How this test is built and scored

Why these five item types

Decades of factor-analytic work converge on a small set of tasks that load heavily on general reasoning ability. Figural matrices are the classic example — they were the basis of Raven's Progressive Matrices and remain one of the purest available markers of fluid intelligence. Number series tap the same inductive process in a quantitative form, mental rotation adds the spatial dimension that broad-ability models treat as a distinct but correlated factor, and classification (odd one out) and figure analogies are the two other item formats that appear in almost every established non-verbal battery.

• Pattern matrices — Inductive reasoning — spotting the rule that governs a grid of figures.
• Number series — Quantitative reasoning — inferring the rule behind a run of numbers.
• Spatial rotation — Spatial visualisation — turning a shape in your mind without flipping it.
• Odd one out — Classification — finding the one figure that breaks the rule the others share.
• Figure analogies — Analogical reasoning — carrying a transformation from one pair over to another.

All items are non-verbal by design. Nothing depends on vocabulary, schooling or cultural background, which keeps the test fairer across languages.

Difficulty weighting

Each item carries a difficulty rating from 1 to 5, and your score is the weighted proportion you answered correctly rather than a plain count. This is a simplified stand -in for item response theory: it means a correct answer on a hard matrix moves your score more than a correct answer on the opening warm-up, which is how professional tests behave.

Items are presented in ascending difficulty, interleaved across the five types so no single skill dominates one stretch of the test.

The item bank is larger than any single sitting. Each attempt draws one of three parallel forms, matched for content and difficulty but built from a different selection of items with the answer options in a different order — so retaking the test measures reasoning again rather than memory.

From answers to an IQ number

Your weighted proportion correct is converted to a z-score against the expected performance of an average adult on this item mix, then mapped onto the deviation IQ scale used by every modern test: a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Your percentile follows directly from the normal distribution.

The quick test carries fewer items, so it is slightly less reliable. Its estimate is shrunk a little toward the mean to avoid overstating extreme results from a short sitting. Final scores are capped between 55 and 145. For a plain-language walkthrough of the bands, see what is a good IQ score.

What this test cannot do

It is not a clinical instrument. Professional assessments such as the WAIS are administered one-to-one by a trained psychologist, take a couple of hours, and cover verbal comprehension, working memory and processing speed alongside reasoning. They are normed on large representative samples with careful age adjustment.

This test is normed on published expectations for these item types rather than on a fresh standardisation sample, and it cannot control your environment, your sleep, or whether you have seen matrix puzzles before. Treat the number as an interesting estimate with a margin of several points either way — never as a diagnosis or a basis for any educational, medical or employment decision.

Retaking

Practice effects are real: second attempts on matrix-style tests typically rise a few points regardless of ability. Your first genuine attempt is the most informative one.