![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]()
Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr Lance Ware,
a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only
qualification for membership of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are
today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions.
The society welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the
population, with the objective of enjoying each other's company and participating in a wide
range of social and cultural activities.
Mensa has three stated purposes: to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of
humanity, to encourage research in the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence, and to
promote stimulating intellectual and social opportunities for its members.
Today there are some 100,000 Mensans in 100 countries throughout the world. There are
active Mensa organizations in over 40 countries on every continent except Antarctica.
Membership numbers are also available for specific National Groups.
There is simply no one prevailing characteristic of Mensa members other than high IQ.
There are Mensans for whom Mensa provides a sense of family and others for whom it is
casual. There have been many marriages made in Mensa but for many people, it is simply a
stimulating opportunity for the mind. Almost certainly most Mensans have a good sense of
humor and they like to talk. And, usually, they have a lot to say.
Mensans range in age from 4 to 94, but most are between 20 and 49. In education they
range from preschoolers to high school dropouts to people with multiple doctorates. There
are Mensans on welfare and Mensans who are millionaires. As far as occupations, the
range is staggering. Mensa has professors and truck drivers, scientists and firefighters,
computer programmers and farmers, artists, military people, musicians, laborers, police
officers, glassblowers - you name it. There are famous Mensans and prize-winning
Mensans, but there are many, many whose names you wouldn't know.
The word "Mensa" means "table" in Latin. The name stands for a round-table society,
where race, color, creed, national origin, age, politics, educational or social background are
irrelevant.
Mensa takes no stand on politics, religion or social issues. Mensa encompasses members
from so many different countries and cultures, and with many different points of view. For
Mensa to espouse a particular point of view would go against its role as a forum for all
points of view. (Of course, individual Mensa members often have strong opinions. It is said
that in a room with 12 Mensans you will find 13 differing opinions on any given subject.)
Membership in Mensa is open to persons who have attained a score within the upper two
percent of the general population on an approved intelligence test that has been properly
administered and supervised. There is no other qualification or disqualification for
membership eligibility.
The term "IQ score" is widely used but poorly defined. There are a large number of tests
with different scales. The result on one test of 132 can be the same as a score 148 on
another test. Some intelligence tests don't use IQ scores at all. Mensa has set a percentage
as cutoff to avoid this confusion. Candidates for membership in Mensa must achieve a score
at or above the 98th percentile (a score that is greater than or equal to 98 percent of the
general population taking the test) on a standard test of intelligence.
Generally, there are two ways to prove that you qualify for Mensa: either take the Mensa
test, or submit a qualifying test score from another test. There are a large number of
intelligence tests that are "approved". More information on whether a test you have
done is approved, as well as information on the procedure for taking the Mensa test,
can be obtained from the nearest Mensa office. There are no on-line tests that can be
used for admission to Mensa. Feel free to contact Mensa for
specific details about eligibility.
Mensa has no other eligibility requirements other than IQ testing. However, many tests are
not valid for people under the age of 16. You should contact the nearest Mensa office for
more information.
Contact the testing service requesting that they send you a report
showing your score. Include as much of the following information
as you can. If you can't give an exact answer, an approximation
is better than nothing.
Many testing services charge a fee for sending reports; you should
give the service a call before writing them.
For school testing, write to the school you attended, and ask for a CERTIFIED copy
of your score. It must include your birth date, the name of the test, and a clearly defined
number, i.e., IQ, or percentile rank nationally. Mensa does not
accept achievement tests. The school seal must be stamped on the
report.
For psychologist/agency testing, have the report sent on professional letterhead,
with the psychologist's
or agency's license or registration number. Mensa accepts only
tests given by those people qualified to do testing privately
in the state in which the examiner resides. Date of test, name
of test, and full score must be given, and the report must be
signed.
A notarized copy of any of the reports will be accepted, non-notarized copies may be rejected.
If you've never taken an IQ test, or don't want to bother with
getting official copies of your test scores, then Mensa can test you. You will be put in
contact with the local testing coordinator who will tell you about specific testing dates and places.
In some countries, Mensa can also send you a pretest you can take in the privacy
of your home. To find out whether such a test is available in your country, please
see National Groups. When you've finished it, send it back
and it will be scored, and you will be notified of the results. If your score
is high enough you'll be invited to take the qualifying supervised test. The
pretest is just for practice, you can't use it to qualify for Mensa even if you
score at or above the 98th percentile (although the pre-test is not
required for admission, many people take it simply for the challenge).
Feel free to contact Mensa for more information or to arrange
testing. More specific information is also available about testing costs for any
of the National Groups.
If you want to take an on-line test, the Mensa Workout is an interactive intelligence quiz,
in which you have a half an hour to answer 30 questions. Then just press a button, your
test is instantly scored and you can see how your scores measures up. The answers
to the questions are provided, along with discussion of the answers. The Workout is not an IQ test,
and can't be used for qualification to join Mensa.
Web design by Colin Mackenzie. Copyright © 2000 Mensa International Limited. |
![]() |