You can contact us via email ( info at mensa. dot org dot au ) or by using our response form. From the form, you can request a Mensa test, reinstatement of former membership, or transfer from Mensa in another country. You can also ask any further questions that are not answered here. Before you contact us via the form or email, please read all questions and answers relevant to your interest. We have covered most of the questions you may have.
Mensa is an international society open to anyone who scores in the top 2 per cent of the population on a supervised IQ test. One in every 50 people could qualify for membership. Mensa currently has over 100,000 members in more than 100 countries around the world.
Mensa was founded in England in 1946, and the Australian branch was formally begun in 1966.
Mensa's aims are:
* to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity
* to encourage research into the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence
* to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members
Mensa has no political, religious or ideological affiliations, nor does it entertain any views that could be to the disadvantage of the community.
Mensa is a not-for-profit society, supporting its activities through membership fees. National Mensa organisations are directed by Mensa International.
Mensa offers opportunities to meet people, exchange ideas, enjoy social activities and make new friends at your intellectual level. Mensa members are a diverse group, with a youngest who joined at 3, an oldest who joined at 103, and every economic level, occupation and interest you could imagine.
"Mensa" is not an acronym and is not normally written in all capital letters. "Mensa" is the Latin word for table, chosen because Mensa was established as a "round table" society.
Activities include restaurant dinners, talks, games evenings, barbecues, cultural outings, bushwalks, and more. Members are eligible to join in Mensa activities anywhere in the world. There is a network of contacts - through which members can find Mensa friends and hospitality in other countries and within Australia - and a huge range of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), nationally and internationally, which members can join in order to pursue common interests with like-minded people.
SIGs are started by members and cover interests as varied as astronomy, chess, computers, law, philosophy, photography and Sherlock Holmes. Some SIGs are international. And if there's no SIG for your special interest it's easy to start one.
There's also a growing Mensa presence on the Internet, with many national branches having their own Web sites.
There are regular activities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and other centres, coordinated by State Secretaries but mostly organised by local members themselves.
Yes. There are many events to which a member may bring a spouse, other family member or friend. Members' children are welcome at daytime events advertised as suitable. See Children for information about child membership.
Yes. Prospective members are also welcome to attend one or two events before joining or applying for membership. In this case, please contact the State Secretary beforehand.
At present there are not many events exclusively for children. However, some of the State Secretaries organise (or persuade members to organise) activities designed for families. These provide social interaction for the parents as well as the children. There are also some Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for young members or which young members might like to join.
Please also see the questions and answers under Children.
Australian Mensa publishes Australian Mensa news, announcements, articles and entertainment in its magazine TableAus (6 issues per year).
Most states publish a local newsletter, typically every two to three months, with local news, events and announcements.
The Mensa International Journal is an eight-page publication containing international Mensa news and articles of interest to members of national Mensa groups, plus extra material for direct Mensa International members. The International Journal is published ten issues per year and is incorporated, in part or full, in the national Mensa publications. In Australia, on most occasions, we distribute all eight pages of the IJ in TableAus.
We have some members who are very intellectual indeed. But our members are a wonderfully mixed group, and have included:
Only you can answer that. If you're looking for intelligent conversation, stimulating people, exciting activities and an opportunity to expand your world, the answer is yes. Remember, one in every fifty people qualifies for membership (that's about 60,000 potential members in Sydney or Melbourne). Consider joining us. We could be just what you're looking for.
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.
Mensa can help gifted children a lot. Mensa is a social club whose sole purpose is to provide a venue for the enjoyment and social contact of its members, and gifted children very badly need opportunities to interact socially with other children like themselves. Ideally, Mensa would be the best possible social group for gifted children to grow up in, bridging from school and even pre-school, through to adulthood. At present in Australia this ideal is only an aim, but Australian Mensa is trying to work towards it.
In recent years, as the problems of gifted children have become better understood, it has been realised that having a "peer group" of highly intelligent people is one of the most important needs gifted children have. Mensa is ideally suited to provide such a peer group, which a child can join and within which she or he can grow up. However, this aspect of Australian Mensa is at the cutting edge; at present Australian Mensa welcomes children as members, but does not yet have large numbers of child members in most areas.
Currently Australian Mensa's greatest need, in order to expand its social involvement for child members, is for adults who have a real interest in this role of Mensa to join, so that they can help to organise and support suitable events and functions. Parents of gifted children (only one parent need join for the whole family to become involved with Mensa) are ideally suited, because of their personal involvement with gifted children; for that reason parents or other relatives of gifted children, who would like their gifted children to be able to be involved in Mensa, are particularly welcome to join Mensa.
Every child who joins Mensa, and particularly every parent who joins Mensa and supports functions which are held for children and families, is helping to build towards the time when Mensa is the natural social group for gifted children; a group whose society they can enjoy all their life.
Many parents, when they find that a large membership of gifted children doesn't already exist in Mensa, don't go ahead with membership for their child(ren). However, this makes the current situation of few child members, self-perpetuating. If your Mensa State Secretary is keen to support activities for gifted children, you will be helping your child(ren) greatly if one of you joins as a member yourself, so that both of you can help to build Mensa into a social club which is unique and invaluable to gifted children.
Yes it definitely can be! As mentioned above, one of the greatest needs of gifted & highly gifted children is to be able to interact with other children like themselves. This sort of social interaction is a big factor in gifted children building a confident self-concept and personality. Mensa's International Constitution states that there is no lower age limit for membership of Mensa, nor is there any special children's category of membership, such as "Junior Member", or "Associate Member", (although the yearly membership fee for a student is lower), which is also a good confidence-builder.
Therefore a gifted child with an I.Q. test acceptable to Mensa (see the list of acceptable tests below), can join Mensa at any age. He or she is a full member, on the same basis as any other member of Mensa, based solely on her or his intelligence. The child is a full member of a peer-group based not on age, but on high intelligence, which will be a very important aspect of his or herself throughout his or her life.
This is potentially something of great value, which Mensa can offer to children: an intelligence-based peer group. Note that as mentioned above, Mensa is purely a social organisation. Mensa will probably never provide school enrichment courses, extension courses, etc, and is unlikely to provide gifted children's camps, at least in the near future.
Nevertheless as already stated, a peer-group based on intelligence rather than age is extremely important if highly intelligent people, including children, are to be confident and happy, and have a good chance of reaching their potential. Without such a peer-group, highly intelligent people can suffer enormously without understanding the reason, due to confusion about their own self image, and lack of positive feedback from others who are of similar intelligence to themselves.
This is what Mensa as an organisation can potentially offer to gifted children - an ongoing social peer-group, unrelated to school or any other age-related social structure, where children can hopefully meet others like themselves on a frequent basis, and which also extends around the world.
Depending to whom you speak when inquiring about the benefits of Mensa membership for your child, you may be told that Australian Mensa does not currently have much to offer children.
There are two ways of looking at this.
1) Mensa has only been established in Australia for 35 years, and 35 years ago the needs of gifted children were not yet well understood. Mainly because of this, it's true that until recently Mensans regarded Mensa in Australia as an organisation for adults, and very few functions which were suitable for children were provided .
This situation is now in the process of changing, but that older attitude is still found to an extent. In practice, the immediate value of Mensa membership for a child in Australia depends largely on the work of the current State Secretary of the State you live in. It is well worth while contacting this person and asking him or her how many child members, or children of Mensa members, are currently in your state, and are interested in being active in Mensa. Also ask whether the StateSec is happy to program functions which children and families can attend, and what his or her experience has been if he or she has planned such functions in the past. (Email contacts for State Secretaries") In some states, functions suitable for families and children take place regularly and are well attended; in other states, it has been more difficult to get children's functions going successfully (see next section).
In the hopefully unlikely event that you receive a definitely negative response from the State Secretary you contact, don't give up on Mensa forever. State Secretary is a voluntary office, and usually changes every couple of years. The next StateSec may be very keen to build up children's involvement in Mensa in your state, especially if you are willing to join and help to do it.
2) Many State Secretaries who are very willing to support child membership in their state, and to schedule functions suitable for families and children, have had difficulty because of lack of support from the very people who make inquiries. Australian Mensa, at the policy level, is now very keen to encourage child membership and participation, but this can only become reality if adults with an interest in gifted children join Mensa and help to promote and support functions appropriate for families and children, if children join as members and do attend appropriate functions, or if members with children involve their children in appropriate Mensa functions.
Unfortunately, no. This is because I.Q. testing is controlled by legislation and can normally only be carried out by a qualified psychologist
Because of the high cost of I.Q. testing, International Mensa has bought the rights to an I.Q. test by a US psychologist, Cattell, and has negotiated the right to use this test under strictly controlled conditions. The Cattell test has two sections, one fairly language-dependant, and one "culture-independent".
However the Cattell test is only suitable for adults (We recommend not before 16 or 18).
Testing a gifted child's I.Q. is a far more complex task, and can only be done, both legally and realistically, by a child psychologist skilled in gifted children's issues. In Australia such an I.Q. test costs approximately $ 300, with approximately a third to a half recoverable if you have private health cover. If you wish to have an I.Q. test carried out for your child, it's very important to contact your state Gifted & Talented association, to find a psychologist who is known to have skills and a special interest in gifted children.
Unless the cost is of no concern to you, there are several points to consider in deciding whether to go ahead and have the test done. (See "Should I have my child's I.Q. tested?)
If you suspect your child is gifted, it's natural to want to have this confirmed, and to know how gifted. If the cost is not a problem for you, yes, it's certainly good to have your child tested. This should give you information which will help you do your best to plan so that your child's potential can be achieved to the highest extent possible.
However if the expense is a problem, and if it's not possible to have your child's I.Q. tested free through your State Education Department (see below), then you may have to weigh the question more seriously.
First, I usually suggest that parents don't bother having a test done before the child is between 5 to 8 years old (refer to various relevant issues further on). This is mainly because there is greater uncertainty in the result of the I.Q. test of a very young child. Therefore if you have your child tested when he or she is say, 4 years old, you may find that you want to have her or him tested again when he or she is older. However in some states, it is possible to have a pre-school child's I.Q. tested free through the State government department dealing with pre-school education and development issues. In this case, certainly take advantage of this possibility. (See information about this below.)
If you don't have your child's I.Q. tested as a preschooler, research has shown that apart from an I.Q. test, parents' own feeling about whether their child is gifted, is the most reliable method of identification of gifted children. Therefore, in the case of a pre-school child who seems to be gifted, it is quite safe to assume that he or she is gifted, and proceed accordingly. (See "How can I help my gifted preschooler?" in "Further Information".). The reason this is quite safe is that gifted preschoolers basically need as wide and rich a range as possible of activities, plenty of positive feedback, and a peer group of children like themselves. Since every child, no matter what his or her intelligence, can only benefit from such a program, only good can come from assuming your child is gifted, and proceeding accordingly.
If at any time some specific problem or situation arises which means you really need to know if your child is gifted and if so how gifted, then you may have to make the financial commitment to have your child tested.
Common reasons can be:
Free testing: In some states, the Government department which provides services for pre-school children (child care, kindergarten, etc) has qualified psychologists and will respond to a request for an I.Q. test to be done free of charge. It's worth checking whether you can have a test done free through this method.
However, in this case it's important to have a good understanding of the appropriate testing process for a gifted child, because these psychologists are not necessarily experienced in the area of giftedness. Their work is more often in the area of helping to diagnose problems in children who are not developing normally for many reasons. Therefore in my experience they often use a standard test, and don't understand the significance when a gifted child simply scores perfectly on most sections of the test - so the interpretation you get may not be appropriate, and also the test has not in fact measured your child's giftedness.
NOTE: THIS SAME PROBLEM CAN ALSO ARISE WITH A PAID ($ 3-400) TEST BY A PSYCHOLOGIST WHO IS ALSO NOT EXPERIENCED IN GIFTED ISSUES. Therefore if you decide to have an IQ test done for your preschooler, it's important to ask the psychologist if he or she has the appropriate test for a gifted child, and is experienced in its use (see next paragraph for test details). If you are paying for the test, I strongly advise you only go to a psychologist who is recommended by officers in your local Gifted & Talented Association, as having a special interest in gifted children. I have seen many virtually useless assessments and test results, which nevertheless cost the same $ 3-400 as the good ones.
See "What is the correct test to use to test the I.Q. of a gifted child?", in "Further information"
When to test: If you were reasonably sure your child was gifted when he or she was a pre-schooler, it is important to save up to have him or her tested when your child is 7 or 8 years old. By this age the test should be accurate and reliable, and will give you the important information you need in order to help your child, and plan for the future.
Note: If, by that age, evidence of gifted behaviour seems no longer to be as clear, or even to have disappeared completely, it is all the more important to have your child tested, because many gifted children underachieve. If your child is doing this at such a young age, it is crucial to know for certain how gifted he or she is.
Mensa accepts the following tests, and there may be others which Mensa accepts as well. If your child's test is not on the following list, email and ask the Supervised Testing Coordinator (stc at mensa dot org dot au).
The score at the 98th percentile varies for different tests and your psychologist should not only give you a IQ value but and indication of the percentile equivalent.
Test accepted by Australian Mensa are given below, however not all are suitable for testing children :
| Cattell Scale III Form B |
| Cattell Scale 3 Form A (test of "g": Culture Fair) |
| Stanford-Binet (Fifth Edition) |
| Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Third 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.
All enquiries should be directed to:
Australian Mensa Inc.
The Executive Secretary
Suite 12, 8-12 Stafford St
Midland WA 6056
Mensa will then send you a form for you to give to the testing psychologist to complete and return to Mensa. You can also 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.
Mensa will require confirmation from the psychologist of the type of test given, the results and will also require information concerning the psychologist's professional standing.
Note: The fact that Mensa accepts the tests above does not imply that all of the children's tests listed above are appropriate to test your child's I.Q. The two issues are different: your child may have an I.Q. above the 98th percentile - possibly well above - and although Mensa only needs to know that his or her I.Q. is above the 98th percentile, all possible further information available from an appropriate test is very important for your own use. See "What is the correct test?" under "Further information')
My advice in this situation is that either or both of your child's parents sit the much cheaper Mensa test for adults. You may be alarmed at this suggestion, but the fact is that the potential for intelligence is largely inherited, so if your child is gifted it is very likely that one or both parents are also highly intelligent. You may never have thought of yourself as highly intelligent; you may have done poorly at school, or even dropped out of school, or you may be in an occupation which you feel definitely doesn't require high intelligence. If so, there are many Mensa members just like you - join the club. If any or all of the above are true, then you yourself should benefit greatly from realising your own intelligence, and socialising with others like yourself.
The benefit to your child, however, is that as a Mensa member, your family is now welcome to be involved in any Mensa activities. So your child can be involved in Mensa until you are able to have him or her tested, or until she or he is old enough to take the adult Mensa test him or herself. As has already been mentioned, as a Mensa member, you are also able to initiate any activities you wish, so you will be in a good position to help expand the range of activities suitable for children and families in your State Mensa.
Try not to feel nervous about this suggestion; except for those who had been tested previously, every Mensa member had to screw up the courage to take that test!
Mensa has two trust funds from which it is able to make some grants for gifted children. One fund is based on the bequest of a former Mensa member, who imposed in his will some conditions by which Mensa is legally bound; they can not be set aside.
This is the A.W. Bull Bequest Trust Fund.
Advertisements inviting applications for grants from the Bull Bequest are made yearly in the first school term. The fund allows about 5 grants each year, usually of $ 600 each; this may vary depending on interest rates. Information about the Bull Bequest grants is advertised each year in TableAus, the Australian Mensa Journal, and in all State Gifted Children magazines.
The second fund has no conditions attached to it, but is a far smaller fund. Australian Mensa continues fund-raising actively for this Fund, and donations are welcome at any time.
This is the Australian Mensa Gifted Children's Trust Fund.
Because of its smaller capital, grants from the AMGCTF are made on an occasional basis, and are usually of the order of $ 100 or $ 200. You can read more, or apply for a grant from either fund at: http://www.mensa.org.au/about/children/grants
Australian Mensa often receives inquiries about scholarships for gifted children. Unfortunately, there are no scholarships, in the sense of ongoing payment of school or other fees, at present, and Australian Mensa does not have sufficient funds to anticipate being able to make scholarships available in the foreseeable future. Helping with payment of school fees is a valid use for the yearly Mensa grants.
Currently the Australian Mensa full-rate annual subscription is $ 88.00 per annum. A reduced rate of $ 44.00 applies to juniors (under 18), students, pensioners and unemployed. A second member in the same household can pay $ 30.00 for membership without separate publications. All membership rates are inclusive of GST.
No. You are a member so long as you pay your annual dues. But it's true that once you have been accepted as qualified for Mensa anywhere in the world, you remain qualified for life. There is never a requirement to be re-tested on account of age, illness, lapsed membership or any other reason.
If you are living in Australia for a few months or more (for example, you are a student at a university here) you should apply to join in Australia. You will be able to transfer to your home country's Mensa on your return there. Any subscription credit here will be honoured by the other Mensa organisation.
The normal rule is that you join where you are living. If you will be in the other country for a few months or more, you should apply to join in that country. You will be able to transfer to Australian Mensa on your return here. Australian Mensa will honour any subscription credit you may have with the other national Mensa at the time of your transfer.
You will need to fill in the Rejoin Application Form (PDF).
This form will need to be posted with payment to
The Membership Secretary
Australian Mensa Inc
Suite 12, 8-12 Stafford St
Midland WA 6056
We will need to have proof of your previous membership. For members who originally joined in the 80's or later, this is usually just a matter of checking our database. For members who joined earlier this may not be possible. Unless alternative proof can be provided, the rejoin application will not be accepted.
We occasionally get rejoin applications from people who were never members. These are always ultimately rejected but can waste time for officers and support staff.
You will need to fill in the International Transfer Form (PDF).
This form will need to be posted with payment to
The Membership Secretary
Australian Mensa Inc
Suite 12, 8-12 Stafford St
Midland WA 6056
If you are a current member elsewhere, any financial credit for the remaining portion of your current year's membership will be honoured. If you have lapsed in the other country, you will need to pay the subscription fee for the coming year.
By Mensa International rules, we must obtain direct confirmation from the overseas Mensa membership officer. This can take a while, but in the meantime you will be welcome to attend local events. Once your membership is confirmed and you then become a member of Australian Mensa, you will, of course enjoy all the benefits of membership.
In order to speed up the process email the Membership Secretary at memsec@mensa.org.au so that the confirmation procedure can be started even before your form arrives in the post.
Again we occasionally get transfer applications from people claiming overseas membership who are in fact not members. These too are always ultimately rejected but can waste time for officers and support staff both in Australia and overseas.
Adult IQ is a somewhat artificial construct. The "IQ scale" varies with the test, so that (for example) an IQ of 130 in the Wechsler tests equates to an IQ of 148 in the Cattell and Raven tests. To be meaningful, IQ score must always be quoted with details of the test and version used.
"Percentile rank" figures provide a direct comparison with others. A score at the 98th percentile means you are in the top two per cent of the population, at least on that test and on that occasion!
Since Mensa entry is based on a percentile level, the "invitation to join" sent to you after you sit our supervised tests means that you achieved the 98th percentile figure or better on one or more of the tests. Neither your actual score nor an equivalent IQ will be given.
Mensa selects people who score at or above the 98th percentile on an IQ measure. Qualifying for Mensa indicates a certain level of analytical or "convergent" thinking ability. This represents only a fraction of a person's potential -- some would say not the most important part. Having a higher or lower IQ certainly does not make you a better or worse member of society, or a more valuable or less valuable person, because IQ reflects only one dimension of the person.
A moderately high IQ may be necessary for success in some fields. But people of notable intellectual achievement usually have a capacity for original thought, which IQ tests do not assess. IQ is a rough and ready guide to one dimension of mental ability, useful within its limits. In practice so many other factors apply too -- achievement is probably still the best indicator of ability.
Yes, Mensa is elitist in the sense that a football team, a university or a jazz band is elitist. Their members too are selected, at least partly, on some dimension of ability. Mensa is certainly selective.
However, to some, "elitism" may imply power or privilege in general society. Mensa is not elitist in that sense. Mensa members do not constitute an elite of power or privilege. Our international constitution explicitly states: "Mensa shall have no aim which is to the disadvantage of the community".
No, although statistically it appears Mensa members are likely to exhibit certain character traits, such as independent-mindedness, more strongly than the average person.
Selection on IQ certainly does not produce a uniform type of person among Mensa members. There is a great range and variety of personalities and interests among the members.