<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_age" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mental Age</a> tests are calibrated by country/culture:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mental age is a concept related to intelligence. It looks at how a
specific individual, at a specific age, performs intellectually,
compared to average intellectual performance for that individual's
actual chronological age (i.e. time elapsed since birth).(...)
The score achieved by the individual is
compared to the median average scores at various ages, and the mental
age (x, say) is derived such that the individual's score equates to
the average score at age x.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The (modern) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Intellectual Quotient (IQ for short)</a> of a child is then computed by dividing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_age" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mental Age</a> by the chronological age and multiplying by 100.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mensa.org/iq/what-iq" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mensa's criteria</a> of &quot;being in the top 2%&quot; matches a proportion of the population for ANY measure of ANY criteria distributed in a normal distribution. If you label as &quot;clever people&quot; the &quot;top 2%&quot; of a population on a test measuring math, logic, vocabulary and visualization skills, by definition there are &quot;clever people&quot; in every country, and by definition also, they form 2% of the population.</p>
<p>Albeit one can <a href="https://www.mensa.org/join-mensa" rel="nofollow noreferrer">join the Mensa International association</a>, the objective is for members to gather and socialize  for which <a href="https://www.mensa.org/contact/national-groups" rel="nofollow noreferrer">national groups</a> are more convenient (the name itself, &quot;Mensa&quot;, means table (among other things)!):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mensa means table in Latin as is symbolized in the organization’s
logo. The organization says the word mensa has a triple meaning in
Latin: mind, table and month, suggesting a monthly meeting of minds
around a table. “The name chosen, according to the organization, to
suggest a ’round table’ type group”. <a href="https://www.constellationsofwords.com/mensa/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">constellationsofwords.com/mensa</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The fact that there is no Mensa national group and hence test in some countries (e.g. Nigeria, Chile, etc.) has more to do with the cost of creating and maintaining an association than with &quot;having clever people&quot;, but people from those countries can join Mensa International with a mere IQ test from a psychologist of their country.</p>
<p>I hope it helps! (Beware of formulating your questions on stack exchange as debates: those questions will be very quickly closed, we aim to answer questions, not to be a forum for opinions.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-16T03:35:33.450Z
2022-12-22T07:10:50.687Z
2022-12-22T07:10:50.687Z
J.y B.y
<p>I'd like to ask is Mensa IQ test real, is Mensa even real. If so why are countries like Nigeria not a member, because there are a lot of smart people there who would like to join, like me for instance. Please give me your feedback.</p>

<learning>
Is Mensa IQ test real
Mainah
# Is Mensa IQ test real

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-12-16)

I'd like to ask is Mensa IQ test real, is Mensa even real. If so why are countries like Nigeria not a member, because there are a lot of smart people there who would like to join, like me for instance. Please give me your feedback.

**Tags:** learning


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-12-16. Score: 2

The [Mental Age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_age) tests are calibrated by country/culture:

> Mental age is a concept related to intelligence. It looks at how a
> specific individual, at a specific age, performs intellectually,
> compared to average intellectual performance for that individual's
> actual chronological age (i.e. time elapsed since birth).(...)
> The score achieved by the individual is
> compared to the median average scores at various ages, and the mental
> age (x, say) is derived such that the individual's score equates to
> the average score at age x.

The (modern) [Intellectual Quotient (IQ for short)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient) of a child is then computed by dividing the [Mental Age](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_age) by the chronological age and multiplying by 100.

[Mensa's criteria](https://www.mensa.org/iq/what-iq) of "being in the top 2%" matches a proportion of the population for ANY measure of ANY criteria distributed in a normal distribution. If you label as "clever people" the "top 2%" of a population on a test measuring math, logic, vocabulary and visualization skills, by definition there are "clever people" in every country, and by definition also, they form 2% of the population.

Albeit one can [join the Mensa International association](https://www.mensa.org/join-mensa), the objective is for members to gather and socialize for which [national groups](https://www.mensa.org/contact/national-groups) are more convenient (the name itself, "Mensa", means table (among other things)!):

> Mensa means table in Latin as is symbolized in the organization’s
> logo. The organization says the word mensa has a triple meaning in
> Latin: mind, table and month, suggesting a monthly meeting of minds
> around a table. “The name chosen, according to the organization, to
> suggest a ’round table’ type group”. [constellationsofwords.com/mensa](https://www.constellationsofwords.com/mensa/)

The fact that there is no Mensa national group and hence test in some countries (e.g. Nigeria, Chile, etc.) has more to do with the cost of creating and maintaining an association than with "having clever people", but people from those countries can join Mensa International with a mere IQ test from a psychologist of their country.

I hope it helps! (Beware of formulating your questions on stack exchange as debates: those questions will be very quickly closed, we aim to answer questions, not to be a forum for opinions.)


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