The IQ test, or the intelligence quotient test, is one way that people derive a score to assess the performance of their mind. IQ can be compared with the processor of a computer. If the computer has a really fast processor, it is able to make more complicated decisions and do it faster than a slower computer. The mind works just like that. A mind where al the inner connections are fine-tuned will do the work better and more efficient. The first IQ test was build by a Frenchman called Binet. It was intended to diagnose mental retarded children to give them extra attention at school. It quickly became a success and was followed in America where it has coined in the following years.

In the past few years intelligence is widely spoken off. Many websites have start there brain train academy to increase your intelligence. You can do short free IQ tests on internet or pay for one to get an extended one. Here I can only say that you get where you pay for. Everybody can make some tests and call it an IQ test, but only specialized people are trained to interpret the scores. So don’t get your hopes up if you score very high on a free IQ test or scored very low. They are just an estimation. An IQ test is mostly used in hospitals or sort alike institutions. By testing someone a psychologist can see what a person his weak spots are and where he excels.

It has been found that more than 6 - 8% of the brain controls our intelligence, and thus, some believe that the size of the brain is one of the more important aspects in determining a higher intelligence. This is off course not true. If that where the case, man should be more intelligent than woman and this is clearly not the case. What is more important is the relationship between the forebrain compared to the brain in total. The forebrain is in medical terms called the frontal cortex. Humans have a very big frontal cortex compared to an elephant or a giraffe. In mass it is way smaller but in relative to the total brain size we have a huge frontal cortex. That is the main reason why we can communicate with each other and think consciously about things we want to do.

Patients who have damaged their frontal lobes in some sort of accident or other, have been found to be lacking in the intelligence factor, and when exposed to a battery of mental exams, it has been found that their level of intelligence decreases when damage to this area is done. However, of course there have been people who argue that the IQ test is the be all and end all of measuring how much intelligence there is in one human being, because it would then disregard the whole learning, application and execution of knowledge, which would also be a good way to determine how intelligent one person is. So, you need to know what you want from the IQ test.

For most psychologists, they would encourage anyone to take the IQ test and see the score that they receive. What they mean is that most of the mental disorders or developmental conditions in the mind can show up in these tests if the scores are far below normal. You can then refer yourself to psychologists for more tests and perhaps spot and detect a disorder before it becomes much more obvious. So not only can you test intelligence, but save your mind from regression