They say common sense is not that common.
Apparently, neither is intelligence -- or, at least, gaining membership into a high intelligence society such as American Mensa.
American Mensa, headquartered in Arlington, is offering IQ tests Saturday.
"You have to score in the top 2 percent of a standardized intelligence test -- it's that easy," said Pamela Donahoo, American Mensa executive director.
"Easy" is certainly one way to describe it. "Difficult" could be another.
But you be the judge: Here’s a sample question from the Mensa exam:
Jane went to visit Jill. Jill is Jane’s only husband’s mother-in-law’s only husband’s only daughter’s only daughter. What relation are Jill and Jane?
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Confused? If not, you might consider taking the test and joining Mensa’s 100,000 strong members from around the world.
Test questions range from analogies and word problems to number sequences and memory recall. Donahoo said the test is not so much a gauge of what you know, but how you learn and process information.
Donahoo said that most people who take the exam are already confident in their intelligence.
"I think a lot of people do know, and I think that's what they're satisfying," she said. "They kind of go, 'I think that there's something there,' or they've been told by a teacher or their mother, or maybe they're out to prove something to their mother-in-law that says, 'You know, I'm really pretty smart.'"
Donahoo said the stigma sometimes associated with being intelligent or "a geek" or a "nerd" is not something to shy away from. She urged people to brag about their brains.
"I think Mensa and intelligence can get a bad rap, but thanks to people like [Apple, Inc. co-founder] Steve Jobs, I think that intelligence has really got a different perspective and people are pretty proud of their intelligence, and it's OK to be a geek," she said.
The test fee is $40, but it is offering a $15 off coupon.
Mensa Testing Times:
Saturday, Oct. 8
Registration 12:30 p.m. -- Test starts at 1 p.m.
Registration 2:30 p.m. -- Test starts at 3 p.m.
American Mensa National Office
1229 Corporate Drive
Arlington, Texas 76006
