Could You Pass the Mensa Intelligence Test?

iStock
iStock / iStock
facebooktwitterreddit

The biggest perk of being in Mensa just might be the bragging rights. Membership is reserved for society’s most elite intellectuals, and the only path to induction is to score in the 98th percentile or higher on their notorious IQ test. Think you have the smarts to join the top .0001 percent of thinkers? Before you apply for the real thing, flex your brain by answering a few sample questions from the test.

The practice questions shared on Popular Science cover the skills Mensa looks for in its members: verbal, spatial, and mathematical reasoning. To ace the test, you’ll need to be just as capable of recognizing obscure vocabulary as you are of doing complex math in your head.

The real Mensa IQ test is really two tests: a timed test with 50 questions and one with seven sections. (Scoring in the 98th percentile on either test qualifies you to join.) Answering all four of the questions posted to PopSci correctly doesn’t necessarily mean you’re intelligent enough for Mensa, but it should give you a confidence boost if you’re thinking about applying. If you do miss a question or two, maybe hold off on taking the official test until you’ve had more time to prepare: Scoring below the 98th percentile bars you from joining the exclusive club for life. You can take the practice test now by heading over to PopSci.

[h/t Popular Science]