Is it a reasonable request to ask for someone’s iq?

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For jobs and other things? Dating? As a teacher? Employer? Shouldn’t everyone know their iq? To work in some industries you have to get psych and sexual health evaluating so why don’t they do clearances on intellectually health? I think that’s more important than mental health?

Asking for IQ could be counterproductive.

Some of the most brilliant people I've known are very odd people. It wouldn't be out of the question for employers to reject those with very high IQ's in favor of those with above average, but really high.

Plus a great many people would lie about it -- like Trump telling everyone how smart he is.

If they really are extremely smart, they would probably be too smart for many jobs and would be likely to move on with a job opportunity that gives them more of a challenge.

So if you do ask for IQ's, maybe consider people with good IQ's, but not exceptionally high IQ's. For example, look for those in the range of something like 110 to 135.

For some jobs, I don't see why not, though the IQ itself wouldn't prove that the person can handle a particular job. Even if someone has a very high IQ, if they have no experience or the exact education for a particular job, they might do worse in it than someone with an average IQ but who has experience. So putting too much weight on the IQ wouldn't go well. Plus, I think some bosses would specifically make sure to not hire people with higher IQ than they themselves have in order to keep their own job opportunities without competition.

No way. IQ does not measure intelligence properly.

It certainly doesn't measure anybody's suitability for working hard.

Not everyone has taken an IQ test

IQ tests not always accurate

Not everyone wants to disclose their IQ

Some job interview questions are illegal

The company could put together a test and give applicants, but by law the test has to be directly related to the essential job functions

Sometimes the best candidate for the job, is not the highest IQ score


Theory of multiple intelligence

I wouldn't hire someone based merely upon an IQ score. Come to think of it, the IQ score wouldn't enter, at all, into a candidate's suitability.

I think asking IQ would only make sense in a rambling conversation with a very close friend or family member.

Asking for it to screen people for any official or semi-official purpose would seem wrong, might be illegal (it is medical info, right?), and would not be useful.

----They might lie.

----Different IQ tests have different standard deviations...you can get a different score from different tests.

----Some "IQ" tests might not be reliable (for instance, one you found and took on the Internet, or in a magazine).

----There are medical reasons a person's IQ might get lower after they have taken a test (for instance, a stroke).

----I can tell you from personal experience this Dilbert cartoon is correct.

----IQ does not equate education, training, talent, integrity, etc.

IQ tests are great for demonstrating how well someone does on IQ tests.

Here in Australia you can't directly measure IQ for getting a job or a place in university.

However, as Fnord mentioned, there are proxy measures that have good concurrent validity to IQ.

e.g. problem solving tasks given as part of a job interview or scores on standardised tests in combination with entry/completion of university degree is usually comparable with IQ.