How to Score Better IQ Test

What is the average human IQ score? In theory the tests are designed so that half the population will score below 100 and half above, and are scored according to age of the test taker. Here is a breakdown of IQ scores in the typical population:

• 130 or higher:  2.2% of the population.
• 120-129: 6.7% of the population.
• 110-119: 16.1% of the population.
• 90-109 (Average): 50% of the population.
• 80-89: 16.1% of the population.
• 70-79: 6.7% of the population.
• Below 70: 2.2% of the population.
  

Three Steps To An Above Average IQ Score

Is it possible for anyone to have an above average IQ score? Not likely. If you start at 70, for example, it would be tough to ever score over 100. The good news is that most people can raise their score somewhat from wherever they start. Here are three ways to do it:

1. Be a better test taker.
Go through the test quickly. Skip over questions you aren't sure about, and return to them later. It's always better on a timed test to answer all the easy questions first. That way you don't eave several questions unanswered just because you spent too much time trying to get the answer to a tough one.

Always answer every question on multiple choice tests. When in doubt, first eliminate the answers that you know or suspect are incorrect, and then choose one of the remaining. If you eliminate two of four answers on a number of questions, you'll get half of those questions right on average.

2. Have the right conditions in place.
Get good sleep before the test, breath deeply through your nose, and sit up straight. These are shown to improve performance on almost any test. Eat fish too. Recent studies show that eating fish speeds up brain waves and increases concentration.

If you're allowed music, make it Mozart. If you can't have music during the test, listen to it just before. In one study, subjects who listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes before an IQ test scored nine points higher. Do whatever you can to have your body and mind ready for the test.

3. Exercise your brain.
This is a longer term strategy that assumes you can actually permanently improve your brain function and intelligence, and thus increase your average IQ score. It's a safe assumption in my experience, and no harm will come from the effort.

One final tip.
It is my experience that my score is higher on an IQ test the second or third time I take it. Why not practice by taking an online test the day before your scheduled test? I wouldn't be surprised if this bumps up the average IQ score by a point or two.

Improving Your IQ - Some Tips for Improving Intelligence Quotient

Can you improve IQ and brainpower in general? You bet, and it isn't always difficult. there are dozens of techniques for iq and general brainpower improvement, and I have seen IQ scores go up by applying these techniques. A more usable brain is more important than a score, though, so sit down with a cup of coffee (your first IQ improvement tip) and take notes as you read through the list below.

Improve IQ - A Few Ways
Improve your beliefs. When you believe you are smarter, you become smarter. Though affirmations may work, evidence is even better, so make a note of your successes. Start telling yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a  good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own IQ improvement and you'll start to experience more of it as you believe in it.

Sniffing things.
Rosemary may have an effect on the brain when the scent is inhaled. I am waiting for the research, but some people swear that just sniffing rosemary wakes up their brain. With safe techniques like this, I say give it a try. You probably have rosemary in your spice rack. I have been smelling everything in the kitchen, and it sure seems like some things calm me down, while others perk up my brain. This is safe enough that we can all be brain-enhancement science pioneers.

Write.
This is good for your mind in a number of ways. You tell your  memory what is important, which helps you recall things more easily in the future. Writing is a good way to clarify your thinking, and it is a way to exercise your creativity and analytical ability.  Personal diaries, idea-journals, poetry, note-taking and story-writing are all ways to use writing to boost your brain power and improve iq.

Play Mozart.
Researchers found, in a study at the University of California, that children who studied piano and sang daily in chorus, were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group. In another study, 36 students were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test. Just before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes. Before the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape. Before the third, they sat in silence. The average scores for all 36 students: 1st test: 119. 2nd test: 111. 3rd test: 110. Improve IQ by nine-points with Mozart!

Eat fish.
Eating fish speeds up brain waves, and improves concentration. Researchers have also found an almost perfect correlation between intake of fish and lowered levels of depression in the various countries of the world. The U.S. has 24 times the incidence of depression as Japan, for example, where fish intake is much higher. Not all fish are equal, though. Try to eat salmon and other fish that have a fair amount of fat in them.

Stop unnecessary arguing. Defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, and you invest your ego into it. Ego-defending is not conducive to the easy acceptance and use of new information. In other words, you put your mind in a rut, and you dig it deeper with each argument. Debate can be a valuable thing, but when the ego takes over, the mind closes a little. This is not a way to improve IQ.

A Connection Between Music and Human Intelligence

What is the connection between music and the brain? Is it possible that music can help you think better? The research says yes, and after telling you about some of it, I'll let you in on an even faster way to boost your brain power with music.

Music And The Brain - The Research

The research shows that music actually trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. Listening to, and participating in music also creates new neural pathways in your brain that stimulate creativity. An article in a Newsweek (2/19/96) reported on a study from the University of California. In the study, researchers followed the progress of some three-year-old children, split into two groups. The first group had no particular training in, or exposure to music. The second group studied piano and sang daily in chorus. After eight months the musical three-year-old were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group.

Brain Music

A study on music and the brain, done at UC Irvine's Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory involved 36 students. They were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test. Just before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes. Before the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape. Before the third, they sat in silence. The average scores for all 36 students: 1st test: 119. 2nd test: 111. 3rd test: 110. That's an average increase of 9 iq points from listening to Mozart. It's assumed that their intelligence didn't increase, but that the music put them in a state that gave them better access to the resources of their brains. However, other studies do show that repeated exposure to slow music can permanently increase your IQ, so play that Mozart!

Brain Wave Entrainment

Your brain wave frequencies vary according to the state you are in. For example, daydreaming and meditation usually take place in the "Alpha" range of frequencies. Alert concentration is in the "Beta" range. "Brain wave entrainment" products have beats, usually embedded in music, that your brain starts to follow. If you listen to music containing beats at a frequency of 10 Hz (in the Alpha range) it will feel very relaxing. This is because your brain will begin to follow this frequency and reproduce the rhythm in the music. You'll generate more brain waves at a 10 Hz frequency and enter a relaxed Alpha mental state. This is the idea behind brain wave entrainment. This may be why some types of music have certain effects, but not all brain wave entrainment Cds use music. Some use the raw "binaural beats" as they are sometimes called, embedded in white noise, or in sounds of nature. (I have used these products and find them to be pretty powerful , especially the ones for relaxation.) Whether you use "binaural beats," or just pop a Mozart CD into the player, you can increase your brain power easily. Try it today. It is doubtful that Mozart will harm you, so why wait for more research to be done on music and the brain?