How can I find out my IQ?
To find out your IQ you need to take a standardized test, which compares your performance with people of your age. There are two routes: a test given by a psychologist, which ends in a formal report, and an online test, which gives an estimate with a margin of error.
In this article
Can you know your IQ without taking a test?
No. A modern IQ is a position on a scale: the test compares your answers with those of a group of people of the same age, and the average of that group becomes 100. Without answering a test that has such a norm, there is no number to calculate.
School grades, occupation and ease with everyday problems are related to IQ on average, but none of them converts into an IQ. How this scale was born is told in What IQ is, and what it isn't.
How does a psychologist's test differ from an online test?
Both use the same scale, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, but they answer different questions.
| Aspect | Test with a psychologist | Online educational test |
|---|---|---|
| Who gives it | A licensed psychologist | No one; you answer on your own |
| Instrument | Tests approved for professional use (in Brazil, those listed by the Federal Council of Psychology) | Each site's own questions |
| Length | One or more sessions | Usually 10 to 30 minutes |
| What you get | A formal report with conclusions | An estimate for personal use |
| What it is for | School, health and formal requirements | Curiosity and self-knowledge |
Each side is covered in detail in Online reasoning test or consultation with a psychologist.
When is an online test enough?
When the question is yours and has no consequences: understanding how you reason, seeing which kinds of question you did best on, or satisfying curiosity with an explained method.
It is not enough when someone will decide something based on the number. School, health, hiring and legal requirements call for a test with a psychologist. Mensa, for example, states on its own page that online tests are not valid for admission; the details are in What IQ do you need to join Mensa?
How do you read the number you get?
Start with the mean. 100 is the middle of the comparison group, and about 2 in 3 people fall between 85 and 115. About 2 in 100 score above 130. The full table is in What each score means.
Then look for the margin of error. Every test is a little off, and an honest result shows this as a range, for example 104 to 120, and not as a bare number. Why that matters is explained in Why an honest result comes with a margin of error.
How does it work at IQNorth?
This page belongs to IQNorth, so here is how our test fits. It has 40 questions, takes about 20 minutes and covers six areas: matrices, number series, spatial rotation, logic, verbal reasoning and working memory. Your result is compared with the population curve for your age group and comes with a 95% range. Answering is free; the IQ number and the full report are paid.
See also: How to tell if an online IQ test is reliable.
Sources
- Conselho Federal de Psicologia (Brazil). SATEPSI. Accessed Nov 5, 2026. https://satepsi.cfp.org.br/
- Mensa Brasil. Frequently asked questions about the tests (in Portuguese). Accessed Nov 5, 2026. https://mensa.org.br/faq-testes
- Wechsler, D. (1939). The Measurement of Adult Intelligence. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
