Testing Your IQ Online

In recent years, the view of the IQ model has changed. It used to be believed that your IQ was the brains you were born with, nothing more. You were only so smart your whole life, your score was innate. Now we have a better understanding of cognitive functioning, and so neurologists now conceive of more of a mutable IQ model. You really can exercise your brain, and raise your score over time!

So it makes sense to keep testing your IQ score throughout your life. This isn't to say that it's going to fluctuate in a meaningful way week by week, but every few years you might see a significant improvement. Used this way, IQ can be a lifetime diagnostic. A lower score than usual might be a sign that you're under stress, haven't been sleeping enough, or are in poor health of the kind that would affect your concentration.

When taking an IQ test online, you should follow a few tips to get the best results:

1. Do it on a day when you've had plenty of sleep the night before. Deep, restful REM sleep (in which you dream) is the best way to fortify your brain.

2. Be well fed. Studies have shown a sharp cognitive decline when a person is hungry. Your brain burns some 20% of the nutrients in your diet.

3. Pick a time and place where you're free of distractions and comfortable.

4. Don't be under the influence of drugs or alcohol which can impair your concentration. Although you might be interested in some experimentation at some point, you still want one "clear" reading. But see the list of "smart foods" below.

5. Don't depend on taking one test over and over. You might learn a test so well that you do better at it every time, giving you an artificially inflated result. Switch around from time to time and compare results.

Smart foods:

There are several substances, both pharmaceutical and natural, that have been shown to enhance concentration and memory. Some of the more common ones include vitamin B, Omega-3 (the kind of fatty acid found in fish oil), antioxidants, amino acids (any protein-rich food, such as steak), and iron.

In addition, some herbal substances, such as caffeine, ginseng, kava kava, St. John's wort, grape seed extract, and plain tea are said by some to enhance brain function. However, there's a lot of controversy over herbal brain enhancers - some of them are really only stimulants (caffeine and ginseng), and all of them are highly questioned.

Beyond that, there's pharmaceuticals which are alleged to help with brain functions. Drugs used to treat ADD, ADHD, and depression are some examples. However, these are administered by a doctor, and should not be used for wanton experimentation just to squeeze out a few extra points on a test.

Keep in mind that IQ itself isn't always all it's cracked up to be! There's no reason to hang your dreams on how smart you are - history has shown that much more than brains is required to have a successful and happy life. And besides that point, IQ tests don't necessarily measure every aspect of intelligence - psychologists tell us that there may be as many as "eight different kinds of smart." People skills and athletic skills are two examples of mental functioning which an IQ test can't even measure.