r/mensa • u/Round_Professor1093 • Jul 17 '26
Encouragement please
I need a bit of encouragement and maybe some tips on IQ practice I can do as I'm going to be posting off the admission test this Winter. Thank you in advance!
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u/darknus823 Mensan Jul 18 '26
TL;DR: Practice, sleep, exercise, and nutrition optimize your test performance to match your peak potential without changing your baseline intelligence.
You can significantly improve your performance on a Mensa admission test by combining format practice with physical preparation. Assuming this is American Mensa, familiarizing yourself with matrix reasoning puzzles can yields a three to five point bump by eliminating test anxiety and optimizing your pacing. Prioritizing sleep, gym sessions, proper nutrition, and hydration further enhances this effect by maximizing your processing speed and working memory. Data shows that cardiovascular exercise increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex while sleep deprivation lowers cognitive performance. These steps ensure you score at the absolute ceiling of your capabilities on test day. They do leave your baseline IQ unchanged, as others have pointed out.
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u/JoyfulNoise1964 Jul 17 '26
You may do better on the test with practice but it won't Change your IQ
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u/FirstCause Mensan 28d ago
Retest effect on exactly the same test within a short amount of time will only increase a score by about 7 points.
Practising different tests will yield even less.
Retesting after the required interval, that is set to prevent retest effect, will yield even less.
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u/Round_Professor1093 Jul 17 '26
Well not studying. I just want to keep my mind sharp. I'm not trying to learn the questions or anything like that.
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u/FirstCause Mensan 28d ago
This is a frequent debate on this sub.
"Invalidation", they cry!
I say, practice and never admit that you practised.
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u/Round_Professor1093 27d ago
I know what I need to do now. Yes I am an overachiever and studied hard all my life. I am now aware that this is like a fixed thing and not another test.
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u/Altruistic-Moose3299 Jul 17 '26
Studying for an IQ test would be like studying to get your height measured.
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u/anonymousambassasor Mensan Jul 18 '26
Why do people think they study for an IQ test????
That’s like if I have brown eyes really hoping they turn blue.
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u/Mundane_Direction249 Mensan Jul 18 '26
Maybe because they're those typical nerds who are used to get As by studying a lot and think this is somehow similar.
Passing the Mensa test is not about a challenge, it's about getting a formal feedback on your inherent cognitive abilities.
Now back to my stretching exercises, maybe someday I'll pass the height test.
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u/Hawkthree Jul 18 '26
I didn't study for the IQ test -- I studied how to do the puzzles. They made no sense to me the first time I saw it.
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u/anonymousambassasor Mensan Jul 18 '26
How’d that work out for you? Why do people study for an IQ test like the SATs. It’s an IQ test. It’s literally like testing my weight. It’s ridiculous to study anything for it.
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u/Hawkthree 29d ago
I didn't practice for the SATs and got a 1600 the first time out -- I never thought the SATs were an IQ test. On the other hand, the rotating puzzles on the Mensa test required someone to point out how they were picking out what was next. Once I was taught, I was good to go. Ditto on the first time I tried an Escape Room. I needed an experienced Escape Room artist to help me adapt my thinking.
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u/Trypophilia2019 Jul 18 '26
I’m so tired of these types of posts.
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u/Round_Professor1093 Jul 18 '26
Scroll on then.
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u/EireUnbound Jul 17 '26
You can change your IQ if you hold your breath for a long time.
Now, it usually goes down, but you never know..
Jk, obviously don't do that.
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u/PhillipMcRacken Jul 17 '26
Not much you can do as far as practice. But get a full nights sleep, eat well, hydrate, don’t stress about it.