Can you increase your IQ?
Partly. Some things reliably raise measured IQ; many popular claims don't hold up.
What helps
- Education: a large meta-analysis (Ritchie & Tucker-Drob, 2018) estimated that each extra year of education raises IQ by about 1 to 5 points.
- Health basics: good sleep, nutrition and physical health support performance on the day and over a lifetime.
- Familiarity: knowing the question types removes surprise; scores usually rise a few points on a retake.
What doesn't (much)
Commercial “brain training” games make you better at those games, but large reviews have found little transfer to general intelligence. Short-term tricks like music before a test have tiny or no effects.
What to do on test day
Be rested, take the test somewhere quiet, read the examples, and don't rush the reasoning sections. See our tips for taking an IQ test.
Frequently asked questions
Does practising IQ tests raise your IQ?
It raises your score on similar tests a little, mostly through familiarity, not your underlying ability.
Related
Tips for taking an IQ testPractical tips to get an accurate result on an IQ test: preparation, environment, time management and strategies for each question type.IQ test FAQAnswers to common questions about the free IQ Atlas test: how long it takes, how it's scored, accuracy, the world map, sharing and privacy.What is IQ?What IQ means, where it came from, what IQ tests measure today, and what an IQ score can and can't tell you.