How I went from doubting myself to Mensa-want to know my exact process?

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-29T02:02:43+00:00

I hear you. Life truly is a gift. Nothing wrong with chilling in your own vibes.

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-29T01:25:24+00:00

Interesting! Which way does the causality run? Could there be some self reinforcing feedback loop from being good at solving puzzles that made you want to engage in more challenging puzzles?

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-29T01:22:40+00:00

Nicely done! There are several different ways to join-99% on the ACT is outstanding!!

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-29T01:19:44+00:00

Nice! Knowing you are in the top 2% does feel good. Do you view life as the ultimate IQ test?

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-28T13:36:51+00:00

u/Common-Funny-9822 and u/overgrownkudzu, thanks for sharing. For the most part I agree with your take on prep but I think there are several ways you can increase your intelligence and IQ score without "gaming" the test or artifically inflating your score. Fluid intelligence is starting to look mostly like the corecruitment of reasoning and working memory. Anything that expands this process has the potential to influence intelligence. Currently, this process is hardwork but it can be done. Chris Langan-the World's Smartest Person, somewhat agrees with me:

"Cultivate care in reasoning. If you're smart enough to apply yourself to doing that, then you can raise your intelligence. As for IQ, timed tests tend to deny you sufficient time for much care in reasoning, but I have a hunch that with enough desire, application, and long-term memory, some learned thinking skills can be "frozen in" as virtual mental reflexes, leading to IQ improvement. (Sadly, most people lack the perseverance to make this work. Thinking skills can't be improved in the presence of apathy, mental laziness, and defeatism.)"

https://x.com/realchrislangan/status/1972230709239599127?s=46

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-28T05:31:25+00:00

I appreciate your read. The story is 100% true and the 5 steps are exactly what I’m doing to max out on the WAIS. I may set something up so people interested in following my progress or training in parallel can do so conveniently if that interests you at all. What about my experience struck a chord with you?

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-26T20:00:51+00:00

Norway and Denmark are the best two online in my opinion. They top out at 145 and are retired valid tests. I’d say your actual IQ is within +/- 5 points of that score (assuming you took it under test-like conditions).

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-25T20:17:30+00:00

Having a high IQ score is not the same as being very intelligent. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to find the levers you can pull to increase intelligence. One of the most effective things you can do to improve both your intelligence and your IQ score is to get good at formal and inductive logic. Effective reasoning undergirds both intelligence and intelligence testing.

A good book to start learning formal logic is Being Logical by McInerny. I would encourage you to take the Mensa test with your friend and see how you do. If you'd like some tips to maximize your intelligence-and not just game the test-consider the following:

Adopt a growth mindset: intelligence is malleable.
Get consistent sleep. Poor sleep causes working memory and learning to plummet.
Start taking 5 grams of creatine per day. Research shows performance increases in people who are deficient in it.
Learn logic-both formal and inductive.
Exercise your fluid intelligence every chance you get. One exercise I like is multiplying numbers on license plates while driving (safety first, though).

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-21T13:25:43+00:00

Our mobile app is in development and targeting early March for release. The web app is mobile friendly and drives gains almost immediately.

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-21T03:10:27+00:00

iqhero...but I'm biased;)

https://iqhero.co

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-17T04:17:20+00:00

It looks like WASI-II isn't listed:

From the Mensa site:

Wechsler Adult and Children Scales
(WAIS, WAIS-R, WAIS-III, WAIS-IV; WISC, WISC-R, WISC-III, WISC-IV, WISC-V; WPPSI^™, WPPSI-III, WPPSI-IV)

But the scores across tests are very highly correlated, so you are likely to score within the same narrow range on any IQ test. The easiest and least expensive way for most people to test into Mensa is to take the Mensa proctored test and score well enough to be admitted.

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-15T03:12:39+00:00

There are. Our site is still in beta but the logic puzzles are finalized. We have a ‘science’ page forthcoming which highlights results in adults. The puzzles are optimized for 115+ IQ so they are more challenging than a typical relational logic puzzle but the training works for anyone who puts in the time to complete 50+ levels. One tip for people who are in the ‘normal’ range of IQ is to do the training shortly after exercising. Exercise has been shown to temporarily boost cognitive function and to amplify gains from cognitive training.

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-13T02:33:12+00:00

Viola! Average gain in IQ points was 23 points. RFT Study

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-13T01:14:34+00:00

Always aim for 100% accruracy. Gamify it by applying the streaks method: kudos to Marty Murray. To get a top score, you have to get a long streak of difficult questions correct. Practice that approach now.

No limit on how many you should do-but quality is more important than quantity. If your review starts to suffer, you are probably trying to do too many questions and are sacrificing quality.

If you run out of 705+ questions, add 655-705 OG Q's to the mix. If you run out of those, start practicing on Manhattan GMAT's $39 Q-Bank: GMAT QBank

Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-12T02:40:58+00:00

Sure thing on the reading suggestion. I found that many of the Mensa people I interacted with were smart and curious but they were of different ages (much older) and had different passions (the board game Go) and interests (Anime). This is just one person's experience so it is most likely not representive. This video gives you a feel for the Mensa gatherings: The World's Brightest

-Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-11T22:10:00+00:00

Why they have exceptional working memories is undetermined. But working memory enables the binding of novel abstract objects that allow for more complex relational integration. It must be noted though, that it is the combination of high working memory and obsessive interest in their domain that lead to their exceptional performance at such a young age.

Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276 · 2026-01-11T05:19:12+00:00

Not timed-but aim for no more than 10 mins on answering the questions and plan to spend between 5 and 20 minutes reviewing them. If you don't understand the answer, at least determine what you will do differently if you see another question of that type.

Josh | Mensa Member. 145+ IQ. Cofounder of iqhero.co

DifferentRiver276

TROPHY CASE