Last updated November 1, 2026
What a nonverbal test measures
Every puzzle shows a grid or a row of figures that follow a rule. You find the rule and pick the figure that completes it. That is fluid reasoning: solving a problem you haven't seen before, without relying on what you've learned. It is the ability matrix puzzles were designed to sample, and the reason they appear in most IQ batteries. Read more in fluid vs crystallized intelligence.
The test uses four pattern types, five puzzles each: Progression, Rotation, Combination and Distribution. Each has a guide with solved examples in the practice puzzles.
Why take a nonverbal test
- Your vocabulary and schooling matter less than on a verbal test, so the result is closer to how you reason than to what you've read.
- No math is needed. Counting the shapes in a cell is the most arithmetic any puzzle asks for.
- It's short. Twenty puzzles take about 7 minutes on a phone.
What it leaves out
A nonverbal test doesn't measure vocabulary, general knowledge, working memory or processing speed, which full IQ batteries include. Pattern puzzles also aren't free of culture: people who have seen many of them, or grew up with more schooling, tend to do better. That is part of why we report a range on this test's own scale and publish the method behind it.
The test at a glance
| Questions | 20 original visual pattern puzzles, five of each of four types: Progression, Rotation, Combination and Distribution |
|---|---|
| Time | About 7 minutes. Progress saves if you close the tab |
| Account | None needed. You give an email at the end to receive your result |
| Free | The test, your score band, your best set of five and one mistake explained |
| Full report | $29.90, paid once, tax included. Estimated IQ range, results on all four pattern types, every miss explained, 7-day practice plan, PDF |
| Result format | An estimated IQ range with a margin of about 8 to 10 points either way, never a single number |
| Scale | Average 100, standard deviation 15, on this test's own norm. The norm version, size and date are published |
| Refund | Full refund of any purchase within 14 days, no reason needed |
| Who it's for | Adults 18 and over, for personal insight and practice |
| Not for | Medical questions, hiring, school admissions or high-IQ society entry. It is not a medical test |
| Devices | Phones first; also tablets and computers. English instructions, no math or vocabulary |
Questions about nonverbal IQ tests
Are nonverbal IQ tests accurate?
A nonverbal test can estimate reasoning well, but a short one has a wide margin. Ours has 20 questions, so it reports a range of about 8 to 10 points either way and never one number. The methodology page shows how the range is calculated and what the current norm is based on.
Is a nonverbal IQ test the same as a full IQ test?
No. A full IQ battery given by a psychologist also measures vocabulary, working memory and processing speed, and takes about an hour or more. A nonverbal test measures one part of that: reasoning with shapes and patterns.
Can I take it if English isn't my first language?
Yes. The puzzles have no words, and the instructions are short. You need enough English to read them and the result screen.
Who is it for?
Adults 18 and over who want to see how they reason on visual puzzles, for personal insight and practice. It isn't for hiring, school admissions, high-IQ society entry or any medical question.
More answers are in the FAQ, and every price is on the pricing page.