There are two routes by which you can qualify for Mensa. One is by sitting a Mensa supervised entry test (for candidates aged 14 and over). The other is by presenting evidence of a qualifying score in a standard IQ test taken elsewhere.
Australian Mensa runs its own supervised tests at regular intervals in capital cities and, less frequently, elsewhere.
There are periodic sessions of supervised tests where usually between 5 and 20 people are tested. Individual testing arrangements can be made for candidates in remote areas.
We use two tests at each session. One is partly verbal; the other is a so-called culture-fair test. The latter is diagram-based and depends little on knowledge of English or an English-language culture. The tests are separately marked and scored. A qualifying score in either test will get you an invitation to join Mensa. A qualifying score is a result at or above the 98th percentile -- that is, a score in the range achieved by the top 2 percent of the population.
Typically tests are held every three months in the capital cities of the larger states. For ACT, NT and Tasmania testing will depend on applications received. Dates are displayed on the panel on the left. Once you have taken the test it can take 6 to 8 weeks to get the results.
To apply download the Supervised Test Request Form (PDF) or apply on line.
Please allow 2 weeks for processing. Tests must be dispatched from our office to the proctors and venues must be booked. There is no guarantee that late applications can be accommodated in the upcoming test and applicants may have to wait 3 months for the next testing session.
Supervised tests are not IQ tests but admission tests for Joining Australian Mensa. The tests are supervised by proctors and then evaluated by our Consulting Psychologist.
If your score on one or both of the tests is equivalent to the 98% level then you will receive an invitation to join. You will not receive an IQ score or even the score for your tests, simply the equivalent of a pass or fail.
If you wish to know your actual IQ you will need to arrange to be tested by a psychologist. The cost for this is likely to be significantly higher than sitting the supervised test. If you do plan to have such a test, you may be eligible to join Mensa based on the results, provided it meets our requirements. (see below for accepted tests)
There is a fee of $ 60 (standard) or $ 40 (concession) for the test and evaluation. This must be paid beforehand, by cheque or money order made out to "Australian Mensa Inc" or by credit card. You can also apply and pay on line. If you join Mensa following a successful test result, of course there is an annual subscription fee to pay. See under Joining and Membership.
YES. You must have passed your 14th birthday to take our tests.
Younger people are welcome to join Australian Mensa, but we cannot test them. They can qualify by the "external evidence" route: see below under "How can I join on the strength of an IQ score from elsewhere?"
No. Should you score below the 98th percentile in both tests, it's not an option to re-sit our tests at any time in the future. However, it is still open to you to seek membership of Mensa through the "external evidence" route: see below under "How can I join on the strength of an IQ score from elsewhere?"
Some national Mensa organisations do allow a second attempt at the Mensa test. This is normally where only one test is taken at the initial attempt, and a subsequent attempt is allowed using a different test. In Australia we use two different tests in the one session.
If you are considering a Mensa supervised test, there is also an option to try a home "practice" test first. You can get the home test by writing to us at
Australian Mensa Inc
Home Test
Suite 12, 8-12 Stafford St
Midland WA 6056
This office is staffed part-time by clerical staff only and is not a contact point for Mensa officers.
This item costs $ 40 and must be prepaid. Make the cheque or money order payable to "Australian Mensa Inc". You can also download the Home Test Request Form (PDF) or apply on line.
The home test is suitable for people aged 14 or over with a native or complete command of English. This test is similar to the partly verbal component of our supervised test. (We currently have no home test version of the "culture fair" component of the supervised test.)
You complete the test at home when convenient, applying the time limits strictly. Then you send the completed paper to us and our psychologist evaluates it.
We don't report an IQ to you, but we advise you as to your likely chances in the supervised test.
It can take 6 to 8 weeks to get your results. If you plan to take a supervised test based on the results of your Home test, please keep take this timeframe into account.
IQ books with sample tests and explanations can be found in the psychology and self-help sections in bookshops and library. "Know Your Own IQ" and other books by H.J. Eysenck, although mostly not recent, give the scientific background on IQ testing and some sample tests and answers. There are books which set out to "teach you to raise your IQ" and which explain and provide exercises in each type of question.
Online "IQ tests" are not recognised as valid statistically, but may provide useful practice. See our links page.
Also see below under "Can I qualify on an online test?".
You can qualify by showing evidence of a qualifying score in one of the many standard IQ tests we accept. The test must be administered by a fully registered psychologist.
If you have or can get evidence of a score at or above the 98th percentile in one of these tests (listed below), we will assess that evidence and, if it is acceptable, offer you membership. You can order the form, which is to be completed by the psychologist who tested you, by downloading the Psychologist Form Request (PDF) or applying on line. The cost for the form and evaluation by our Consulting Psychologist is $ 40.
| Cattell Scale III Form B |
| Cattell Scale 3 Form A (test of "g": Culture Fair) |
| Stanford-Binet (Fifth Edition) |
| Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition |
| Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition – Australian Standardisation |
| Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence - 3rd Edition - Australian Standardisation |
| Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test |
| Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition |
| Differential Abilities Scales (1990) |
Previous editions of the tests listed above are acceptable, as long as the test was administered within the period of time during which that edition was the current edition.
No, not in Australia. Mensa in the USA accepts some versions of these US scholastic tests, but they are not accepted for direct entry to Australian Mensa.
There are other variations in the list of tests accepted by Mensa in different countries. The local Consultant Psychologists are responsible for validating and checking external evidence, and the tests accepted reflect the local field of expertise. Evidence relating to tests not normally used in Australia can't be easily checked here; therefore, we can't accept them.
If you fulfilled the local Mensa requirements in any country, you will be accepted for transfer into Australian Mensa.
Our approved tests for admission to Mensa are fully validated, standardised IQ tests. They have to be taken under supervised conditions (not self-administered) and not in any online version. There are currently NO online tests accepted by psychologists as valid IQ tests.
An online test may, however, be helpful as practice or as a very rough indicator of your likely level in a supervised test.