The World's Shortest IQ Test Contains Just Three Tough Questions

IQ tests are everywhere – there are all kinds, all lengths, and they measure all different sorts of intelligence. This one, called a Cognitive Reflection Test, is only 3 (tough) questions long.

It was developed in 2005 by psychologist Shane Frederick and is designed to test your ability to ignore your gut response and think more rationally – but not slower, because the faster you get the answers, the higher your IQ.

To get these answers right – like just 17% of the population – you’ll have to spend time questioning your initial response, then revising to get your final answer.

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So even though most people won’t get them right…maybe you want to give it a go anyway?

Here goes.

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

2. If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?

3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?

And here are the answers…

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

Image Credit: Pixabay

Answer: 5 cents.

A 0.05 ball and a $1.05 bat totals $1.10.

2. If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?

Image Credit: Pixabay

Answer: 5 minutes.

The question lets us know that it takes 5 minutes for 1 widget machine to make a widget, so if you had 100 machines, it would still only take 5 minutes for each machine to make one.

3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?