By the end of the 19th century in Europe, France had issued several laws focused on education reform and quality improvement. One of the key ideas they believed would enhance the educational process was grouping students in classrooms based on their learning abilities. Psychologists at the time suggested designing intelligence tests to place students of similar capabilities together—eventually leading to what we know today as IQ tests.
But here’s the million-dollar question: Do these intelligence tests actually measure someone’s true intellectual capacity? And is the measurement process even fair? Let’s dive in.
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What Is Intelligence, Anyway?
According to popular belief at that time, intelligence had a simple definition: the ability to learn new things and adapt to different situations. Sometimes the definition expanded slightly to include logical reasoning and mathematical problem-solving abilities.
In reality, though, as scientific research advanced, this definition proved incredibly limited. New theories emerged dividing intelligence into multiple types. The challenge researchers constantly faced was agreeing on how many different forms of intelligence actually exist. Some believed in three types, others insisted on seven, and still others argued for eight different categories.
Bottom line? Researchers themselves couldn’t even agree on how to categorize intelligence, let alone define it uniformly. This issue alone answers our question about whether IQ tests are objective—when researchers can’t agree on what intelligence means, how can they determine who’s smarter than whom?
When “Geniuses” Weren’t So Genius After All
The skepticism about IQ tests didn’t just come from theoretical debates. It stemmed from surprising real-world results that highlighted the flaws in these assessments.
For example, researchers initially gathered about 1,500 students who showed “genius-level” performance on these early tests. These students were monitored and evaluated throughout their academic journeys. And guess what happened? None of those 1,500 supposed geniuses accomplished anything particularly remarkable or demonstrated true brilliance.
Even more surprisingly, some students who were rejected based on their test results later proved to be exceptional. Take Luis Alvarez and William Shockley, for instance—both were initially excluded based on their test scores, yet they became physics geniuses and Nobel Prize winners!
The Curious Case of Marilyn vos Savant
On the flip side, journalist Marilyn vos Savant became one of the most famous examples of how IQ scores don’t necessarily correlate with extraordinary achievements.
Marilyn is known for being “the smartest person on Earth” according to IQ testing. When she was just 10 years old, she scored an astonishing 228 points—an absolutely mind-blowing result by any standard. To put this in perspective, anyone scoring above 150 is generally considered a genius (Einstein reportedly scored 160).
Her score was so impressive that it earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the woman with the highest IQ in the world. Naturally, people expected Marilyn to accomplish groundbreaking things in her future.
But what actually happened? Her academic life turned out to be remarkably average. After completing her philosophy degree, she jumped from company to company before eventually settling in a modest establishment owned by her father. Her most notable work was writing a small advice column for local newspapers titled “Ask Marilyn”—which mainly gained popularity because of her already-famous IQ score rather than the content itself.
So Why Do We Still Use IQ Tests?
After scientific evidence clearly demonstrated that IQ tests aren’t truly objective or fair, you might wonder why we still use them today. If these tests only aim to determine intelligence levels, the question seems perfectly valid.
But let’s go back to the original purpose behind creating these tests. The main reason, as mentioned at the beginning, was to measure students’ comprehension abilities. At that time, the test aimed to develop appropriate educational strategies based on students’ fundamental knowledge of mathematical principles and memory strength.
This definition allows us to view the test from a completely different perspective—not as determining who’s smart and who isn’t, but as a tool with practical applications. That’s why these tests still have benefits. While they may not identify who’s truly the smartest, they can, at least relatively, identify who has a readiness to learn and provide guidance to curriculum developers.
Just because a method isn’t perfectly accurate doesn’t mean we should completely abandon it. Think about job interviews—any company conducts interviews for applicants, but it’s not guaranteed that the person who gets the job will be the best candidate. Yet interviews remain a mechanism that helps bring candidates closer to suitable positions. It wouldn’t make sense to say, “Since interviews aren’t 100% accurate at finding the best employee, let’s just select randomly instead.”
Evolution of Testing Methods
Science is cumulative—we start somewhere, then gradually improve. That’s exactly what happened with IQ tests over time. These tests have undergone numerous developments, and now almost every prestigious college or institute has its own specialized aptitude test. These specialized tests tend to be much more accurate than general tests because they focus on specific fields.
Ultimately, everyone now understands that competence or intelligence isn’t necessarily determined by numbers alone. Intelligence can be influenced by many factors—psychological factors being among the most significant.
What Else Affects Test Performance?
It’s entirely possible that a genuinely intelligent person might not be mentally prepared on test day. Their mind could be distracted, upset, or troubled by something completely unrelated. Anything that diverts attention significantly impacts performance—without exception.
Not sleeping well, arguing on the bus before the exam, leaving home in a bad mood for whatever reason—all these things can completely change the results. Researchers even suggest that the paper and pen used during the exam can affect the outcome! If the exam paper is of an annoying type or the pen writes more heavily than what you’re used to, you might become irritated in a way that reduces concentration.
Environmental factors are equally important. This includes everything from family and health circumstances to something as simple as the room temperature. Many people can’t perform well in extreme heat, while others struggle in cold conditions.
Family factors are perhaps the most crucial. Children of educated parents typically have better chances of achieving higher scores. A child who grows up surrounded by stories, books, and educational games accumulates more knowledge and develops better cognitive abilities. This extends into adulthood—those who developed reading habits in childhood typically continue reading as adults and find it easier to improve their skills.
Of course, we’re not saying this applies to 100% of people—every rule has exceptions.
The Motivation Factor
One of the strangest factors researchers discovered is motivation—anything that inspires someone to be more creative. Many people, upon hearing about IQ tests, want to try them out of curiosity (like many of you reading this article right now).
In such cases, motivation isn’t particularly strong. If you encounter one, two, or three frustrating questions, you’ll probably skip them and move on. But put that same person in a situation where the test determines which college they’ll attend, and suddenly they won’t leave a single question unanswered, no matter how annoying it might be. They’ll try once, twice, or ten times, wracking their brains until they’re absolutely sure there’s no solution.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, the number on your IQ test isn’t everything. It’s just one measurement among many factors that contribute to true intelligence and success.
Intelligence is multifaceted, influenced by psychological readiness, environmental conditions, family background, personal motivation, and countless other variables that no standardized test can fully capture. While IQ tests have their place as educational tools, they’re far from the definitive measure of human potential that they were once thought to be.
So the next time someone brags about their IQ score or you feel discouraged by your own, remember this: some of history’s greatest minds might have failed these tests, while some perfect scorers never lived up to their numerical potential. Real intelligence—and more importantly, real achievement—comes in forms far too complex and beautiful to be reduced to a single number.
