Where, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, could I go to have an IQ test
administered?  Specifically, I'm looking for ones which would be
acceptable for application to Mensa (aside from the test administered
directly by Mensa).

IQ tests are primarily administered to children in that IQ, or
Intelligence Quotient, is a number that determines the ability to
learn

In order to be admitted to Mensa, you must take the Mensa Admissions
Test which is proctored by Mensa.  You can, however, submit what is
called Prior Evidence.  Prior Evidence is proof of scoring in the top
2% of a supervised, standardized intelligence test.  Again, these
tests are referring to the tests that are administered tochildren, but
can be submitted for adults.

According to American Mensa Ltd,
http://www.us.mensa.org/join_mensa/priorevidence.php3,
"Tests given by an institution/agency/clinic must include the full
name of the test, the score, and percentile rank. This documentation
must be on institution/agency/clinic letterhead and signed by the
psychologist responsible for the testing, along with the
psychologist's license/certification number issued by the state in
which the psychologist practices."

A list of acceptable tests and their qualifying scores:
California Test of Mental Maturity (CTMM) IQ 132 
California Test of Cognitive Skills IQ 132 
Cattell IQ 148 
Stanford Binet, Form L-M IQ 132 
Wechsler Adult and Children Scales
(WAIS and WAIS-R, WISC, WISC-R, WISC-III)
Note: Short form not accepted IQ 130 
Otis-Lennon Tests IQ 132 
Otis-Gamma Test IQ 131  
SAT or CEEB scored prior to 9/30/74  1300 
GMAT (Percentile rank of verbal + quantitative)** 95  
Miller Analogies Test (MAT) - Raw Score 66

Also, some academic tests, such as the SAT, the LSAT, and the GRE are
admissable as Prior Evidence.

The above is a sample of the over 200 soores Mensa will accept as
Prior Evidence.  You can learn more about Prior Evidence at
http://www.us.mensa.org/join_mensa/priorevidenceFAQ.php.

If you have already taken a standarized test that you feel may fall
into a category for Mensa admission, you can contact Testing and
Admissions of Mensa at Admissions@AmericanMensa.org and check with
them.

In the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area, you can have the MAT test administered
at the Southern Methodist University Counseling and Testing Center,
http://www.smu.edu/counseling/school.html, 214-768-2269.

Your best option, however, for admission to Mensa, is to take the
Mensa administered test.  You can learn more about that particular
test at http://www.us.mensa.org/join_mensa/admissionstest.php3

The local Mensa organization for Dallas/Ft. Worth can be found at
http://mensa76.us.mensa.org/ and at North Texas Mensa,
http://www.northtexasmensa.org/default.asp

Good luck!

If you need any additional clarification, please let me know.

Regards,

-THV

Search Strategy:
Mensa Testing
IQ test

---

Request for Answer Clarification by severisth-ga on 26 Dec 2002 14:59 PST

Thank you for the research!
That reference to the MAT is exactly the sort of information I was
looking for.  I should have clarified that I had already read through
the information available on the International, American, and local
Mensa sites...  I may have saved you some time.

The reason I am looking for other tests is so that I may avoid a
"one-shot" chance at entry (i.e. the Mensa administered test).  I am
confident that I am capable of qualifying, but am not confident that I
would perform at full potential with only one time-limited chance to
"pass" the test.  I would prefer to comfortably take one of the other
listed tests and present it as prior evidence.

Are any of the other acceptable tests available in Dallas/Fort Worth?

---

Clarification of Answer by tar_heel_v-ga on 26 Dec 2002 15:23 PST

severisth,

Not a problem on the research you have already done.  I have located
the following locations for you:

Family Counseling Center Association
2401 Oakland Blvd., Suite 100
Fort Worth, Texas 76103
Tel: (817) 534-2189
http://www.family-counseling.org/

They offer 
Myers-Briggs Type Inventory 
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 

Along with others tests

I will keep looking, but wanted to get this one out to you now.

-THV

THV,
The Family Counseling Center is precisely what I was looking for. 
Thank you!  I quickly became frustrated trying to wade through the
barrage of "Free Online IQ Tests" during my search, and saw this was a
perfect opportunity to support Google Answers.  I have found few
places on the web where so much intruiging information is exchanged! 
Thanks again.

Being tested by Mensa itself isn't actually a one-shot affair. I
served as a Mensa test proctor for several years. Mensa administers
two separate tests (when I was serving as proctor, they were the
Cattell and the CTMM.) The two tests are usually given back-to-back in
a single afternoon. Admission to the group can be obtained by scoring
in the top 2% of either of these tests (not necessarily both.)

$30 for two IQ tests is quite a bargain!

Ah, I wasn't aware they were only $30!  The Family Counseling Center
Association charges $150 for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

My concern is that the time limit on the Mensa administered tests
might fluster me enough to cause my scores to be inaccurately low... 
what are your thoughts?

severisth,
 
In reference to the time limit causing "flustration," I sympathize.
This always bothers me, too. But I think this problem will exist
regardless of which IQ test you take. I don't think there are any
Mensa-acceptable tests that have no time limit.

It may reassure you to know that most of the Mensa members I've met
(including myself) thought we wouldn't be eligible, and were amazed
and delighted to learn otherwise. ;-)

I recommend that you seek Mensa-administered testing for two reasons:

1. Stupendously low price (the proctors are volunteers who receive
only a small stipend for expenses.)

2. The testing proctors are typically friendly, helpful, and genuinely
eager for you to do well on the tests; since the proctors are Mensans,
and since Mensans tend to be highly evangelistic about the
organization, your proctor will make every effort to put you at ease
so that you can do your best.

~pinkfreud

Thanks for the thoughts PinkFreud!  Your insight is wonderful!

I'm still debating it in my mind though.  I'd like to join a high IQ
society for some much-needed discussion (I've resorted to reading
through answered questions here just to see some intelligent dialog!).
 I would really hate to be so worried about performing well that I
allow myself to watch the clock instead of calmly thinking through the
questions.  I can see this happening because I tend to demand
performance, which often causes me to get frustrated and not think
clearly.

If I could retest, it wouldn't be a problem.  This is why I feel I
would perform accurately on the Wechsler test... I'd know I can take a
different test if anything goes wrong.  But on the other hand, that's
$120 more just to get into Mensa.  I'm not even certain I'll like
being a member.

Back to the drawing board...