IQ Tests and Cognitive Assessments
Comprehensive assessment of your intelligence
Are you looking to gain an official IQ test or assessment of your cognitive ability? GP Psychology is able to offer comprehensive and validated assessments in Market Harborough and surrounding areas. Please get in contact to discuss your needs.
Intelligence is the abilities required to obtain knowledge, and to use that knowledge in a good way to solve problems that have a well described goal and structure.”
Resing and Drenth (2007)
IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient. This is a measure of an individual’s intelligence which must be assessed by specially designed tests.
I use the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale 5 (WAIS-5) to test a person’s intelligence. This is the gold standard of IQ tests. It measures:
- Processing speed – is how quickly and accurately someone can take in simple information and act on it. It’s about how fast they work through straightforward tasks. In everyday life it helps with things like keeping up in conversations and reading signs or timetables quickly.
- Verbal Comprehension – the ability to understand and use spoken language and to think things through in words. It includes knowing what words mean, explaining ideas, and seeing how concepts are connected. In everyday life it helps with understanding what other people say, following conversations and explanations, expressing your own views, and understanding written or spoken advice.
- Working memory – the ability to hold information in mind for a short time and use it, like a mental notepad. In everyday life it helps with following instructions with several steps or remembering what was said to you long enough to act on it. It also can relate to keeping track of appointment times, and juggling several things at once.
- Fluid Reasoning – the ability to work things out “on the spot”. It means noticing patterns, understanding how things connect, and using that to solve new problems. In everyday life it helps with things like adapting when a routine changes, working out the cause of a problem, or applying advice in a new situation.
- Visual Spatial ability – the ability to understand and work with what we see: judging shapes, distances and how pieces fit together, and picturing things in our mind’s eye. In everyday life it helps with things like reading maps and finding your way around, following diagrams or picture instructions, assembling items like furniture, and judging space when driving or moving around.
You will be given a Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) score following the assessment. This compares your IQ to other individuals your age. An IQ between 90 and 110 is average.
You can learn more about the history of intelligence here
What does an IQ test involve?
To get the best measure of your IQ it is important to engage in a face to face assessment. Whilst online tests may state that they measure IQ, they will not cover all of the areas above, and are unlikely to have been researched to prove that they are reliable.
An IQ assessment involves completing ten short tests of between 2 and 10 minutes. These involve explaining words, identifying patterns in puzzles, remembering numbers, basic maths and general knowledge questions, and copying symbols.
I will also ask you some questions relating to school, work, mental and physical health. This is because all of these areas could affect someone’s experiences of learning, and their ability to complete the test.
The assessment usually takes approximately 2 hours and needs to take place face to face. I conduct these assessments at my clinic in Market Harborough. I am able to travel to complete an assessment, but would require a room and travel expenses for this.
Although these tests may seem very simple, they start easy and get harder. The same assessment is used regardless of someone’s level of education. The WAIS-5 has a lot of evidence that proves that it is reliable at assessing a person’s IQ.
Following the assessment I will write a comprehensive report detailing the outcome. This will include any recommendations for adaptions that may be required.
Who may want a cognitive assessment?
I can offer cognitive assessments to any individual who would like to know their IQ. People may want to have this assessed:
- If you are interested to find out if there are any problems which may be effecting your ability to work or complete education
- To help with a court case
- Out of interest to see how intelligent you are.
- To help understand the relationship between your cognitive ability and physical health conditions.
Please note, if you require a cognitive assessment for a court hearing I will require instructions from your solicitor. Please see my expert witness page for more details.
Other assessments
On occasion I may suggest completing assessments of reading and screening tests for memory. This would be based on individual need.
Neurological Disorders
If you require a cognitive assessment due to a specific neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer’s or brain injury, I recommend that you seek a specialist report from a qualified neuropsychologist.
A list of neuropsychologists can be found on the British Psychological Society website here
Contact and costs
Cost of assessment depends on individual requirements. They start at £525 for a standard cognitive assessment and report. This includes the two hour assessment, cost of the WAIS-5 and time to write this up.
Please use my contact page to make an initial enquiry. We will then discuss your needs in a 20 minute phone conversation, where I will be able to answer any questions that you have.
Frequently asked questions
Does ADHD or autism affect IQ?
The evidence suggests it does not have a significant impact. Wilson (2024) completed a large-scale analysis of all the research into autism, ADHD and WAIS-IV results. In respect to people with autism, they found that they performed similarly to people without autism in verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning. There was slightly reduced ability on processing speed and working memory.
In respect to ADHD, there was some evidence of a slightly lower working memory score for people with this, but overall they performed at a similar level to other people their age. Similarly, Cha and Lee (2026) found that adults with ADHD had a similar cognitive profile to those who do not have it.
In my experience, there is such a range of ways that ADHD and autism can present in individuals that it is important to fully understand this for the individual when completing a cognitive assessment. I will always take into account people’s individual neurodiversity needs when completing and analysing the WAIS.
References
Cha, Y. J., & Lee, K. (2026). ADHD diagnosis, symptom severity, and WAIS-IV working memory profiles in an adult clinical sample. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 1–9.
Wilson, A. C. (2024). Cognitive Profile in Autism and ADHD: A Meta-Analysis of Performance on the WAIS-IV and WISC-V. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 39(4), 498–515.
Does dyslexia affect IQ?
Recent research by Iaia, Vizzi et al. (2025) and Scorza et al. (2023) identified that individuals with dyslexia had deficits in their working memory and processing speed when compared to others. Their verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning were similar.
The researchers indicated that large deficits in working memory and processing speed may be indicators of dyslexia when using the WAIS-IV. However, the WAIS is not a diagnostic tool for dyslexia and should not be used to make conclusions about this without further specific testing.
References
Iaia, M., Vizzi, F., Carlino, M. D., Marinelli, C. V., Angelelli, P., & Turi, M. (2025). WAIS-IV cognitive profiles in Italian university students with dyslexia. Journal of Intelligence, 13(8), 100.
Scorza, M., Gontkovsky, S. T., Puddu, M., Ciaramidaro, A., Termine, C., Simeoni, L., … & Benassi, E. (2023). Cognitive profile discrepancies among typical university students and those with dyslexia and mixed-type learning disorder. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(22), 7113.
What is the difference between intelligence and IQ?
Intelligence is our ability to learn, understand and solve problems, and to use this to manage everyday life and adapt to new situations. There are different ideas about what intelligence includes. Some focus on thinking skills, such as reasoning and memory, while others include abilities like creativity or understanding emotions.
One well-known example is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which suggests there are nine types: logical-mathematical, linguistic (language), visual-spatial (visualising ideas and objects), interpersonal (understanding others), intrapersonal (self-awareness), musical, bodily-kinaesthetic (mind-body coordination), naturalistic (understanding the natural world) and existential (thinking about big questions of human existence). Gardner’s theory is popular, particularly in education, but it is just one of many ways of describing intelligence.
Emotional intelligence is also often talked about, particularly at work. This is a person’s ability to recognise and understand their own and other people’s emotions, show empathy, and manage relationships.
IQ assessments measure what is often called general intelligence, which is a person’s overall thinking ability. This overlaps with some of Gardner’s areas, such as logical, linguistic and visual-spatial intelligence. It also includes skills Gardner doesn’t cover, such as working memory and processing speed. The five areas measured by the WAIS-5 are described above.
Can I use an IQ test to join Mensa?
A WAIS-5 assessment can be used to apply to Mensa as part of their prior evidence route. You will need to score in the top 2% of the population to be able to apply for Mensa.
Are online IQ tests valid?
IQ assessments can only be completed by a qualified psychologist with specialist knowledge of cognitive ability, using a standardised test like the WAIS-5. Free online tests are highly unlikely to be a valid measure of your intelligence. They may offer you an opportunity to see what is included in an IQ test, and can be an interesting way of exploring what IQ is.
Online tests that are paid for and run by official organisations may hold more validity if you are doing it purely for self-interest, for example the Mensa online test or an online supervised IQ test. However, Mensa do state that online tests cannot be used as official evidence of IQ.
Can I do the WAIS-5 online?
The full WAIS-5 cannot be administered online because there are some tests that require you to pick up and move objects, and others that involve a pen and paper.
There are ways to administer some of the tests online, if face to face is really not an option, but this would mean that you would not get your full scale IQ.
Can I practise for an IQ test?
The WAIS-5 has been carefully developed to look at your underlying thinking abilities, such as how you solve new problems, hold information in mind and make sense of what you see, rather than what you have learnt or revised. Many of the tasks are deliberately new and unfamiliar, so they show how you think in the moment. This is why practising beforehand doesn’t help. It’s also why it’s important to tell me if you’ve done a similar assessment recently, as familiarity with the tasks can affect the results.
Practising with online IQ tests or puzzles won’t give you an advantage. These usually focus on Perceptual Reasoning tasks (looking at puzzles or patterns). Whilst they may help to familiarise you with how these tests work, they will not be the same as the items on the WAIS-5. If you try to “practise” too much, your scores won’t reflect your everyday abilities, which makes it harder to recommend the help that’s right for you.
The best preparation is a good night’s sleep, something to eat, and bringing your glasses or hearing aids if you use them. Also, not using drugs or alcohol the day before will help.
Can you fail an IQ test?
An IQ assessment isn’t something you pass or fail, and there’s nothing to revise. It’s designed to give a fair picture of how you usually think, learn and solve problems. That picture is what helps make sure you get the right support.
