Mensa Mensa IQ Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Tom is older than Sam. Sam is older than Kay. Kay is older than Lou. Who is the youngest?
- Tom
- Sam
- Kay
- Lou (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Lou
The chain Tom > Sam > Kay > Lou places Lou as the youngest.
Question 2: What comes next in the sequence? Z, X, V, T, R, ?
- Q
- P (Correct answer)
- O
- N
Correct answer: P
Each letter skips one letter backward in the alphabet: Z, X, V, T, R, P.
Question 3: A snail climbs 3 feet up a 10-foot well each day but slides back 2 feet each night. On which day does it reach the top?
- 7th
- 8th (Correct answer)
- 9th
- 10th
Correct answer: 8th
The snail gains 1 net foot per day, reaching 7 feet after 7 nights; on day 8 it climbs 3 more feet to 10 feet and escapes.
Question 4: Which word does NOT belong? Robin, Eagle, Sparrow, Bat, Finch
- Robin
- Eagle
- Bat (Correct answer)
- Finch
Correct answer: Bat
A bat is a mammal, while all the others are birds.
Question 5: If 5 machines take 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long does it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?
- 100 minutes
- 20 minutes
- 5 minutes (Correct answer)
- 1 minute
Correct answer: 5 minutes
Each machine makes 1 widget in 5 minutes regardless of how many machines are running.
Question 6: Which of these conclusions follows from 'No athletes are lazy' and 'All students are lazy'?
- All athletes are students
- No students are athletes (Correct answer)
- Some athletes are students
- All lazy people are students
Correct answer: No students are athletes
If no athletes are lazy and all students are lazy, then students and athletes are completely separate groups.
Question 7: A palindrome reads the same forwards and backwards. Which number below is a palindrome?
- 1221 (Correct answer)
- 1234
- 1122
- 1231
Correct answer: 1221
1221 reads the same in both directions: 1-2-2-1.
Mensa Mensa IQ Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 5
Tom is older than Sam.
Sam is older than Kay.
Kay is older than Lou.
Who is the youngest?