History of the Mensa IQ Test and High-IQ Societies
From Oxford 1946 to modern matrix screening — how Mensa testing evolved.
The history of the Mensa IQ test begins with Roland Berrill and Lancelot Ware founding Mensa in Oxford in 1946 on a simple principle: intelligence, not wealth or credentials, should define membership.
Expansion worldwide
National chapters adopted Raven matrices, Cattell Culture Fair, and listed clinical instruments as norms diversified by country.
Raven's legacy
John C. Raven's 1936 progressive matrices became the dominant fluid-IQ screen because of high g-loading and language fairness.
Digital era
Online matrix practice and educational certification now complement — but do not replace — supervised society testing.
Return to the Mensa Iq Test pillar or read related research.