Take an IQ test. You can find a number of IQ tests online; however, not all of these are valid. The intelligence quotient is a normative score, which compares your score to other test takers like you. Since there is no single source for IQ tests, the test you take should contain at least 35 to 60 questions to provide a relatively accurate score. You can also inquire about IQ tests at your local school district or MENSA chapter.
Find your score. Your intelligence quotient is the score you received based on similar test takers. The score is based on your mental age as determined by the questions you answered correctly divided by your chronological age and multiplied by 100. Therefore, the average IQ score is 100 because the average test taker's mental age score should equal his chronological age. Any quotient above 100 is above average while any quotient below 100 is below average.
Analyze the standard deviation. An intelligence quotient test uses a bell curve to determine your score relative to all the other test takers. The standard deviation determines how much of the data belongs in each part of the curve. For example, a standard deviation of one on a normal distribution curve contains 68.2 percent of data. On a normal curve use for calculating IQ, a standard deviation of -1 equates to a score of 85 and a standard deviation of +1 equates to a score of 115. This means that 68.2 percent of test takers received a score between 85 and 115.
Compare your score to the percentage of test takers who scored in your range. The bottom 2.2 percent of test takers receive a score less than 70, which signifies mental retardation. The top 2.2 percent of test takers receive a score of more than 130, which indicates very superior performance. The farther your score is from the middle score of 100, the fewer test takers scored in your range.
Determine possible factors that influenced your score. Many critics of IQ tests say that they are culturally and socioeconomically biased toward middle and upper class Caucasian test takers. IQ tests also vary in their content from one test to the next, so your score is just a way of plotting your performance on a single test against other test takers. As it only measures certain aspects of intelligence, it is not necessarily an overall indicator of your intelligence, capabilities or potential for success.