Intelligence test

An intelligence test (also known as an IQ test) records intellectual capability in accordance with the theory of intelligence which the IQ test is based on. Various areas of intelligence are taken into account and focused on in different tests depending on the theoretical foundation of the IQ test and the tasks selected. When conducting an intelligence test, it is therefore important to know which component abilities (e.g., figural abilities, deductive reasoning) are assessed by the test in question and the extent to which the test is dependent on levels of education and language.

Intelligence tests are of central importance for the objective, reliable, and valid assessment of giftedness. They are able to detect nonobservable ability potentials: Intelligence tests can help reveal a person’s existing abilities, even when there is no evidence of these in their achievements.