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Re:My IQ by JoeAltmaier on Monday November 05, 2012 @08:30AM (#4743336)
Be fair - for math patterns you're expected to choose the simplest fit. For language, the highest-order fit (e.g. meaning, not letter count). Why? Its cultural - thats how IQ tests are done.
Re:My IQ by matthewowen on Monday November 05, 2012 @09:44AM (#4743644)
That's true, but I don't see why it is a problem. You typically get example questions in these sorts of tests - it should be trivial to understand the types of fit that the test is requesting.

To be frank, I have very little time for people who claim to have overthought a test. Typically, they've thought enough to complicate the simple answer, but haven't thought enough to realise why the simple answer is correct.

Re:My IQ by JoeAltmaier on Monday November 05, 2012 @09:58AM (#4743720)
Its not always possible to know which kind of question you're answering. What is the odd one in this set? Is that a math question, or language? How far along you are in the test can change the desired outcome; I'm certain the strategy being tested switches mode as the test advances to cover more capable subjects.

Short answer: you have to be familiar with the culture of testing to do well. Anecdote: I got 95+ on the GRE entering graduate school; I took advanced subject tests in subjects I had never studied. All it took was a knowledge of how the test worked.