pleased to meet you.

 

[lifestream]

Those test results are rarely a realistic reflection of an individual's intellectual capacity or faculties. I wouldn't take it to heart.

 

[Mouse]

I think you would be far better off reading either Mark Twain or Charles Dickens.

 

[SophiaGrace]

I would like a link to these tests.

 

[VanillaCreme]

Many intelligence tests don't take into consideration that there are a variety of intelligence types. Someone who's book smart may not survive well on the streets of a ghetto, and someone who's people smart may not necessarily be able to recite old world literature.

 

[Batman55]

Many intelligence tests don't take into consideration that there are a variety of intelligence types. Someone who's book smart may not survive well on the streets of a ghetto, and someone who's people smart may not necessarily be able to recite old world literature.

May I challenge this a bit? You seem to suggest that there's only book smarts and social smarts, while I've known plenty of folks (and myself) who don't necessarily have smarts in either category. I'm certain one can be successful without academic-type intellect or social skills.

 

[VanillaCreme]

Many intelligence tests don't take into consideration that there are a variety of intelligence types. Someone who's book smart may not survive well on the streets of a ghetto, and someone who's people smart may not necessarily be able to recite old world literature.

May I challenge this a bit? You seem to suggest that there's only book smarts and social smarts, while I've known plenty of folks (and myself) who don't necessarily have smarts in either category. I'm certain one can be successful without academic-type intellect or social skills.

I didn't suggest anything. Those are just some examples I used.

 

[Juliet]

Mickey don't worry about the score. The only thing intelligence tests measure is how good you are at taking intelligence tests.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/sci...929/IQ-tests-do-not-reflect-intelligence.html

 

[mickey]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Someone I know who graduated with a bachelor's from Oxford University in England, was accepted to law school and is currently in law school also took that battery of tests. He scored in the "top 49%" which was only four percentage points better than me! So now I have reason to believe that the results reporting of those tests is flawed and am much relieved.

I didn't keep the link to the tests but google CambridgeBrainSciences and they should come up on the first page of results.

 

[kamya]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Someone I know who graduated with a bachelor's from Oxford University in England, was accepted to law school and is currently in law school also took that battery of tests. He scored in the "top 49%" which was only four percentage points better than me! So now I have reason to believe that the results reporting of those tests is flawed and am much relieved.

I didn't keep the link to the tests but google CambridgeBrainSciences and they should come up on the first page of results.

Your friend's degree does no better of a job of indicating intelligence than those tests. I wouldn't worry about it either way.