The typical candidate for Mensa admission - after taking the Mensa test, e.g.
Mensa IQ Challenge | Mensa International
Wants to know as quickly as possible:
a) whether he qualified to join, and
b) what his actual I.Q. score was.
Unfortunately, the first part will always be more easily answered than the second. Thus, if you score in the top 2 percent for the nation, you can join. But you can't be told your I.Q. scored in the Mensa test. As an aside, let me point out that test is real and statistically valid. Also vetted by professional psychologists. It is not remotely in the realm of an answer I saw once on Reddit, e.g. "Anyone can design any kind of IQ test they want -even about 'Angry Birds'"
Anyway, the gist of the email message from Mensa - delivered to my inbox back in January 2020 - was that no specific information was to be provided regarding I.Q. for anyone taking the Mensa test. This was concerning whether actual I.Q. assessment, or percentile placement -- could be delivered to members or prospective Mensa admission test takers from January 1st.
In other words the latter would simply be informed they made it into Mensa - or they didn't - no other details. They could, however, access their raw scores - before they've been processed into percentile measures or I.Q. Nor would test score data any longer be shared with current, former or potential members, "to protect American Mensa."
The Mensa FAQ itself noted that I.Q. scores in typical tests can range from 132 to 148, and that is just for qualifying. In other words, given the wide disparities it makes little sense to report scores to test takers. Better to just allow a raw score and let them know they either got in or didn't.
The main part of the notification reads:
American Mensa will no longer be able to send test scores to current or former members. The change is necessitated by ethical and legal guidelines with the State of Texas as well as the American Psychological Association. A copy of raw scores — which doesn't include percentile ranks or IQ scores — may be requested by members for $15 before the close of business on Dec. 23. (The office will be closed Dec. 24 - Jan. 1.)
The change results from a review of the limits and liabilities of our testing program necessitated by 2017 revisions to American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, as well as applicable Texas state laws and the ethical guidelines for psychologists. Based on those updated APA guidelines, American Mensa’s Supervisory Psychologist, Dr. Renee Lexow, is able to share testing data with the organization under her license but not with individual candidates. To protect American Mensa, Dr. Lexow has decided that the organization will no longer share test score data with current, former, or potential members.
“We cannot, as psychologists, give someone their test score without helping interpret it for them,” Dr. Lexow said. “That is clear under the APA’s stringent ethical guidelines. Our new restrictions will protect American Mensa as well as its members and potential members.”
Candidates using Prior Evidence, Local Group Testing, or Private Testing will be informed if they scored at or above the 98th percentile. Those who do will be invited to join.
Current and past members, however, will no longer receive past test scores. American Mensa will be able to provide a report to other psychological agencies if the individual completes and returns a Test Score Release Authorization Form. Sharing the testing information with another licensed psychologist is permitted under APA guidelines.
The rigorous ethical standards introduced by the American Psychological Association's (2017) guidelines then, show why test data release to individuals is a no-no. The gist of those is that without a proper interpretation (by a professional) accompanying any release of an I.Q. score, the recipient will be clueless as to where s/he really stands and is likely to be affected in a negative way. Rather than invite adverse psychological reactions Mensa's position is that it's best not to release any kind of exact test score. On top of that there is the legal liability especially if individuals indiscriminately share data, like on social media.
For those who remain curious as to how their prior SAT or GRE scores might roughly translate into an I.Q. score check out the link below for estimations: http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/greiq.aspx
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