Mensa IQ Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: How many squares of ALL sizes are in a 4×4 grid of unit squares?

16
24
30 (Correct answer)
20

Correct answer: 30

A 4×4 grid contains 16 (1×1) + 9 (2×2) + 4 (3×3) + 1 (4×4) = 30 squares total.

Question 2: What exactly does the term "jargon" mean?

A term used to endow inanimate objects with human characteristics.
A style of poetry with an iambic pentameter beat and 10 lines.
A term that only experts in a particular field can understand (Correct answer)
The distinction between expressed and suggested

Correct answer: A term that only experts in a particular field can understand

Jargon refers to specialized words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand. It acts as a shorthand for those within the field, allowing for precise and efficient communication among experts. However, it can be exclusionary or confusing to outsiders who lack the specific knowledge of that subject area.

Question 3: A ladder 10 m long leans against a wall. The base is 6 m from the wall. How high up the wall does it reach?

D. 9 m
A. 6 m
B. 7 m
C. 8 m (Correct answer)

Correct answer: C. 8 m

Using Pythagorean theorem: height² = 10² - 6² = 100 - 36 = 64. Height = √64 = 8 m.

Question 4: A 5×5×5 cube is painted on all outer faces, then cut into 125 unit cubes. How many unit cubes have no painted faces?

64
1
27 (Correct answer)
8

Correct answer: 27

The unpainted interior of a 5×5×5 cube is a 3×3×3 core = 27 unit cubes with no paint.

Question 5: Which word does NOT belong? Stalagmite, Stalactite, Speleothem, Stalwart

Stalagmite
Speleothem
Stalactite
Stalwart (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Stalwart

Stalagmite, Stalactite, and Speleothem are all geological formations found in caves, while Stalwart means loyal and hardworking and has no geological meaning.

Question 6: Find the missing term: Z, X, V, T, R, ?

N
Q
P (Correct answer)
O

Correct answer: P

Every letter decreases by 2 positions: Z(26)→X(24)→V(22)→T(20)→R(18)→P(16).

Question 7: In a code, ODD-positioned letters are reversed and EVEN-positioned stay. For MEDAL (positions 1-5), which letters are reversed?

All letters
E, A (positions 2,4)
M, D, L (positions 1,3,5) (Correct answer)
None

Correct answer: M, D, L (positions 1,3,5)

Positions 1,3,5 are odd — M(1), D(3), L(5) are reversed; E(2) and A(4) stay.

Question 8: How many degrees does the minute hand move in one minute?

6° (Correct answer)
12°
0.5°
5°

Correct answer: 6°

The minute hand covers 360° in 60 minutes, which is 6° per minute.

Question 9: Glove is to hand as sock is to:

Wool
Toe
Foot (Correct answer)
Shoe

Correct answer: Foot

A glove covers a hand just as a sock covers a foot.

Question 10: If all roses are flowers and some flowers fade quickly, which is a valid conclusion?

All roses fade quickly
Nothing can be concluded about roses fading (Correct answer)
No roses fade quickly
Some roses fade quickly

Correct answer: Nothing can be concluded about roses fading

The 'some flowers' that fade may not overlap with roses; the conclusion is indeterminate.

Question 11: A sequence: Position 1=1, Position 2=3, Position 3=7, Position 4=15. What is Position 6?

31
47
63 (Correct answer)
60

Correct answer: 63

Each term = 2^n - 1: 2¹-1=1, 2²-1=3, 2³-1=7, 2⁴-1=15, 2⁵-1=31, 2⁶-1=63.

Question 12: Which number is the odd one out: 1, 4, 9, 15, 25, 36?

1
36
15 (Correct answer)
25

Correct answer: 15

1, 4, 9, 25, and 36 are all perfect squares (1², 2², 3², 5², 6²). 15 is not a perfect square — it cannot be expressed as any integer multiplied by itself.

Question 13: A man is found dead in a field next to 53 bicycles. What most likely happened?

He fell from a bicycle during an off-road race
He was struck by a passing cyclist
He was caught cheating at cards — 'Bicycle' is a playing card brand, and 53 cards suggest a deck plus an extra joker (Correct answer)
He was the victim of a bicycle theft ring gone wrong

Correct answer: He was caught cheating at cards — 'Bicycle' is a playing card brand, and 53 cards suggest a deck plus an extra joker

'Bicycle' is a well-known brand of playing cards; 53 cards (52 standard + 1 joker) point to a card game in which he was caught cheating.

Question 14: All champions train hard. Mike does not train hard. Which is valid?

All non-trainers are champions
Training hard is sufficient to be a champion
Mike is not a champion (Correct answer)
Mike might be a champion

Correct answer: Mike is not a champion

Modus tollens: All C→T; ¬T(Mike) → ¬C(Mike).

Question 15: What comes next: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, ?

100
120
140
160 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 160

Each term doubles, so 80×2=160.

Question 16: A code is created by assigning a number to a word based on a specific rule. If 'BOX' is 41 and 'MAP' is 30, what is the value of 'TIN'?

43 (Correct answer)
51
39
45

Correct answer: 43

The rule is the sum of the alphabetical positions of the letters (A=1, B=2, C=3...). For 'BOX': B(2) + O(15) + X(24) = 41. For 'MAP': M(13) + A(1) + P(16) = 30. Following this pattern for 'TIN': T(20) + I(9) + N(14) = 43.

Question 17: A sequence shows an arrow rotating clockwise by 45° each step: pointing right (0°) → pointing down-right (45°) → pointing down (90°) → [?]. What comes next?

Arrow pointing right (0°)
Arrow pointing up (270°)
Arrow pointing down-left (135°) (Correct answer)
Arrow pointing left (180°)

Correct answer: Arrow pointing down-left (135°)

The arrow rotates 45° clockwise each step, so from 90° it moves to 135° (down-left).

Question 18: A triangular prism stands on a table. How many edges does it have in total?

9 (Correct answer)
12
6
8

Correct answer: 9

A triangular prism has two triangular ends (3 edges each = 6 edges) plus 3 edges connecting the corresponding vertices of the two triangles, giving 6 + 3 = 9 edges total.

Question 19: A sequence of clocks (shown as circle with one hand): 12:00 → 3:00 → 6:00 → 9:00 → [?]. What time comes next?

9:30
12:00 (Correct answer)
6:00
3:00

Correct answer: 12:00

The clock hand rotates 90° clockwise each step (12→3→6→9→12), completing a full cycle.

Question 20: Complete the sequence: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28, ___?

42
33
35
36 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 36

These are triangular numbers. Each term adds the next natural number: +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7, +8. The next term is 28 + 8 = 36. The formula is n(n+1)/2.

Question 21: A square piece of paper is folded in half (top half down onto bottom half), then folded in half again (right half onto left half), and finally folded diagonally. A hole is punched at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of the resulting triangle through all layers. How many holes are there when fully unfolded?

8 (Correct answer)
4
6
16

Correct answer: 8

Two square folds create 4 layers; the diagonal fold creates 8 layers; one punch through 8 layers yields 8 holes.

Question 22: Find the next number: 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, ?

A. 120
D. 200
B. 140
C. 160 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: C. 160

Each number is doubled: 5×2=10, 10×2=20, 20×2=40, 40×2=80, 80×2=160. This is a geometric sequence with ratio 2.

Question 23: Which number replaces the question mark? 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?

42 (Correct answer)
44
40
46

Correct answer: 42

The differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 — increasing by 2 each time — so 30 + 12 = 42.

Question 24: Complete the series: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?

42
38 (Correct answer)
36
40

Correct answer: 38

Differences increase by 2 (3,5,7,9,11), so 27+11=38.

Question 25: Complete the sequence: 1000, 500, 250, 125, ?

50
60
75
62.5 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 62.5

Each term is halved: 125 ÷ 2 = 62.5.

Question 26: Which of the following cubes can be made from the unfolded pattern shown? The pattern is a standard six-sided die layout.

A cube where the '1' face is opposite the '2' face.
A cube where the '1' face is opposite the '6' face, and when '2' is on top, '3' is on the front, '5' is on the right. (Correct answer)
A cube where the '3' face is adjacent to the '4' face.
A cube where the '2' face is opposite the '5' face.

Correct answer: A cube where the '1' face is opposite the '6' face, and when '2' is on top, '3' is on the front, '5' is on the right.

In a standard die layout, opposite faces add up to 7. Therefore, 1 is opposite 6, 2 is opposite 5, and 3 is opposite 4. Option A correctly describes a possible orientation based on this rule. When the net is folded, if 2 is on top and 3 is front, 5 must be on the right side.

Question 27: Which of these letter codes follows the same transformation rule? AB → YZ, CD → WX, then EF → ?

TU
MN
UV (Correct answer)
ST

Correct answer: UV

Each pair is mapped to its mirror pair from the end of the alphabet: EF maps to UV.

Question 28: Six people sit in a row: P, Q, R, S, T, U. P sits next to Q. R sits at one end. T sits next to U but not next to P. S is between R and Q. Which person sits at the other end?

U
P
Q
T (Correct answer)

Correct answer: T

R is at one end, S is next to R, Q is next to S, P is next to Q, and T-U fill the remaining two seats with T at the far end.

Question 29: If TABLE = 20-1-2-12-5 and CHAIR = 3-8-1-9-18, what word is coded 4-5-19-11?

DESL
CESK
DUSK
DESK (Correct answer)

Correct answer: DESK

D=4, E=5, S=19, K=11 → DESK.

Question 30: What comes next in the series: 2, 4, 8, 16, ?

36
24
30
32 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 32

Each number is doubled: 2×2=4, 4×2=8, 8×2=16, 16×2=32.

Question 31: A store offers a 20% discount on an item that originally costs $150. What is the sale price?

B. $120 (Correct answer)
C. $125
D. $130
A. $110

Correct answer: B. $120

Discount = 20% × $150 = $30. Sale price = $150 - $30 = $120.

Question 32: If FRIENDLY is coded as GSJFOEMZ, what does the code XBSN stand for?

WARN
VAST
WARM (Correct answer)
WARD

Correct answer: WARM

Each letter is shifted one position forward in the alphabet (W→X, A→B, R→S, M→N), so XBSN decodes to WARM.

Question 33: What number replaces the question mark: 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ___?

72
60
84
96 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 96

Each number is doubled: 3×2=6, 6×2=12, 12×2=24, 24×2=48, 48×2=96. This is a straightforward geometric sequence with common ratio 2.

Question 34: Four friends finish a race. Lee beats Max. Max beats Joe. Joe beats Ken. Who finished last?

Lee
Joe
Max
Ken (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ken

The order is Lee, Max, Joe, Ken, so Ken is last.

Question 35: You see the sequence 4, 9, 2, 7, 5, 8, 3 and must mentally sort it in ascending order. What is the third number in the sorted list?

7
5
4 (Correct answer)
3

Correct answer: 4

Sorted ascending: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 — the third number is 4.

Question 36: Argument: 'The ancient Greeks believed the Earth was flat, therefore it must have been flat then.' This is:

Sound argument
Hypothetical syllogism
Modus ponens
Appeal to tradition (false) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Appeal to tradition (false)

Using historical belief as proof of truth is an appeal to tradition, which does not establish factual accuracy.

Mensa IQ Test

Mensa membership requires scoring in the top 2% of the general population on an approved intelligence test.

Questions

30 min

Time Limit

80%

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These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

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