IQNorth or myIQ: how the two tests differ
IQNorth and myIQ are different companies. Both tests have 40 questions and take about 20 minutes; the main difference is the yardstick: myIQ says your percentile is calculated among people who took its test, while IQNorth compares you with the population curve for your age group and shows a 95% range.
In this article
This page belongs to IQNorth. The myIQ details come from its public English home page, myiq.com, read on November 5, 2026, and may have changed since.
Are IQNorth and myIQ the same company?
No. According to the footer of its own page, myIQ belongs to Envest Research Inc., with an address in Claymont, Delaware, in the United States. IQNorth belongs to DC SOLUTIONS LTDA, a Brazilian company. The two are unrelated. If you were charged for a test and are not sure by which site, check the name on your statement before asking to cancel.
How do they differ, side by side?
| Criterion | myIQ (according to its page) | IQNorth |
|---|---|---|
| Questions and time | 40 questions, up to 20 minutes | 40 questions, about 20 minutes |
| Question types | Patterns, numbers, logic and memory, inspired by Raven's Progressive Matrices | Six areas: matrices, number series, spatial rotation, logic, verbal reasoning and working memory |
| Scale | Mean 100, standard deviation 15 | Mean 100, standard deviation 15 |
| Who you are compared with | myIQ test takers, not the general population | The population curve for your age group, with a norm that is still provisional |
| Margin of error | Not stated on the home page | A 95% range next to the number |
| Historical figures | Estimates from Cox (1926) | Youth estimates from Cox's 1926 book |
| Certificate | Yes, with an ID and a verification code | Yes, verifiable by link |
| Stated use | Entertainment or educational purposes | Educational estimate |
Charges change over time and by country. Check each site's payment page before deciding.
Why does the percentile difference matter?
Because the two yardsticks answer different questions. A percentile among users tells you how you did compared with the people who took that test. A population percentile tells you where you would stand among people of your age in general. People who look for IQ tests online do not represent the population, so the two numbers can differ a lot for the same person.
myIQ states this on its page, which is the right thing to do. IQNorth's choice of the theoretical percentile is explained in What each score means.
Which one to choose?
It depends on what you want. If you want to know where you would stand among people your age, with the margin of error in view, IQNorth was built for that. If you want to compare yourself with the user base of a large site and use the courses and exercises it offers, myIQ describes that product on its page. In both cases, the result is an estimate for personal use.
See also: Free or paid IQ test: what changes?
Sources
- myIQ. English home page (questions, time, percentile, company and stated use). Accessed Nov 5, 2026. https://www.myiq.com/
- Cox, C. M. (1926). Genetic Studies of Genius, Vol. II: The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses. Stanford University Press.
