Change Allows Candidates to Retake American Mensa Admission Test
April 8, 2024
Hurst, Texas — American Mensa is excited to announce a change in its Admission Test policy that will allow candidates who fail to qualify initially to retake the test.
The threshold for qualifying for Mensa has not changed – candidates still must score in the top 2 percent of a standardized IQ test. Prior to April of 2024, American Mensa limited the chances that candidates could take its Admission Test, but now candidates who fail to qualify may retest after eight weeks.
Dr. Renee Lexow, American Mensa’s Supervisory Psychologist, authorized the change. “Prior to now, the duration of time required to wait between an initial test and re-testing has been unclear,” Dr. Lexow said. “We have been able to attain direction from the test publishers that has given us clear guidance on the matter.
“It is important to keep in mind that when tests are developed the span of time required in a test-retest situation is dependent upon the assessment itself,” Dr. Lexow added. “The amount of time between initial and secondary tests is determined, through extensive research, by each test developer. If the duration between testing is too soon, we can see an increase in test scores due solely to familiarity with the test and recall of questions, not an increase in intelligence. Therefore, we did not want to use an arbitrary amount of time that could have resulted in false positives for qualification into Mensa. The researchers have provided us with an adequate timeline, and we are now able to implement the test-retest update.”
Requested for years, the change follows the procedures of the test publishers and mirrors policies by other intelligence-testing entities as well as for tests such as the ACT and SAT.
While Mensa has one entry requirement, members join for a variety of reasons at different ages and stages of life – and they have just as many kinds of experiences, buoyed by smart benefits, exclusive publications, Special Interest Groups, activities, and events. Lifelong friendships are made at trivia or game nights, at our many regional and national events, and at volunteer opportunities benefiting communities or the Mensa Foundation.
Besides scheduling a Mensa Admission Test, candidates may skip the test and qualify for Mensa the easiest way by submitting scores from a prior intelligence test they’ve taken. We accept more than 150 different ones.
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American Mensa is an organization open to anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted standardized intelligence test. Mensa has roughly 50,000 members in the United States and more than 140,000 members globally. For more information about American Mensa, visit americanmensa.org or call (817) 607-0060.