The test was interesting.
It is administered by a volunteer proctor. In my case, there were about 15 people in the small room. The proctor had copies of the local newsletter, Mphasis, available for us to read before the test started. I’m particularly glad that I took the time to glance through one, because the Special Interest Groups sound amazing. There are numerous discussion groups. Numerous gaming groups, including a strategy gaming group that I intend to visit. A business group which meets to discuss business challenges. The list goes on and on. I really look forward to the stimulation which will come from spending time around fellow Mensans.
The best part is that Mensa is largely volunteer driven. If you don’t like the way a SIG runs, or you find the people in it aren’t your types, you can create your own SIG. This eliminates the fear that you’ll be surrounded by smug and haughty Mensans. After all, you’re not that way, and you’re planning to join, right? There are bound to be plenty of people who are smart enough to know how little they know.
As for the tests themselves, there were two of them. One on which you are only given 12 minutes to answer as many of the 50 questions as possible, and one which takes 90 minutes and contains multiple parts. Many of the questions could go either way, and serve as a reminder that there are many forms of intelligence and tests are far from being objective.
What my proctor said stuck in my memory: “60% of people who apply to Mensa get in.” Basically, you wouldn’t take the test if you didn’t think you could make it, so odds are almost 2 out of 3 that you’ll get in if you’re confident enough to try.
For me, I received my acceptance letter this week. I joined the same day, and once I receive my membership card I’m going to fill slots on my schedule with fun, interesting, and enlightening Mensa events.
I can’t wait.
