Misconceptions About MENSA - They Exist In Abundance

Over the years as a Mensa  (as well as Intertel) member,  I've encountered so many misconceptions - expressed as opinions or misgivings in different settings - that it's difficult to keep count. Below,  I've  tried to distill each misconception into the form of a question and then either allow it to be addressed by some original author (e.g. in a cited source like Mensa Bulletin, or Intertel Integra) or by myself


Question: If you're so smart, then why aren't you rich?

This one was addressed by a letter writer in the February, 2002 issue of the Mensa Bulletin
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The things that our society rewards monetarily are at odds with the sensibilities of many intelligent people. In other words, I know what makes money, and I don't agree with it on a moral or a personal basis. Increasingly, our society rewards a select few who produce concrete products or processes while leaving less concrete producers in the dust. An example is the fact that a college professor who helps to produce businessmen makes less money than any of his students when they finish.

Making money requires a specific type of creativity that is not inherent in intelligence. In order to make money, one must have a product or service to sell. Many intelligent people are operationally intelligent; they are good at the big picture. This does not, however, ensure any specific knowledge of any subject that can be turned into a product or service. One may be brilliant at knowing how to run a company, yet have no clue what to sell.

I think that many intelligent people see keenly the problems that our focus on money can create. Therefore, for better or worse, some react by developing a distaste for money, seeing it as a sign of greed or materialism. Some, I believe, actively avoid making money, though it is probably unconscious to them.

Intelligence is a distraction. Intelligent people have many interests besides their job. Therefore, they may not want to focus as wholeheartedly on their job. Often these interests are esoteric and totally removed from making money.

That's just a few of the patterns I've noticed with myself. Ironically, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I have wanted to find a business partner to complement the skills that I have. I have good operational abilities, but I am not one to invent a product on my own. Given the proper partner, however, I feel I could help shape the idea and be instrumental in making it work in the market. I actually have spoken with one member in my local group about this, but I am very interested in forming an entrepreneurs' group where some of us can get together and discuss how to make money together in a constructive and moral way.
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Question: I already know I'm super smart so why would I want to join Mensa?  Just to show off?

This is a commonplace misperception on why people join Mensa. (Including that we all want to "show off" as part of a "brain club".) Not so!  We join to find fellowship with other intelligent people by way of shared interests, and shared aptitudes and potential, including use of language. Studies have found, for example, that even a 15 point difference in I.Q. can make it extremely difficult  to communicate with others - whether siblings, or members of other clubs that one may belong to.  If the difference is 25 points or greater, the communication gap becomes nearly impossible to surmount.

The 'normals'  will either find you "elitist", too "smart alecky" for your own good, or an insufferable bore or pedant. In other words, they will inevitably react with distrust based on a misperception that you just want to lord it over them and make them out to be dummies. This chasm can be even greater, for example, if you also excelled academically in high school, but none of your siblings did. (In this case, bear in mind we are looking at achievement not aptitude).

As for a person being convinced he or she is "super smart" and not having to join an I.Q. society to prove it, so be it. But bear in mind until you actually show evidence of that, you may be misled. On the other hand, if you have taken an aptitude test in the past (ACT, SAT or GRE) that shows you meet Mensa levels of acceptance, e.g. 1250 total for the GRE, then indeed you are quite justified not joining to "prove" anything. But again I remind readers we aren't joining to validate braininess per se but rather to find others who share our brain power with whom we can more easily communicate or interact without misunderstandings.

Question: If you're such a genius, why haven't you invented or created something remarkable?

First, Mensa acceptance - upper 2 percent of  scores in intelligence tests- is not at genius level (at least I.Q. 145) but 130. This is not to say that proven geniuses aren't members of Mensa, but rather the acceptance standard is not at genius level.  It is at a very gifted level.

As for not inventing something remarkable this again harks back to the original answer to Q. 1 on why many smart people aren't also rich. That is, we aren't necessarily focused on making money (we see it as a tool rather than end in itself) nor are we focused on creating or making a product. We often have so many diverse interests, multiple distractions,  that we can't muster the focus needed for a unique or original creation. Back to the original answer, we can often make a contribution if we have the right partner to work with - for example one whose practical expertise complements our abstract insights. Or one who is expert at marketing and public relations to neutralize our aversion to selling because of social anxiety.

Question: Why do you smart asses think you're experts at everything?

Well, because we are interested in everything! We feel if we can read and learn about a subject we can achieve a certain level of competence and even expertise to write about it. We can't help it if "Densans" don't feel as curious about as many different subjects, or are too lazy (or uninterested) to write about them or develop an expertise. That is their problem, not ours, but it gets to the core of why an I.Q. gap really does exist and leads to misunderstandings between people - even siblings.

At the same time there is such a phenomenon as mistaken expertise or inflated expertise which is very typical of Mensa, as well as Intertel members. Thus, because a person belongs to Mensa or Intertel he or she may believe they are qualified to expound on any subject, whether global warming, the financial crash of 2008, or the JFK assassination - without doing the heavy lifting (in research) before opinionating.

Again, a highly intelligent (or any)  person is qualified to expound on whatever s/he wants  IF they do the necessary background reading, research. If they don't they aren't.  The point made here is that special credentials (or even appointments) are not necessary to achieve expertise in a subject.

Question: How come so few Mensans have college degrees?

This appears to have arisen as a casual perception at some anti-Mensa websites, but without supplying any supporting data. But at the root of the question is confusion between aptitude and achievement. This also goes to the heart of why the SAT and GRE are no longer accepted as valid entry qualifying tests for Mensa or Intertel any longer. In a word, because these are now achievement  tests and not aptitude tests. Dr Abby Salny perhaps elucidated the differences best in the March, 1994 issue of the Mensa Bulletin (p. 9) in response to a reader's question on why the ACT and SAT  were no longer accepted as qualifying evidence for Mensa:

"The ACT went to content mastery testing some time ago. That means they were measuring learned knowledge and achievement. The SAT has not only changed to content achievement but has even changed its name from the Scholastic Aptitude Test to the Scholastic Achievement Test. The Medical College test has also gone content-oriented with two major sections, Physical Sciences and Biology.

Mensa's Constitution says 'IQ test or equivalent'. This means we can take a test that measures learning aptitude, but not a test that measures exclusively what has been taught in school. The whole purpose of Mensa was not to reward high scholastic achievement but to recognize intellectual giftedness. The two are not synonymous. "

In like manner, Mensa recognized from early that requiring a university degree did not jibe with the divergence of definition in respect to intellectual giftedness and achievement. Hence, one could attain high scholastic achievement, get a college degree, but still not have convincingly showed intellectual aptitude - which is different as Dr. Salny points out.  Thus, Mensa membership includes a diverse array of people, many of whom lack any college degrees - but their performance (say on the Mensa test) qualifies them for entry.

Let me also remark here that it is precisely the typical Mensan's learning aptitude that makes him or her a prime candidate to expound on a variety of topics that may not be peculiar to his primary specialty. Because he has the potential to learn about new things he will be enabled to put it into practice and write about those things, unlike the "normal" who - never having been versed in high finance (credit default swaps, bond market, CMOs, etc.) - would rather demur.


Question: If you guys are so bright, why aren't you better behaved?

Well, because intellectual aptitude and morality (including ethical behavior) are two different spheres of human life. Hence, we will - like any club or demographic - have our share of felons, porn stars and others  -even those with disagreeable temperaments. We are not a society of saints, after all, or monks. Intellect then, can function in many ways and that is one reason Mensa is clear to assert it embraces no particular political or religious stance either.


Question: Isn't it kind of dumb to have to pass a test to qualify for membership in a high IQ society then pay a yearly membership fee to stay in?

No one "has to pass" any test and it might surprise you to know most Mensa members qualify for membership simply on the basis of a past aptitude test like the SAT or GRE. (In my case a 1330 total on the GRE).  Others, yes, if they have no aptitude test to validate qualification must take the Mensa entry exam.  But again, no one is twisting anyone's arm to join, people do it of their own volition.

Paying dues is not a biggie either, given any club needs money to support its activities. This is a literal no brainer. In Mensa's case, dues not only support The Mensa Bulletin, but the research of the Mensa Foundation as well as Annual Gatherings (AGs). Again, this is no different from any other organization, including the American Astronomical Society and American Mathematical Society to which I also belong.

Alas, as long as there are people who hold grudges against Mensa for any reason, including failing to make the cut, see e.g. https://psmag.com/i-failed-a-mensa-test-twice-dcc5c1e4163d#.o71cnduyu

there will be sore losers and whiners, as well as sour grapes appeals. It goes with the territory! Those who'd like to try a small quiz to get the flavor for the sort of questions asked on the actual test can go here:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-01-04/entertainment/8902220824_1_typists-chickens-eggs

 To access the Mensa practice test go to this link:

https://www.us.mensa.org/join/mht/
 

Is It Time To Ditch The SAT?

Back in August last year, I explained how and why the SAT can no longer be regarded as a qualifying test for entry into Mensa, or any of the other high I.Q. societies, e.g.
http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-so-many-past-aptitude-tests-are-no.html

This quoted Dr. Abby Salny, Mensa psychometrician - who responded to a question in the 1994 March Mensa Bulletin, pointing out the SAT had ceased to be an aptitude test, and had become instead an achievement test. The latter's basis being merely to test knowledge accumulated as opposed to one's aptitude for acquiring new knowledge and applying it in different ways.

This is critical and bears on why the SAT is even needed anymore, given that "achievement" is essentially mostly coincident with one's scholastic attainments in high school, i.e. GPA. Hence, if one goes to a creditable high school (no basket weaving or dance courses!) one ought to be able to be judged able to enter college based on GPA alone. To demand also an SAT appears to be redundant.

Reinforcing the take that the SAT has become superfluous as a key criterion for college admission  has been the news that a major overhaul is in the works (Denver Post, Mar. 6, 'SAT to Undergo Major Overhaul', p. 15A).  This is scheduled to go into effect when today's high school freshmen take it in 2016. According to College Board officials, quoted in the Denver Post account, they:

"want to make the SAT more accessible, straightforward and grounded in what is taught in high school".

Commendable, except for the fact colleges want to know - or should - how these kids will potentially perform at the college level - which ought to be much more demanding than high school!

Has everyone missed the memo that college was never intended to be for everyone, nor should it be? (As reflected in recurring stats showing how few of those attending actually graduate from college after 5 years.)  College perhaps is not exclusively for an elite minority, but it will never be for the majority either - hence the need for more technical, vocational schools as in Germany. (See the excellent account in the Sunday Denver Post on how the need for more vo-tech grows in this state every year - more electricians, plumbers, and auto mechanics - as well as airplane mechanics - are desperately needed.)

Anyway, why I bring this up is that Wake Forest University  (North  Carolina) is now among the first to no longer require the SAT for admission, e.g. in addition to the high school academic record. In fact, according to a CBS News report last night, some 800 schools already allow students to apply without it. This is terrific given the fact scoring high on the test is often a matter of mastering "tricks" to cut the time consumed. Hence, those students who think too much are often penalized the most. (This applies less to the AP versions of the SAT and hence, doing AP SATs is more defensible, especially if a student plans to attend a school like MIT or Caltech. Thus, admissions would want to know how good you are at calculus and physics.)

Back to Wake Forest: According to Martha Allman, Dean of Admissions, interviewed on the news spot:

"We see many students who simply don't test well. They have intellectual curiosity and drive and all the tools to be successful college students but that Saturday morning test is their nemesis."

As reported, however, the College Board begs to differ, calling the test "essential" and that it needs to be used in tandem with high school grades. But I call bollocks on that, since again - no longer being an aptitude test, it loses utility in the wider picture. Okay, I do concede that on rare occasions it might be needed if the particular college admissions office suspects grade inflation is endemic at a high school. Also, let's bear in mind that taking the test entails $$$ and the College Board may not wish to lose a piece of its existing testing "pie". (Another reason they may have dumbed the test down some more - to lure more HS students to take it.)

This take is supported by Wake Forest's Allman who went on to point out that:

"There's no statistical difference in grade point average or in graduation rate between (SAT) submitters and non-submitters."

The news report also cited a study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) which backs up that thesis of optional testing. Again, it found "no significant differences in graduation rates or GPAs between the two groups."

 Which ought to be welcome news to all those who always suspected the SAT was more about helping to create a specialized niche industry (e.g.  to prep hordes of students for it), not to mention financing perennial testing itself. Both of which, we now see, impose unnecessary burdens on students and their parents.

Looking at More Complex GRE-style Quantitative Aptitude Questions

First, the answers from last time:

Verbal (I):

1. (B), 2. (C),  3. (D), 4. (E), 5, (B)

Verbal (II):

1. (C), 2. (A), 3. (B), 4. (E)

Verbal -Analytic (III):

1. (A), 2. (B), 3. (A), 4. (E), 5. (E), 6. (C)

We look now at GRE- style quantitative questions. In each case for the given question set, study the graph and information concerning it, then answer the questions that follow:

Quantitative (I): 7 Minutes:

The graph shown displays the chemical potential vs relative temperature for pure water, a saline solution and ice.  For  an "ideal solution" (a solution in which all molecules interact in the same way) the chemical potential of water in the solution is given by :

µ_{solution water} = µ_{pure water} + RT ln x_{solution water}

where R is the gas law constant (8.314 J/mol K), T is the temperature, and x_{solution water} is the mole fraction of water in the solution. (On the graph, T₀ is the freezing point of the pure water. ) As salt is added to the water, the concentration of water in the solution goes down. That makes x_{solution water} less than one, and the natural log of a number less than one is negative. That makes the concentration correction negative, so the chemical potential of water will drop as more salt is added.



1. The decrease in chemical potential occurs because:

A. The quantity x (solution water) is less than one.

B. There is a lower concentration of water in the solution than in the pure liquid.

C. There is a higher concentration of water in the solution than in the pure liquid.

D. There is no change in concentration between ice and pure liquid.

E.  The freezing point remains unchanged.


2. At the freezing point, it is clear that:

A. Ice and pure water co-exist

B. The tendency of the ice to melt is exactly counter balanced by the tendency of the water to freeze

C.  The chemical potentials must be equal so that: µ_ice = µ_{pure water}

D.  Pure water has a higher chemical potential than water in salt solution

E. All of the above.


3. It is clear that when salt is mixed with the pure water solution:

A. The dissolved salt will lower the chemical potential of the (originally) pure water.

B.  The chemical potential of the ice is barely affected at all.

C. The water must now be more unstable than ice - so the ice will melt more slowly.

D.  Answers A, B and C

E. Answers A and B.


4. Which, if any, of the following can be deduced from the graph?

A. The chemical potential for all 3 substances rises as the temperature decreases.

B. The solution (water in) curve is shifted below the curve for pure water because the RT in the x_{solution water}   term is less than zero.

C. The lower chemical potential of solution water shifts the point of intersection (with that for ice) to the left. This means the freezing point for water in the solution is lower than the freezing point for the pure water.

D.  Answers A and B

E. Answers A, B and C.

Quantitative II: (8 Minutes)









The graph above shows the radiocarbon C-14 excess over C-12 over a 2,000 year period. In general, C14 is produced in the upper atmosphere via the impact –interaction with high energy cosmic rays, say from galactic sources. Solar activity in turn modulates the intensity of these cosmic rays via the action of the heliosphere's magnetic field which deflects a fraction of the intense cosmic ray flux and other harmful interstellar radiation.

When the Sun is more active, the heliosphere will be stronger, shielding the Earth from more intense cosmic rays the effect of which is to reduce the C14 produced in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Conversely, when the Sun is less active then the shield is weaker and more intense cosmic rays penetrate to our upper atmosphere yielding more C14 produced.

To conform with observed solar activity the plot (from P.E. Damon :'The Solar Output and Its Variation', The University of Colorado Press, Boulder, 1977) is such that increasing radiocarbon (C14) is downward and indicated with (+). The deviations in parts per thousand are shown relative to an arbitrary 19th century reference level.

Questions:

1. The  increasing C14/C12 ratio, i.e. from left to right on the graph probably arises from:

(A) Injection of anthropogenic CO2 into the Earth's atmosphere.

(B) The result of the known, slow decrease in the strength of the Earth’s magnetic moment.

(C) Increased cosmic ray fluxes on Earth

(D) Increased radiocarbon production on Earth resulting from (C)

(E) All the above

2. The sharp upward spike at the modern end of the curve (e.g. from about 1850 on) , representing a marked drop in relative radiocarbon, is probably due to:

(A) Anthropogenic causes—the onset of increased population and the Industrial Age

(B) The burning of low radiocarbon fossil fuels, such as coal and oil

(C) The systematic burning off of the world’s forests for agriculture.

(D)  Processes (B) and (C) only

(E) All the processes: A, B and C

3. The percentage C14 excess over C 12 by the mid-20th century is approximately:

(A) +25,  (B) -25, (C) +30 (D) +5  (E) +10

The graph below shows the changes in the heliosphere's magnetic field over different solar cycles,  starting from 1900 to about the beginning of the 1st quarter of 2000.  The vertical axis gives the magnitude of the magnetic field (B) in nano-Tesla. Note that the red portion of the graph denotes magnitudes observed from Earth, while the earlier (blue, light green) denoted inferred magnitudes.



4. Based on where Damon's (earlier) C-14 excess over C12  graph terminates, estimate the magnitude of the inferred or observed heliospheric magnetic field:

(A) 3 nT  (B) 7 nT,  (C) 9 nT  (D) 5 nT  (E) 8 nT

5. According to existing solar data, sunspot cycle 16 was a "weak cycle"  which led to a much more energetic and active one (cycle 17). Estimate the ratio of the maximum magnitudes of the  heliospheric magnetic fields, in cycle 17 relative to 16:

(A) 0.5 (B) 2.0  (C) 8/7   (D) 8.5/6.8  (E) 9/ 7

6. According to the World Meteorological Office:

“The year 2010 is almost certain to rank in the top three warmest years since the beginning of instrumental records in 1850.”

Assuming the validity of the arbitrary norm (zero line or abscissa) for 1890 in the Damon graph, then it is clear that the magnitude of the Middle Ages warming period (relative C14 strength of -18), for example, is less than about ½ the relative effect attributed mainly to anthropogenic sources in the modern era (-40).  Based on this, and examining the two graphs, is it logical to conclude that the magnitude of the heliosphere magnetic field directly affects climate change on Earth?

(A) No, not enough data  (B) Yes, to a small degree - because it modulates cosmic ray flux

(C) Yes, since the magnitude of the relative C14 over C12 excess, for Middle Ages warming, is less than about ½ the relative effect attributed mainly to anthropogenic sources in the modern era.

(D) No, because there weren't actual instruments to measure the heliosphere magnetic field  in the Middle Ages.

(E) Yes, because the maximum peak for cycle 23 falls close enough to the beginning of 2010.

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Answers tomorrow. Also, where do you stand on a truncated GRE aptitude test scale? Find out tomorrow, assuming you've taken all these sample segments in the time.

Looking At More Complex GRE Verbal Aptitude Questions

First, the answers from the previous sample GRE aptitude test questions:

Verbal (Pt. I):

1.(A),   2. (E),  3. (D), 4. (B), 5. (B)

2. Quantitative (Pt. I)

1. (A), 2. (E), 3. (C), 4. (D), 5. (C)


Verbal (Pt. II):

1. (D), 2. (D), 3. (C), 4. (C), 5. (E)


Quantitative (Pt. II):

1. (C), 2. (B), 3. (B), 4. (D), 5. (A)

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Now, lest any readers believe the GRE questions were typically as easy as those in the last blog, let's look at a few examples of more complex ones. We will start out with a series requiring filling in the correct word pair in given blanks for a sentence, then go to one example each of a passage which must be read, then interpreted-analyzed and responses given. Here goes:

Verbal (I): (5 minutes)

Each sentence below has two blanks, each blank indicating a word has been omitted. Choose the pair of words which best fits:

1. It is true that seeds of some plants have _____ after two hundred years of dormancy, but reports that viable seeds have been found in ancient tombs such as the pyramids are entirely_______:

(A) revived: empirical

(B) germinated: unfounded

(C) endured: irrelevant

(D)  erupted:reasonable

(E) proliferated: substantiated

2. The most technologically advanced societies have been responsible for the greatest ______  indeed, savagery seems to be in direct proportion to_______:

(A) wars: viciousness

(B) catastrophes: ill will

(C) atrocities: development

(D)inventions: know-how

(E) triumphs:civilization

3. The combination of ______ and ______ in Edmund's speech can be startling, especially when he slyly slips in some juicy vulgarity amid the mellifluous circumlocutions of a gentleman of the old school.

(A) tact: innocence

(B) raciness: ribaldry

(C) piousness: modesty

(D) elegance: earthiness

(E)propriety: bashfulness

4. Every new theory not only must _____ the valid predictions of the old theory, but must also explain why those predictions ______ within the range of that old theory.

(A)organize: failed

(B)generate: faltered

(C) promote: functioned

(D)refute: evolved

(E) accommodate: succeeded

5. Human reaction to the realm of thought is often as strong as that to sensible presences; our higher moral life is based on the fact that ______ sensations actually present may have a weaker influence on our action than do the ideas of _____ facts.

(A) disturbing: ordinary

(B) material: remote

(C) emotional : impersonal

(D) definitive: controversial

(E) familiar: symbolic


Verbal (II): (5 minutes)

Read the passage provided then choose the correct letter referencing some part of the passage - with conclusions stated or implied:

The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed severe restrictions on the use of antibiotics to promote the health and growth of meat animals. Medications added to feeds kill many microorganisms but also encourage the appearance of bacterial strains that are resistant to anti-infective drugs. Already, for example, penicillin and tetracyclines are not as effective therapeutically as they once were. The drug resistance is chiefly conferred by tiny circlets of genes called plasmids, that can exchanged between different strains and even different species of bacteria. Plasmids are also one of the two kinds of vehicles (the other being viruses) that molecular biologists depend on when performing gene transplant experiments. Even present guidelines forbid the laboratory use of plasmids bearing genes for resistance to antibiotics. Yet, while congressional debate rages over whether or not to toughen these restrictions on scientists in their laboratories, little congressional attention has been focused on an ill-advised agricultural practice that produces known deleterious effects.

1. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with:

(A) discovering methods of eliminating harmful microorganisms without subsequently generating drug resistant  bacteria.

(B) explaining reasons for congressional inaction on the regulation of gene transplant experiments

(C) describing a problematic agricultural practice and its serious genetic consequences

(D) verifying the therapeutic ineffectiveness of anti-infective drugs.

(E) evaluating recently proposed restrictions intended to promote the growth of meat animals.

2. According to the passage, the exchange of plasmids between different bacteria can result in which of the following?

(A) Microorganisms resistant to drugs

(B) Therapeutically useful circlets of genes

(C) Anti-infective drugs like penicillin

(D) Viruses for use by molecular biologists

(E) Vehicles for performing gene transplant experiments

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that those in favor of stiffening the restrictions on gene transplant research should logically also:

(A) encourage experiments with any plasmids except those bearing genes for antibiotic research

(B) question the addition of anti-infective drugs to livestock feed

(C) resist the use of penicillin and tetracyclines to kill microorganisms

(D) agree to the development of meatier livestock through the use of antibiotics

(E) favor congressional debate and discussion of all science and health issues


4. The author's attitude toward the development of bacterial strains  that render antibiotic drugs ineffective can best be described as:

(A) indifferent,  (B) perplexed, (C) pretentious, (D) insincere, (E) apprehensive


Verbal-Analytical (III): (6 minutes:)

Read the passage then answer the questions on it which follow:

The work week in a small business is a five-day work week running from Monday through Friday. In each workweek, activities L, M, N, O and P must all be done, but the work is subject to the following restrictions:

L must be done earlier in the week than O but not earlier than P

M must be done earlier in the week than N and not earlier than O.

No more than one of the activities can be done on any one day

1. Which of the following is an acceptable schedule of activities with the activities listed from left to right in the order from Monday through Friday:

(A) L, M, N, O, P,

(B)M,N, O, M, N

(C) O, N. L, P, M

(D) P, O, L, M. L

(E) P, O, L, M , N

2. Which of the following pairs of activities could be done on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, of some week:

(A) L and O

(B) M and L

(C) M and P

(D) N and O

(E) O and M

3. If P is earlier than M on the schedule for some week, which of the following must also be true of that schedule?

(A) L is earlier than M

(B) N is earlier than M

(C) N is earlier than O

(D) O is earlier than L

(E) O is earlier than P


4. If P and N were done on Thursday and Friday, respectively, which of the following must be true?

(A) L is done on Tuesday

(B) L is done on Wednesday

(C) M is done on Monday

(D) O is done on Tuesday

(E) O is done on Wednesday


5. Which of the following could appear on the schedule for some week?

(A) L on Friday

(B) M on Thursday

(C) N on Monday

(D) O on Monday

(E) P on Tuesday


6. The one day of the week for which any one of the five activities could be scheduled while still allowing the other four activities to be scheduled is:

(A) Monday

(B) Tuesday

(C) Wednesday

(D) Thursday

(E) Friday

Answers tomorrow!

(Note that if you plan to try this portion of the sample test under relatively consistent conditions with the actual one,  you should take no more than 16 minutes.)

What Constitutes a Real Aptitude Test?

In a previous blog, see http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-so-many-past-aptitude-tests-are-no.html

I noted why most current standardized exams, including the SAT, GRE and others, no longer qualify as bona fide aptitude tests and hence can no longer be used for entry into the high IQ societies, such as Mensa, Intertel. This elicits the question of what a real aptitude test would look like, what type of questions would be seen?

As an example, I can present some sample questions from the (1985) Graduate Record Exam I took (test booklets could be purchased with score release), which result (1330 verbal + quant.) qualified me not only for Mensa entry but Intertel as well  - and also a $9800/yr  post-graduate research assistantship at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The test was grueling to say the least, lasting a full 210 mins. (3 1/2 hours) with 30 questions each in 7 sections (30 mins. allowed per section) alternating verbal, quantitative and analytical questions. The questions also varied in complexity. In the case of the verbal portions they ranged from simple recognition of opposites and analogies, etc. to parsing complex paragraphs from diverse writings then interpreting them. In the case of the quantitative sets, they varied from simple algebraic, arithmetic,  geometric or trig questions to analyzing graphs then addressing aspects of them via the questions. The point to bear in mind is that no matter how "simple" the questions may appear, they're not based on rote memory or content but on aptitude.

Since basically there  is only one minute per question on average, then if anyone attempts this as a sample test, you have no more than 20 minutes to complete it.  In the interest of space conservation I have focused only on the shorter version of questions - no lengthy ones. Thus finishing in the time  may be somewhat misleading - since obviously more complex questions (which are excluded) would consume more time.

With those provisos, here goes:

Sample GRE Verbal (I): Time: 5 Minutes

Each question contains a word in capital letters then five lettered choices. Choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capitals:

1. SATURNINE:

(A) genial (B) devout   (C) distinguished  (D) quick-witted  (E) heavy-handed


2. ABEYANCE:

(A) fulfillment  (B) activity  (C) renascence (D) resistance  (E) continuance


3. MUNIFICENCE:

(A) appreciation (B) deception  (C) modesty (D) stinginess  (E) anxiety


4. JUDICIOUS:

(A) insecure  (B) unwise  (C) inept  (D) lacking consequence  (E) without probability


5. DISSEMINATE:

(A) deceive  (B) garner  (C)  constrain ( D) confirm ( E) conjoin



Sample GRE Quantitative (I) Time: 5 Minutes

1. If the volume of a cube with side of length 6 is equal to the volume of a rectangular solid with length 12 and width 9, then the height of the rectangular solid is:

(A) 2 ( B) 4   (C) 6   (D)8  (E) 9


2. Consider this result of an operation []:

3(4.5 []  3) =  4.5

Which of the following operations could be substituted for [] to make the above equation true?

I (+)   II (-)  III (/ )

(A) None  (B) I only ( C) II only  (D) III only   (E) II and III


3. In a list of numbers the first number is 3, the second is 4, and each subsequent number is the sum of all the preceding numbers in the list. If the 20th number in the list is x, what is the 21st number in the list?

(A) 7x   (B) 16 x   (C) 32x  ( D) 35x   (E) 161 x


4. Electricity to operate a window air conditioner costs 3 cents per hour and to operate an attic fan, 1.2 cents per hour. How many hours would the attic fan have to be in operation to operate the air conditioner for 8 hours?

(A) 2.5  (B) 3,2  (C) 12,0  (D) 20.0  (E) 25.0


5. If r = 4s/ 5  then what is the value of 2s/ 3r?

(A) 8/15 ( B) 3/4  (C) 5/6  (D) 2/2  (E) 6/5


GRE Sample Verbal (II) Time: 5 Minutes

In each of the following, select the lettered pair of words that is closest to the original pair (shown in capitals):

1. GALLEY:SHIP

(A) entry:restaurant (B) market:mall (C)picnic:park (D) kitchen:house (E) banquet: hall


2. SPLINT: MOBILITY

(A) lubricant:friction (B) foundation:stability (C) exercise :activity (D) food:weight (E) antiseptic:sterility

3. RIG: CONTEST

(A) repudiate:thesis (B) predict:race (C) gerrymander:district (D) solve:conundrum (E)incriminate:evidence


4. CREEK:RIVER:

(A) fire:log (B) pebble:rock  (C) leg: desk  (D) island:water (E) beach:desert


5. COURAGEOUS: BRAVADO:

(A) wary:prudence  (B) horrific: panic (C) honorable:veracity (D) self-centered:conceit (E)complimentary:fulsomeness


GRE Sample Quantitative (II): 5 minutes

Choose (A) if the quantity in column A is larger, Choose (B) if the quantity in column B is larger, choose (C) if the quantities are equal, and choose (D) if the relationship cannot be determined from the information given:


Column A -------------------------- Column B


1. 12/ 3.......................................(4/7) x 7

2.  100.010 - 0.009.................100.000 + 0.002

3.  x/y ..........................................y/x

(where x = 25% of 12, and y = 10% of 40)

4. P ................................................Q

(for all x:    x ²   -     7x -  8  = (x - P) (x - Q)



5.  (-4) <> 5..................................5 <> (-4)

(for all real numbers p and r, p<> r = pr - p +r)


(Answers tomorrow!)

Why So Many Past Aptitude Tests Are No Longer Accepted by Mensa

Well, not only by Mensa, but other high I.Q. societies, as well, including Intertel and the Poetic Genius Society. The sad bottom line fact for most wannabe Mensans (and Ilians, etc.) is that if they wish to join these societies today they had better have taken the SAT, GRE, PSAT, ACT tests before they became inapplicable. If their past test evidence doesn't make the cut then they will have to sit the official Mensa test in order to qualify.

The question of no longer accepting the SAT actually was answered at some length by Abby F.Salny (Ed. D.) in the March, 1994 issue of the Mensa Bulletin (p. 9) in response to a reader's question. The letter writer asked:

"Please tell me why Mensa will not accept the new SAT results as evidence for admission to Mensa. Is there some new aspect of the SAT test that makes it invalid for Mensa use?"

Dr. Salny responded:

"Many Mensans have asked why we do not accept the 'new' SAT scores or the 'new' MCAT scores. This is not only an explanation but a possible philosophical explanation of the changes in the test.

The ACT went to content mastery testing some time ago. That means they were measuring learned knowledge and achievement. The SAT has not only changed to content achievement but has even changed its name from the Scholastic Aptitude Test to the Scholastic Achievement Test. The Medical College test has also gone content-oriented with two major sections, Physical Sciences and Biology.

Mensa's Constitution says 'IQ test or equivalent'. This means we can take a test that measures learning aptitude, but not a test that measures exclusively what has been taught in school. The whole purpose of Mensa was not to reward high scholastic achievement but to recognize intellectual giftedness. The two are not synonymous.

--- In short, any test that we have rejected, or that we will reject in the future, has changed content from IQ or equivalent to content mastery. Our Constitution mandates this and we are trying to follow our Constitution."

This means that now even the GRE (since Oct., 2001) cannot be considered a true aptitude test and a valid basis for evidence to qualify for Mensa membership. The American Mensa, Ltd. website makes it clear what past tests are still accepted as evidence for qualifying and which are now content -dominated so no longer are. These include:

ACT Composite	prior to 9/89  (29)	29
	effective 9/89 ( N/A)	N/A

GMAT (Percentile rank of verbal + quantitative)** (95)

95

GRE	prior to 5/94 (V+ Q = 1250)	1250
	scored from 5/94 to 9/01 (math + verbal + analytic = 1875)	1875
	effective 10/01 (N/A)	N/A

Henmon-Nelson   (132)

132

LSAT***	prior to 1982 (662)	662
	1982 through 5/91 (39)	39
	effective 6/91 (163)	163

Miller Analogies Test (MAT)	prior to 10/04 (raw score 66)	66
	scored after 10/04 (total group percentile score 98)	98

PSAT (taken in junior year)	prior to 5/93 (180)	180
	effective 5/93 (N/A)	N/A

PSAT (taken in senior year)	prior to 5/93 (195)	195
	effective 5/93 (N/A)	N/A

SAT or CEEB	scored prior to 9/30/74 (1300)	1300
	scored from 9/30/74 - 1/31/94 (1250)	1250
	scored after 1/31/94 (N/A)	N/A

So, if you have SATs from 1974 through 1/31/94 you can qualify if your Verbal-Math total is 1250 (if before 1974, it needs to be 1300). If you are using the GRE (Graduate Record exam)  prior to May, 1994, the total needs to be 1250. If after that date but before 10/01 then the verbal, quantitative and analytic total must come to 1875. After 10/01 it's no go, you will either have to bring up an earlier SAT test, or take the Mensa test.

The point is that prospective candidates can't blame Mensa or the other organizations which are just following their own prescribed rules. If they must blame anyone it's the ETS (Educational Testing Service) or other test manufacturers. But before you do, be mindful they are not beholden to providing any IQ equivalent aptitude tests, but rather  to satisfying the demands of colleges own evolving admission standards and requirements. The point is that the priorities of universities and colleges need in no way conform with those of Mensa, Intertel et al.

Oh, one other thing, you can't submit "blended" scores, i.e. from multiple test sittings, nor can you submit a "re-sit" score, e.g. for SATs. For those who wish to take the Mensa test (if no prior evidence test is allowable) you can obtain a practice test from American Mensa.  For those who are curious as to how their prior SAT or GRE scores translate into I.Q. check out: http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/greiq.aspx



Side note: It's interesting that the yen for content mastery has even invaded previous military aptitude tests, i.e.

Army GCT****	prior to 10/80 (136)	136
	effective 10/80 (N/A)	N/A

Navy GCT****	prior to 10/80 (68)	68
	effective 10/80  (N/A)	N/A