Quick Question. Have you ever had an Interview IQ Test?

Recently, to get an Analytics contract I personally had to sit an IQ test. I hadn’t sat one in a while.

I’m no Einstein, but I did manage to get the contract. They did warn me beforehand that I’d have to sit one - here is my run down.

You can improve your score by studying practice questions

People who get high scores on IQ tests practice like crazy.

Because the questions usually fall into several known categories. The key to high scores is to recognize a pattern in a new question that resembles one you've seen before.

It still takes skill - but practicing matters. Here are two books I used to practice with.

“Test and assess your brain quotient” (Click to download free PDF version)

Focus on the Numerical (page 77), and the Spatial (page103) aptitude chapters. This is what is mainly in data analytics/engineering job interviews.

Also, in the answers section, it gives you a rundown of the pattern to look for.

“Test your IQ” (Click to download free PDF version)

Has sets of questions. I focused on the number sequence, and spatial questions. I didn’t touch the vocabulary questions.

After practicing for just a few days, I felt much more confident, and was picking up patterns in the questions noticeably faster.

Make sure you sleep properly the night before

I know that’s obvious, but not sleeping well can lower your IQ on the day by up to 15 points.

If I don’t get at least 7.5 hours sleep, I struggle to focus and can get quite sloppy.

Final Tips

If the exam is timed, don’t spend too much time on a question that you’re nowhere near to answering. Take a guess (if there’s no penalty for incorrect answers) or mark it to come back to later.

For data jobs, it’s generally not a full IQ test. It’s mainly a numerical and spatial skills assessment. Don’t spend much time on vocabulary practice.

You don’t need to be an Einstein; you just have to get a decent score to keep you in the interview process. Obviously your work experience and personality are just as important.

Number sequence and Spatial questions will always be in your test, so focus on them.

Good Luck and let me know if you’ve sat one recently. Cheers Shano.