36 non-verbal matrix puzzles measuring fluid reasoning. Results in under 30 minutes.
Modern IQ tests measure fluid reasoning — the ability to solve unfamiliar problems without relying on learned knowledge. This test uses 3×3 matrix puzzles built from the rule families identified in research on Raven's Progressive Matrices: an attribute holds steady along a row, three values are distributed one per row and column, or a quantity steps up in even increments. Nothing depends on vocabulary, arithmetic or schooling, which is what lets one test work in every language.
Results sit on the familiar scale where 100 is average and the standard deviation is 15. This test has not been standardised on a representative sample, so the figure is an estimate rather than a norm-referenced score — read the confidence interval, not the single number. Fatigue, distraction and practice with puzzle formats each move results by several points. Supervised assessments such as the WAIS-IV or Stanford-Binet remain the only basis for a diagnostic score.
Can intelligence change? Fluid reasoning peaks in early adulthood and declines slowly, while accumulated knowledge keeps growing for decades. Sleep, education and cardiovascular health all measurably affect how you perform on any given day.
Why 36 puzzles? Enough items across the difficulty range to place a score with a reasonable margin, while keeping the test to 30 minutes. Every attempt builds a fresh set from the rules, so there is no answer key to circulate.