Joining MENSA - How to Become a Member

[honestrosewater]

hits,
Thank you very much for the information. I was actually tested for 'giftedness', whatever you call it, but I understand why you would think otherwise. Not that, you know, it matters or anything...

So I tried the queendom test for fun, but I think I've gotten them all correct, and it only gives me a 144 (that wasn't my original - it was 141, but I looked up the capitals and corrected that one). It doesn't say what the ceiling is; the little graphic goes to 180, but I want to try to find out how high it really goes. My answers are in white:
The ones I'm iffy about are marked by a ~
turtle, animal (iguana), grape, 16, emae,
sister, letter, 23, 6258, false,
forest, 9, 49, touch, d,
~juice, 49949944, true, city (Berlin), embryo,
false, u, 10, 25, 64,
~milkshake, ~steamboat, 52, Presbyterian, 62,
think, astronomer, Munich, 55, Martin,
e, fliter, c, country (Algeria), true,
Waterloo, 25, electricity, 6, floor,
29, metal, 5, 320, salamander,
~zebra, ~20, d, d, e,
a, e, a, ~c, ~d.
If you think my answers are wrong, let me know. If I have more time to waste, I'll start changing one at a time and see how it affects the score. I don't think it really goes to 180, but maybe I'll find out.
I'm up to 148, by changing 2 answers.

 

[Daminc]

I didn't get 'country (Algeria)' (that was the anagram right?)
I put Horse instead of '~zebra'

Most of the others I seem to recognise (except for the indivual letters)

 

[hitssquad]

Rachel, of the items that you weren't sure about, you got the following wrong.

16
27
51
60

 

[Daminc]

I think I put the same for 16 & 27

What would the alternative answer for 27 then? All the others have wheels.

 

[hitssquad]

If you are looking for something more challenging, you might want to try the Nicologic "tests." (The Nicologic "tests" are easier to cheat on, though -- a handy feature when you have completed a test and are curious about the answers to the items you found baffling.)
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:pSy2EV9U8H8J:nicologic.free.fr/index.php+nicologic&hl=en

 

[hitssquad]

What would the alternative answer for 27 then? All the others have wheels.

I don't see any wheels.
http://images.google.com/images?q=seaplane

http://www.earlham.edu/~biol/hawaii/seaplane.jpg

 

[honestrosewater]

27 and 60 were the two that I changed. 27 - I thought of wheels too, so chose steamboat. They are just typical properties anyway - I think most planes have wheels for use on land. My second choice was car, because the others are more for mass transportation, I guess. But a car can also be used for public transportation, and there are a lot of private planes, so I went with steamboat. Was mass transportation the correct difference? (car is my new answer.)
60 - The location of the inner shape wasn't right, but I thought there was a pattern to the number of sides - or I was just ready to be done. (a is my new answer)
16 - Juice - Egg - Steak - Salad - Cheese. Juice is the only beverage. What else? Nothing I can think of works. Maybe salad, being several different ingredients, but juices are also commonly mixed.
51 - Horse - Zebra - Deer - Moose - Eland. Do zebras have antlers? The stripes were all I could figure. Maybe the horse is the only domesticated/tamed one? Nope, deer seems like the correct answer. I haven't a clue why though - OMG, it's the only 4 letters v. 5 letters. That's cruel.

 

[unggio]

i could not get this problem: can some1 explain it to me? my only guess is 45

One hundred businesspeople gather at a meeting. 85 of them carry a cellular phone, 80 of them have a beeper, 75 of them speak at least two languages and 70 of them wear a suit. Therefore, a certain number of them have all of the above: a cell phone AND a beeper AND speak at least two languages AND wear a suit. Out of these 100 businesspeople, what is the least possible number who have all of the above?
10 - 15 - 17 - 18 - 20

 

[hitssquad]

Hardly anyone knows what an Eland is, Rose.

 

[honestrosewater]

i could not get this problem: can some1 explain it to me? my only guess is 45

One hundred businesspeople gather at a meeting. 85 of them carry a cellular phone, 80 of them have a beeper, 75 of them speak at least two languages and 70 of them wear a suit. Therefore, a certain number of them have all of the above: a cell phone AND a beeper AND speak at least two languages AND wear a suit. Out of these 100 businesspeople, what is the least possible number who have all of the above?
10 - 15 - 17 - 18 - 20

I found that numbering the people helped to keep track. Start with your 85 cell phone people: Let people #1-85 have cell phones. Now, 80 people have a beeper. You're looking for the least number of people who share all 4 things. So give people #86-100 as many beepers as possible. That's 15 people, leaving 80 - 15 = 65 more people with beepers. So let people #1-65 have cell phones AND beepers. Repeat the process for the other two. 75 people speak two languages. Let people #66-100 speak two languages...
There may be a shorter way, but this worked for me - and I'm quite sure it's correct.

 

[hitssquad]

There may be a shorter way

Yes. There is a shorter way.

 

[hitssquad]

Juice is the only beverage.

Cheese is not a beverage?

http://users.aol.com/rawpuscle/whiz/Cheez.JPG

 

[JamesU]

I don't like this test

IQ Score = 129


What does your score mean?
Way to go! Your performance on the test was well above the population average. Typically, people with scores in this range perform very well academically, can relatively easily make it through university and generally achieve success in life.

 

[Chi Meson]

I found that numbering the people helped to keep track. Start with your 85 cell phone people: Let people #1-85 have cell phones. Now, 80 people have a beeper. You're looking for the least number of people who share all 4 things. So give people #86-100 as many beepers as possible. That's 15 people, leaving 80 - 15 = 65 more people with beepers. So let people #1-65 have cell phones AND beepers. Repeat the process for the other two. 75 people speak two languages. Let people #66-100 speak two languages...
There may be a shorter way, but this worked for me - and I'm quite sure it's correct.

I like the explanation. I ended up with the same answer (10) but I wasn't sure how to prove it. I figured:

start with the 85 with cell phones ("C"), assume it is possible that all the "NOTS" (those without each of the next 3 criteria) could be in this C group. So C - [not beepers] -[not 2 languages] - [not suits] is 85 - 20 - 25 - 30 = 10.

Gotta say I had the advantage of taking a few logic classes, and I still think there could be a version of this question that would make my method not work; Honestrosewater's explanation shows a good conceptual understanding that I appreciated.

 

[honestrosewater]

Cheese is not a beverage?

http://users.aol.com/rawpuscle/whiz/Cheez.JPG

[/URL] Genius!

start with the 85 with cell phones ("C"), assume it is possible that all the "NOTS" (those without each of the next 3 criteria) could be in this C group. So C - [not beepers] -[not 2 languages] - [not suits] is 85 - 20 - 25 - 30 = 10.

Yes, that's shorter and makes at least as much sense. Everyone who doesn't have a cell phone is in the first group of 15 (1-15 don't have a cell phone, 16-100 do); Everyone without a beeper - next 20 (16-35 don't have, all others do); everyone without two languages - next 25; everyone without a suit - next 30; 15 + 20 + 25 + 30 = 90. Since everyone who's missing one of the things is among the first 90 people, the last 10 people must have one of everything. And this is the least possible because you only let each person in 1-90 lack one thing.
Oh, woops, I guess I changed your explanation. Short attention span, maybe.

 

[Andre]

How about this puzzle/test:

http://www.highiqsociety.org/common/puzzles/puzzle01.htm

COUNTRIES INVADING

Country x is planning to attack country y, and country y is anticipating the attack. Country x can either attack by land or by sea. Country y can either prepare for a land defense or a sea defense. Both countries must choose either an all land or all sea strategy, they may not divide their forces. The following are the probabilities of a successful invasion according to both strategies used.

If x launches an attack by sea and y prepares a defense by sea the probability of a successful invasion is 80%.

If x launches an attack by sea and y prepares a defense by land the probability of a successful invasion is 100%.

If x launches an attack by land and y prepares a defense by land the probability of a successful invasion is 60%.

If x launches an attack by land and y prepares a defense by sea the probability of a successful invasion is 100%.

What should the strategy of country x be, assuming the goal is to maximize the probability of a successful invasion?

it's so predictable that the anwer is wrong.

You see: it is wrong indeed:

Solution: X should attack by sea with probability 2/3 and by land with probability 1/3.

The missing information is that country Y is also doing some thinking and is likely to conclude that defending for a sea invasion is the best option, so don't go there

Lesson one sub A (1) in battle tactics: be unpredictable!

 

[Evo]

Who was it here that said "the only thing an IQ test score proves is how well you do on IQ tests".

 

[hitssquad]

Edwin G. Boring and what the IQ tests test

Who was it here that said "the only thing an IQ test score proves is how well you do on IQ tests".

That was said by Edwin G. Boring in 1921:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group...@efn.org+boring&rnum=1&hl=en#3ce8b211af42a62d

--
All we know about intelligence is that it is what
the tests test.
--


In 1923, Boring authored an article in New Republic wherein he said, "Measurable intelligence is simply what the tests of intelligence test, until further scientific observation allows us to extend the definition."

 

[*Kia*]

now, I know that everyone at PF hates MENSA immensly, but I don't care.

I'm wondering if anyone here know's how to join. it seems like the MENSA test is figuring out how to become a member. I know I'm qualified. I'm in the international high iq society, and my iq is about 135. but how to join?

An iq of 135 WILL NOT get you into mensa.
you have to be in the top 2% of the exam you take.

Generally, there are two ways to prove that you qualify for Mensa: either take the Mensa test, or submit a qualifying test score from another test. There are a large number of intelligence tests that are "approved". More information on whether a test you have taken is approved, as well as information on the procedure for taking the Mensa test, can be obtained from the nearest Mensa office. There are no on-line tests that can be used for admission to Mensa. Feel free to contact Mensa for specific details about eligibility.

 

[hitssquad]

Minimum requirements for Mensa

An iq of 135 WILL NOT get you into mensa.
you have to be in the top 2% of the exam you take.

Assuming the scores take the form of a perfect normal curve, the 98th percentile would be a score of 131 or above on a Wechsler test (standard deviation = 15) or a score of 133 or above on a Stanford Binet test (standard deviation = 16).
members.shaw.ca/delajara/IQtable.html

American Mensa actually accepts scores of 130 on the Wechsler and 132 on the Stanford Binet.
http://www.us.mensa.org/join_mensa/testscores.php3

This means that their requirement is not the 98th percentile, but simply two standard deviations from the mean on the more-able side of the bell curve (97.72 percentile).

 

[daleg]

whats the point of being a member?

 

[JamesU]

An iq of 135 WILL NOT get you into mensa.
you have to be in the top 2% of the exam you take.

okay then...

 

[hitssquad]

Standard deviations and Mensa entrance requirements

okay then.

UK Mensa does group testing with the Cattell IQ test. The Cattell has a standard deviation of 24, instead of the more typical 15 or 16. At a standard deviation of 24, an IQ score of 135 is not sufficient for entrance into Mensa. You would need an IQ score of 148.
http://www.docker.demon.co.uk/mensa/intro/page4.html

--
Cattell B - 148
Culture Free - 133
Ravens Advanced Matrices 148
Ravens Standard Matrices -131
Wechsler Scales - 132
--

 

[JamesU]

 

[Chi Meson]

whats the point of being a member?

I thought I would find out myself when I joined a while back. Evidently, its a great way to meet people to play Scrabble with, but beyond that...

oh yeah, when you're a member, you can order one of those "M" bumper stickers so that the guy in the car behind you can know he's behind a genius.

 

[Math Is Hard]

faking it

oh yeah, when you're a member, you can order one of those "M" bumper stickers so that the guy in the car behind you can know he's behind a genius.

hmm... y'know, if you've got one of those W bumper stickers you could just pull it off and stick it back on upside down.

 

[JamesU]

or you could get the MENSA logo and make a bumper sticker

 

[Art]

whats the point of being a member?

Well first off, apart from being a useful tool in self appraisement it's not a bad thing to have on your CV and secondly it presents members with an opportunity to socialise with other members of the club with whom they have something in common. British Mensa organises regular social get-togethers at both local and national level for those who wish to participate and also hosts SIGs (special interest groups) so if you are looking to correspond with other people about building model aircraft for example, it is easy to do; although this capability is probably largely redundant with the predominance of the internet these days.
Unfortunately Mensa always seems to attract a lot of negative comments from non-members who see it as an elitist organisation although it seems these negative comments emanate far more rarely from people who fulfil the membership requirements.

 

[LeonhardEuler]

I don't think the complaint is that its an elitist organisation. I think the point is that its main function is to stroke the egos of its members. I don't know of any prominent scientist who was or is a member of mensa. The requirement says nothing about how much you actually have accomplished. It is just about your ability to solve silly puzzles.

Unfortunately Mensa always seems to attract a lot of negative comments from non-members who see it as an elitist organisation although it seems these negative comments emanate far more rarely from people who fulfil the membership requirements.

I have never taken an IQ test, but I doubt that I would be held out of mensa. I got a 1530 on the SAT's which is well over the 99th percentile. There are probably people who complain about mensa just out of soreness, but that doesn't mean that is always the reason, even when the person complaining is below the requirements. Even the one practical function you gave for belonging to mensa is better served by the internet. Actually, probably much better served because if you want to build an airplane, most of the people you will meet at mensa do not know how to build one. They could be ESL teachers, for instance.

 

[Townsend]

Unfortunately Mensa always seems to attract a lot of negative comments from non-members who see it as an elitist organisation although it seems these negative comments emanate far more rarely from people who fulfil the membership requirements.

Thats strange...I have never heard anyone make a negative comment about Mensa except the memebers. You know, like Isaac Asimov...

 

[Art]

Thats strange...I have never heard anyone make a negative comment about Mensa except the memebers. You know, like Isaac Asimov...

lol what's really strange is you saying that directly following a negative post from a non-member of Mensa. Seriously though I have no idea how well Mensa is organised and ran in the US but British Mensa is a pretty professional club.

p.s. Asimov hated Mensa so much he was their international president. I don't know if you have read his autobiographical works but Asimov was by his own admission a supreme egotist. His supposed criticism of mensa comes from a comment he made (probably in jest) that people in the club argued with him.

 

[Art]

I don't think the complaint is that its an elitist organisation. I think the point is that its main function is to stroke the egos of its members.

It certainly isn't to stroke member's egos. If that was the case why be a small fish in a big pool? Better to join a club full of dopes and lord it over them.

I don't know of any prominent scientist who was or is a member of mensa.

Which maybe just proves the point it is not about ego. Most members of Mensa don't publish the fact in case they are accused of showing off.

The requirement says nothing about how much you actually have accomplished. It is just about your ability to solve silly puzzles.

Mensa doesn't claim to be about accomplishment not least because individuals' ideas of what constitutes accomplishment are so varied it would be impossible to quantify in any meaningful way. As for 'silly puzzles' IQ tests measure your potential ability for problem solving, a useful skill in all facets of life. Mensa literature is the first to acknowledge that this is only a part of what makes a person and freely acknowledges that it says nothing about their application or emotional stability etc..

I have never taken an IQ test, but I doubt that I would be held out of mensa. I got a 1530 on the SAT's which is well over the 99th percentile.

So why not try and join then? At least then you could evaluate it first hand and if you don't like what you find you could then criticize it from a position of strength.

There are probably people who complain about mensa just out of soreness, but that doesn't mean that is always the reason, even when the person complaining is below the requirements. Even the one practical function you gave for belonging to mensa is better served by the internet. Actually, probably much better served because if you want to build an airplane, most of the people you will meet at mensa do not know how to build one. They could be ESL teachers, for instance.

I don't understand why people who are not members feel the need to criticize Mensa? With so many clubs in the world why single out Mensa? The club is totally apolitical and never makes any opinionated statements on anything so what is there to criticise? I think you must agree the suspicion is that there is a large slice of begrudgery involved?

 

[Evo]

Because MENSA members have a reputation for being obnoxious, pretentious snobs. The people that join and "stay" seem to actually be insecure, and have a need for external validation. Yes, I could have been a member, I was tested at age 11 at my teacher's insistence, I was told my IQ was 185. I still think it was only 158, whatever, I just read a lot when I was little, think logically, and do very well on tests. Intellectually, I can't hold a candle to most of the people here.

The school was a bit freaked out, called my parents in and told them they did not recommend me staying in the public school system as they didn't have programs that could challenge me. (this after years of taking my books away from me so I wouldn't get ahead of the rest of the class) They gave my parents brochures to special schools for the "academically able", you had to have a 140 minimum IQ to even be considered. I didn't want to go to one, I was jumped around, completed high school at the age of 14, went to Europe to visit family for a year, came back and started college at 16.

 

[JamesU]

: you could join MENSA and kick bill gates right in the face!

 

[honestrosewater]

hmm... y'know, if you've got one of those W bumper stickers you could just pull it off and stick it back on upside down.

Eek! Fortunately, they aren't clever enough to think of this on their own.

Just joking, Bush people