I usually test at an iq of 135 but while stressed i was at 129 is this normal?

Question

i took the iq exam at a mental health facility. It was taken during a secession that my stepfather had set up because he thought i was mentally ill due to my reading of comic books and not giving a d**n about baseball.

Answer 1

Your IQ is a very variable number.  There are hundreds of tests that all score differently.  don"t worry about the "genius," line at 135.  all this test can possibly tell you is that you are intellectually capable of doing pretty much whatever you want to do with your life.  the score should be recorded with an error of plus/minus 30.

Answer 2

Sure. You can't think as clearly and reason as well when your stressed and your mind is distracted like that.

Answer 3

No, it is not "normal"; IQs in this range are above average and almost superior.  A difference of six points is well within the range of possible deviation, and stress may lower your score, but in assessment parlance, that difference is not significant.

I hope you live up to your potential and that you also have emotional intelligence.

Of course, it also depends what IQ assessment you took.  A A Wechsler test or a Stanford-Binet, if up to date, are the most accurate and valid.  Also, IQ can change with age, even if you answer the same questions correctly, plateauing within certain ages, so it is important to know at what ages you took the test.  IQ is not supposed to change with age in theory, but it does in practice.  Something to think about.  Also, test scores have been increasing over time on the average in the population requiring new standardizations of tests and evaluation of questions and subtests.

Comment to Brian B:  With the new HIPAA regulations (federal government laws on medical information), a person or his/her guardian has a right to all medical information - that includes IQ scores.  The answers to tests and whether you got them right or wrong are never divulged (if a psychologist says you are right, he is either pacifying you and not necessarily telling the truth or it was a trial question).

Answer 4

Yes. Presumably you were distracted the second time. Depending on the test, IQ results can change anyway. It's best recorded over a series of tests and averaged. Six points isn't anything to worry about anyway...

Answer 5

Yes. If you go to Scientology (Tom Cruise and Will Smith), they test your IQ. Then after they work with you a while, they take it again so you can see that it went up.

Answer 6

Lower test scores are expected when stressed, yes.

However, you should be aware that IQ tests are special tests designed by and for professional psychologists, and are only administered by them. Furthermore, they are professionally obligated not to divulge the results.

If you receive a score back from an IQ test, you either have a very bad psychologist or a test that is just an imitation (often a bad one) of a real IQ test.

Answer 7

Yes this is called test anxiety and it is an actual disorder. Test anxiety can develop for a number of reasons. There may be some prior negative experience with test taking that serves as the activating event. Students who have experienced, or have a fear of, blanking out on tests or the inability to perform in testing situations can develop anticipatory anxiety. Worrying about how anxiety will effect you can be as debilitating as the anxiety itself. This kind of anxiety can build as the testing situation approaches, and can interfere with the student's ability to prepare adequately. Lack of preparation is another factor that can contribute to test anxiety. Poor time management, poor study habits, and lack of organization can lead to a student feeling overwhelmed. Students who are forced to cram at the last minute will feel less confident about the material covered than those who have been able to follow a structured plan for studying. Being able to anticipate what the exam will cover, and knowing all the information has been covered during the study sessions, can help students to enter the testing situation with a more positive attitude. Test anxiety can also develop genetically.

Lack of confidence, fear of failure, and other negative thought processes may also contribute to test anxiety. The pressure to perform well on exams is a great motivator unless it is so extreme that it becomes irrational. Perfectionism and feelings of unworthiness provide unreasonable goals to achieve through testing situations. When a student's self-esteem is too closely tied to the outcome of any one academic task, the results can be devastating. In these situations, students may spend more time focusing on the negative consequences of failure, than preparing to succeed.

Answer 8

How do you "usually" IQ test yourself?? I am sure that given poor testing conditions, such as you are hungry, tired, mentally preoccupied you will do worse on any test.

Answer 9

It's no major issue. It happens from test to test and from day to day and from examiner to examiner.

I usually test at 180, but it can flux. I don't care. IQ tests are culturally and experientially biased to demonstrate those not white and not male to be inferior.