24 IQ Test Interview Questions and Answers

Introduction:

Are you gearing up for an IQ test interview? Whether you are an experienced professional or a fresher, preparing for common IQ test questions can make a significant difference in your performance. In this article, we'll explore 24 common IQ test interview questions and provide detailed answers to help you succeed in your interview.

Role and Responsibility of an IQ Test Candidate:

The role of an IQ test candidate involves demonstrating your cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, and logical thinking under time constraints. Employers use IQ tests to assess your aptitude for various tasks, so it's essential to be well-prepared for these assessments.

Common Interview Question Answers Section

1. What is the next number in the sequence: 2, 4, 8, 16, ?

The interviewer wants to evaluate your pattern recognition and mathematical reasoning skills.

How to answer: To answer this question correctly, you need to recognize that each number in the sequence is doubling the previous one. So, the next number would be 32.

Example Answer: "The next number in the sequence is 32. Each number is double the previous one, so 16 doubled is 32."

2. Which word does not belong in the following list: apple, orange, banana, cherry, table?

The interviewer is assessing your ability to identify patterns and categorize items logically.

How to answer: The word 'table' does not belong in the list because it is a piece of furniture, while the other items are fruits.

Example Answer: "The word 'table' does not belong in the list because it is not a fruit, while the others are all fruits."

3. If three cats catch three mice in three minutes, how many cats are needed to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes?

This question tests your ability to solve simple mathematical problems and think logically.

How to answer: Only three cats are needed because the number of cats does not affect the number of mice caught when the time and conditions remain the same.

Example Answer: "You would still only need three cats to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes. The number of cats doesn't change the rate at which the mice are caught."

4. If you rearrange the letters "CIFAIPC," you would get a common English word. What is it?

The interviewer is testing your anagram-solving skills and vocabulary.

How to answer: Rearranging the letters in "CIFAIPC" will give you the word "PACIFIC."

Example Answer: "The common English word formed by rearranging 'CIFAIPC' is 'PACIFIC.'

5. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

This question assesses your ability to solve simple math problems and think critically.

How to answer: The ball costs $0.05. If the ball costs $0.05, the bat would cost $1.05, making the total $1.10.

Example Answer: "The ball costs $0.05. The bat costs $1.05, and together they add up to $1.10."

6. If a plane crashes on the border of the U.S. and Canada, where would you bury the survivors?

This question tests your ability to think critically and not take questions too literally.

How to answer: You wouldn't bury the survivors; you would help them and provide medical care and support.

Example Answer: "You wouldn't bury the survivors; you'd provide them with medical care, support, and assistance."

7. If you have three apples and you take away two, how many apples do you have?

This question checks your ability to think logically and consider the situation carefully.

How to answer: You would have one apple left since you took away two from the initial three.

Example Answer: "After taking away two apples from the initial three, I would have one apple remaining."

8. I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?

This is a riddle that evaluates your lateral thinking skills.

How to answer: The answer is a "pencil lead" or simply "lead," as it's mined, enclosed in wood, and used for writing by many people.

Example Answer: "The object described is 'pencil lead' or 'lead' as it is mined, enclosed in wood, and used by almost everyone for writing."

9. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

This question checks your problem-solving skills and creativity.

How to answer: You can drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it by ensuring that the concrete floor itself is not too high off the ground, or by cushioning the fall with a suitable material like a foam pad.

Example Answer: "To drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it, you can do so by ensuring that the concrete floor is not too high off the ground or by using a suitable cushioning material, such as a foam pad."

10. If you divide 30 by half and then add ten, what do you get?

This question challenges your understanding of basic mathematical operations.

How to answer: If you divide 30 by half, you're essentially multiplying it by 2, resulting in 60. Adding ten to 60 gives you 70.

Example Answer: "When you divide 30 by half, you're essentially doubling it, which equals 60. Adding ten to 60 results in 70."

11. How many times can you subtract 5 from 25?

This question tests your grasp of simple arithmetic and mathematical concepts.

How to answer: You can subtract 5 from 25 only once. After that, you're left with 20, and you can't subtract 5 from 20 again without having a negative result.

Example Answer: "You can subtract 5 from 25 only once, which leaves you with 20."

12. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

This is another riddle that assesses your lateral thinking skills.

How to answer: The answer is the letter 'M.' It appears once in the word "minute," twice in the word "moment," but not at all in the phrase "a thousand years."

Example Answer: "The letter 'M' comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years."

13. I have keys but open no locks, I have space but no room, and you can enter but not go inside. What am I?

This riddle evaluates your ability to think metaphorically.

How to answer: The answer is a "keyboard." It has keys, but they don't open locks, it has space between the keys but no physical room, and you can enter data or text but not physically go inside it.

Example Answer: "The object described is a 'keyboard.' It has keys for typing, but they don't open locks, there is space between the keys but no physical room, and you can enter text but can't physically go inside it."

14. What has keys but can't open locks?

This question focuses on your understanding of metaphors and wordplay.

How to answer: The answer is a "piano." A piano has keys for playing musical notes but can't be used to open locks or doors.

Example Answer: "The object that has keys but can't open locks is a 'piano.' It has keys to produce musical notes, but they can't be used for unlocking anything."

15. What comes once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day?

This riddle challenges your understanding of time and frequency.

How to answer: The answer is the letter 'E.' It appears once in the word "year," twice in the word "week," and not at all in the word "day."

Example Answer: "The letter 'E' appears once in a year, twice in a week, but never in a day."

16. What has a heart that doesn't beat?

This question evaluates your ability to think abstractly.

How to answer: The answer is an "artichoke." It's a vegetable that has a heart, but it doesn't have a heartbeat like a living creature.

Example Answer: "The object that has a heart but doesn't beat is an 'artichoke.' It's a vegetable with a heart-like center, but it's not alive."

17. I'm not alive, but I can grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?

This riddle challenges your critical thinking and creativity.

How to answer: The answer is "fire." Fire can grow and spread, requires oxygen (air) to burn, but it doesn't have lungs or a mouth, and water can extinguish it.

Example Answer: "The entity described is 'fire.' It can grow and needs oxygen (air) to burn, but it lacks lungs, a mouth, and water can put it out."

18. What has keys but can't open locks, and you can walk on it but it's not a floor?

This question tests your ability to interpret metaphors and think laterally.

How to answer: The answer is a "keyboard" or a "piano keyboard." It has keys like a typewriter or computer keyboard but can't open locks, and you can walk your fingers on it to play music, but it's not a floor you can physically walk on.

Example Answer: "The object with keys that can't open locks and that you can walk on but isn't a floor is a 'keyboard' or a 'piano keyboard.'"

19. I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. What am I?

This riddle challenges your ability to think in terms of time and change.

How to answer: The answer is a "candle." A candle is tall when it's newly lit but becomes shorter as it burns and ages.

Example Answer: "The object that's tall when young and short when old is a 'candle.' When it's freshly lit, it's tall, but it becomes shorter as it burns."

20. What has keys but can't open locks, and you can see through it but it's not glass?

This question evaluates your understanding of metaphors and wordplay.

How to answer: The answer is a "keyboard" or a "computer keyboard." It has keys for typing, but they can't open locks, and you can see through the spaces between the keys, but it's not made of glass.

Example Answer: "The object with keys that can't open locks and that you can see through but isn't glass is a 'keyboard' or a 'computer keyboard.'

21. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again, you don't see a single person on the boat. Why?

This question tests your observational skills and attention to detail.

How to answer: The answer is that all the people on the boat are married. When you look again, you don't see "a single" person, emphasizing the absence of unmarried individuals.

Example Answer: "You don't see a single person on the boat because all the people on the boat are married. The question plays with the double meaning of 'single.'

22. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?

This riddle assesses your ability to think abstractly and identify non-living entities.

How to answer: The answer is an "echo." An echo is a sound that appears to "speak" when it bounces off surfaces and "hears" without having ears. It is intangible and can be enhanced by the presence of wind carrying sound waves.

Example Answer: "The entity that 'speaks' without a mouth, 'hears' without ears, and 'comes alive' with the wind is an 'echo.' It's a sound phenomenon that reflects and amplifies sound."

23. You can hold me, but I'm not solid. You can move me, but I don't have mass. What am I?

This question tests your ability to identify abstract concepts.

How to answer: The answer is "an opinion." An opinion is something people hold and express, but it is not a tangible object, and it doesn't have physical mass.

Example Answer: "The concept that you can 'hold' in conversation and 'move' through expression but lacks physical solidity or mass is an 'opinion.'

24. What has keys that open no locks, space but no room, and you can enter, but you can't go inside?

This question challenges your understanding of metaphors and abstract concepts.

How to answer: The answer is a "keyboard" or a "computer keyboard." It has keys for typing, but they don't open physical locks, it has spaces between the keys but no actual rooms, and you can enter data by pressing the keys, but you can't physically go inside it.

Example Answer: "The object with keys that don't open locks, spaces but no rooms, and allows you to enter data without going inside is a 'keyboard' or a 'computer keyboard.'