According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, IQ measures the relative intellect of a person. This is calculated by comparing the ratio of his mental age to his chronological age, multiplied by 100.
Many people across the globe take IQ tests as part of their preparation for job applications. Somehow, it distinguishes people who are competent enough for a particular work or endeavor. IQ also can be a predictor of educational achievement for a group of students or trainees. IQ tests also are used to identify people with special needs, with either exceptional intelligence or mental disabilities.
The first and most common myth about IQ is that it is the only basis of intelligence. Although it does measure the intellect of a person, intelligence is not restricted to a single parameter. According to an article for The Wall Street Journal by Linda S. Gottfredson of the University of Delaware, intelligence is a very general term and involves factors such as the ability to plan, reason, learn quickly, solve problems, learn from experience and comprehend complex ideas. It focuses not only on book learning, but also on how an individual comprehends his surroundings.
According to the book "A Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education" by David Palmer, Ph.D., there are no sure signs of intelligence. As people are different from one another, so are their levels and signs of intelligence.
According to Psychologytoday.com, IQ tests are not always accurate. This means an individual may not always get the same IQ score in every test. In fact, IQ tests themselves have some random measurement errors, meaning they do not always measure a person's intelligence accurately. A person may score differently on different tests and on different occasions.
Intelligence quotient is never the sole measure of intelligence. Intelligence must not be confused with knowledge, wisdom or memory. IQ is simply an attempt to measure intelligence or relative intelligence using a single or set of standardized tests.
IQ tests measure intelligence on different levels. Components of this test include verbal Intelligence, mathematical ability, spatial reasoning skills, visual/perceptual skills, classification skills, logical reasoning skills and pattern recognition skills.