A school counsellor in Lucknow assessed the students of Class 5. She first gave an intelligence test to the whole class together, and the children marked written answers in a multiple-choice format. Arjun, aged 10 years, showed a mental age of 13. Meena, also aged 10, obtained an IQ of 85. Kabir, aged 9, had shown a long attention span and early language skills since infancy. He now solves puzzles quickly and keeps asking searching questions. A week later, the counsellor tested Kabir again. This time he answered her questions orally and arranged blocks as she instructed.
What is Arjun's IQ?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → 130
Option (1) 77 — Incorrect. 77 comes from dividing the chronological age by the mental age (10/13 x 100). The formula is the other way round: mental age on top.
Option (2) 113 — Incorrect. 113 would need a mental age of about 11.3 at age 10. Arjun's mental age is 13, so this figure is too low.
Option (3) 120 — Incorrect. 120 is the IQ of a 10-year-old with a mental age of 12. Arjun is one year further ahead, with a mental age of 13.
Option (4) 130 — Correct. IQ is mental age divided by chronological age, multiplied by 100. Arjun's MA (13) is more than his CA (10), so his IQ is above 100: 13/10 x 100 = 130.
NCERT (2026-27): “Assessment of Intelligence … |