Prepare for the National Counselor Exam with our quiz. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, with hints and explanations included. Elevate your confidence for exam day!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


An intelligence quotient (IQ) is based on:

  1. Mental age/chronological age X 100

  2. Chronological age/mental age X 100

  3. Mental age + chronological age X 100

  4. Chronological age - mental age

The correct answer is: Mental age/chronological age X 100

An intelligence quotient (IQ) is rooted in the concept developed by the early psychologists who correlated mental ability with age. Specifically, it is calculated using the formula that involves the ratio of mental age to chronological age multiplied by 100. This means that an individual’s mental age—the level of intellectual functioning as determined by standardized tests—is compared to their chronological age, which is their actual age in years. By multiplying the ratio by 100, the formula standardizes the IQ score, making it more interpretable across different age groups. This standardized measurement allows for a comparison between individuals of various ages, providing valuable insight into cognitive abilities relative to peers. In summary, the correct formulation emphasizes the importance of both mental age and chronological age in determining a person's intellectual capacity relative to their developmental level, which is essential for understanding cognitive assessment outcomes.