How much do you trust IQ tests? Do you think they are a legitimate evaluation tool?

IQ tests will give slightly different readings; they spend a lot of time trying to ensure that questions do not advantage or disadvantage any different characteristics, ethnic or otherwise. They try to ensure they use a variety of techniques - so that some the tested person might have met before and others are hopefully new and therefore better test intelligence as opposed to learning. The wording of questions is also designed and analysed to make sure it is suitable for the target group, though on the whole that means 'straightforward' as even adults sometimes have reading ages that are low. I think whenever I have tested I vary somewhere between 128 and 149, and I suspect my real IQ is probably around 134. I always do better on numerical, 3D and pattern heavy IQ tests as that is my forte. I have a UK B Sc Maths degree and I have two postgraduate qalifications, incluing teaching certificate.I remember seeing a question years ago that could sum up why errors can creep into the best test. It gave several relationships: mother daughter sister grandmother father and asked for the odd one out. Father is an obvious choice BUT equally grandmother (the person with a two step relationship from a person, and not part of a 'normal' nuclear family. Or sister - the only sideways relationship. Or daughter the only downwards relationship. (generation below the subject). And personally, I think counting any one of them as wrong would therefore be risky! An average IQ is 100 (by definition). Near this average people are clustered very closely together so a score of 125 is very respectable and around the IQ of the boundary for grammar schools in a county I taught in for many years. (May be different now!) I know of other counties where it was easier to get into grammar school. I have seen 150 and above desribed as highly gifted and 130 and above described as gifted. When I taught in one high achieving grammar school of more than 1000 pupils, the girl with the highest IQ had had it measured as 154. The range is such that typically the test is designed to include all individuals with scores between 40 and 160. Near these extremes measurement is more likely to be slightly inaccurate. Enjoy your son. I have found all sorts of individuals to have skills and inner treasure. My hairdresser + friend is such a natural hostess, everyone is at ease around her, and so that is one thing for which I envy her, but she always seems to feel academically inferior, yet I don't share her view.

What's an IQ test? :o)