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Original poster

To think that if you have an IQ of 170 it wouldn't go unnoticed at school?

118 replies

MarksandSpencerfoodjunkie · 21/08/2016 16:38

Just that really. My MIL says SIL was tested age 7 at school (we are based in the US) and was told she had this IQ. Mil kept it quiet from DS - my now DH - in case he felt inferior with his 140 plus IQ. But my MIL was later told SIL was dyslexic because she wasn't getting on at school; this was in the UK as they both went to school in the UK for a while. But SIL was and is a good reader - she sometimes misspells too and to and their and there but has a good job. She didn't do A levels in fact fought against doing them and went to a technical college instead. My cousin who is a member of Mensa (and quite an oddball it must be said) has this IQ and argued with me that either SIL was badly let down by the education system in both the US and the U.K. Or my MIL's memory isn't all it should be. or are IQ tests just pants?

OP posts:
fluffikins · 21/08/2016 16:40

IQ is pants and she also wouldn't score that high if she was dyslexic because her profile would dip in certain areas.

jimbob1 · 21/08/2016 16:41

Traditional IQ tests are useless.

Also, it is possible your MIL is embellishing.

fluffikins · 21/08/2016 16:41

That's to say she could score very well in some areas but her score in others (ie literacy) would pull the overall score down

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 21/08/2016 16:41

Is this a stealth boast about your nipper's 140plus IQ?

Mov1ngOn · 21/08/2016 16:42

I had a stupid high iq (joined mensa as a teen). My spelling isn't great. Life wise i went to a v good uni but I've not done brilliantly since. I am still v quick to analyse data and can learn fast. However my memory for detail is pretty rubbish (also faceblind). Got a first in a second degree doing v little work as I can just organise information and revise well and quickly, hold an argument. I can't remember half of the content now (but would quickly pick it up again)

I think people who met me now would be surprised at the high iq....

Background/schooling/ abusive or supportive family/ interests/personality/ resilience all make a difference.

witsender · 21/08/2016 16:43

Her husband's, not child's.

peppercold · 21/08/2016 16:43

It's her DH who has the 140 IQ like

LockedOutOfMN · 21/08/2016 16:46

170 seems really high for anyone's IQ. Maybe MIL has slightly misremembered the number.

SmilingButClueless · 21/08/2016 16:47

IQ measures one very specific type of intelligence. I have a similar IQ, and can't say it's ever been a particular advantage. I needed to do less work to get the same grades as my peers, that's about it. As an adult, it's been pretty meaningless (despite what Mensa seem to think! I ended up dropping my membership because I got so annoyed by the superiority complex many members displayed.)

Comejointhemurder · 21/08/2016 16:48

It depends how the IQ was tested - many are irrelevant.

Stephen Hawkins has a published IQ in the 150 range. I imagine that's from formal testing using a WAIS or similar.

Fuckingmoles · 21/08/2016 16:48

I agree that IQ tests are pretty dodgy but her profile would not necessarily dip just because she was dyslexic. Dyslexics can have IQs that measure from low to high just like everybody else.

QuackDuckQuack · 21/08/2016 16:53

Measuring IQ at that sort of level is pretty meaningless.

phillipp · 21/08/2016 16:56

My dbros IQ test came out at 168. His school were never impressed nor did anything. I suspect because even then people were saying the tests weren't great.

Doesn't stop him mentioning it, at every given opportunity though Grin

AngieBolen · 21/08/2016 16:56

IQ tests are pants IMO.

I score reasonably highly, I think because I'm very good at non verbal reasoning. I did a Mensa test - it was in the post in those days Grinthen they invited ms to take a test at a centre , but I couldn't get there. However, I'm obviously not particularly cleaver.

I have very poor working memory. I only realised this when DD was tested for dyslexia and came out very, very low (below first centile) and I'm very similar to her in that.

I'm not sure why you say SIL was failed though. She was diagnosed as dyslexic and didn't want to do A levels. Lots of clever people don't.

Just5minswithDacre · 21/08/2016 16:59

It sounds quite plausible to me. Everything over 130 or 140 is going to be much of a muchness in terms of how it presents in school, schoolwork and, indeed, daily life.

IQ scores average out several constituent scores and are, as others have already said, pretty blunt instruments. Besides, they measure potential not performance pet se.

MrsHulk · 21/08/2016 16:59

IQ scores don't actually correlate with academic or job success - which is one indication that they are pants and don't really measure intelligence!

No reason to think your sil was failed.

Just5minswithDacre · 21/08/2016 17:00

170 seems really high for anyone's IQ. Maybe MIL has slightly misremembered the number.

Too high to be real? No. There are people around with 170+ and 180+ scores. You wouldn't spot them by looking at them Grin

lljkk · 21/08/2016 17:05

Claim that school let the SIL down... does that mean that school didn't recognise or deal with dyslexia or that somehow the school caused dyslexia?? Confused tbh, what makes success at school is self-confidence, imho.

I got calculated an IQ like that when I was 7, in the USA.
From what I remember in the test, it didn't require that much reading, it was more like tricky little questions using pictures more than it used words. Because it was a test set up for young children, & not supposed to test knowledge but rather other skills.

There are several versions of what is an IQ test, afaik, and they have changed over time so which one she had may not have been well validated, anyway.

ScarlettSahara · 21/08/2016 17:08

My DD has been diagnosed (late at age 14) with dyslexia, dyscalculia, poor short term and poor working memory yet a high IQ.

She finds it hard to perform well academically. (school not very supportive actually). Seemed to read well when younger. Was tested very thoroughly by ed. psych. So although your MIL may have misremembered the numbers it seems plausible to me.

Balletgirlmum · 21/08/2016 17:11

Dd has a very high IQ but a spiky profile & it was totally missed at her junior school where she underachieved.

Her secondary school knew something was amiss & recommended testing for an asd which was how come we got to find out her IQ.

He full scale IQ is 138 but verbal is 153. Is that score of 170 just related to a part of the IQ (the Weschler test gives a score for verbal, performance & full scale)

ShebaShimmyShake · 21/08/2016 17:11

IQ tests prove nothing except how good you are at IQ tests. There are many different expressions of intelligence. Word, number and logic puzzles are just one.

Original poster
MarksandSpencerfoodjunkie · 21/08/2016 17:12

Ahhhi thought 170 was amazing - that's why I asked SIL says she was'failed' by her schooling - should have explained and it's my husband with the 140 IQ - I haven't idea what my DCs' IQs are and reading this (I had posted to see whether it was worth taking headed of IQ tests as much as anything) I'm now not inclined to. My MIL constantly goes on about SIL's IQ and I think it ticks her off also; I think her decision not to pursue a degree and do a more vocational course might have been her way of dealing with her mum going on about IQ. All interesting to get opinions though

OP posts:
EverySongbirdSays · 21/08/2016 17:13

I was tested as a high IQ in the 80s - nothing was done "extra" for me - it tends not to be, particularly in State. 170 is near perfect though so that seems odd. It's kind of "that's nice dear"

State school lessons teach to the middle because they have to -or they did "in my day" not a teacher don't flame me- inevitably more intelligent kids will fail to be challenged and often not meet expected grades due to boredom and "phoning in" work.

hmcAsWas · 21/08/2016 17:13

I think I have - (purportedly) an 'average' IQ (self tested online) from memory - but nevertheless I have 3 degrees (one of which is a masters, one of which is a first class honours) which I acquired without disproportionate effort...... Yes IQ tests are controversial, and have also been found to be flawed with ethnocentric bias ...(amongst other things)

For the record your SIL probably was badly let down by the UK and US education system - people with dyslexia frequently are.

MeDownSouth · 21/08/2016 17:14

IQ tests vary for different ages. So you can have a test at 7 and get vastly different results to those you would get as an adult. There are multiple types of intelligence and dyslexia might not affect all of them. If your SiL got IQ tested now she might not get 170 so it really doesn't matter.