If you are smart, then you most likely know that you are smart, and do not really need an IQ test to validate that - though you may not have proved your intellect to the world by making some earth-shaking discovery. Nonetheless, if you still want to check where you stand on the IQ scale in comparison to known geniuses, maybe just for fun sake, then an IQ test is perhaps the best available option at present.

There are so many different versions of IQ tests available that sometimes one doesn't know which one to go for. Basically, they all test the same skills - logical reasoning ability, puzzle-solving ability, computational ability cognitive skill, three-dimensional visualization skill, etc. - using a variety of questions.

Your IQ score generated from these tests will tell you the level of your intelligence in comparison to others who have taken the same test. For example, if your IQ score falls in the top 2% range, it means that you are smarter than 98% of the people who have taken the same test. Wow! Doesn't that make you feel good, even though in the depth of your heart you had always known that? Modern tests usually give an overall score instead of an average score and an individual personal best score.

Some tests are better known than others, such as the 'Expert Rating', which even gives a certificate showing your IQ scores. You can use this certificate to impress your potential employer when you are applying for a job. If you choose to do a decent test, not the ones meant for fun, the results could be used for professional purposes. Obviously, the ones that are free of cost and state that they are just for fun cannot be used for professional purposes, and they cannot be fully relied on either.

Simple IQ tests meant for fun sake rate your general intelligence level for nonprofessional purposes, say, as a pastime activity among friends. The more serious ones give a rating for intelligence that would be recognized by many employers for professional purposes. This kind of tests are quite reliable as they explore all kinds of brain activity, apart from non-intellect-based intelligence like emotional intelligence, body intelligence, intuition-based intelligence, creative skills, etc.

As the intelligence level of a person is constantly evolving with time, experience and knowledge, the IQ of a person cannot be described by a fixed number and can improve substantially with time. Of course, a low-IQ person will probably never turn into a genius one day, or vice versa; thus one can say that serious IQ tests do give a reasonably accurate idea of a person's intelligence level.

So if you are looking for a somewhat intellectual pastime activity, pick up one of the hundreds of free IQ tests available online, and try to beat your friends at it. Or if you are serious about adding value to your professional resume, then choose a more serious paid one that offers a certificate showing your IQ score as well as what the test indicates about your special abilities.

Summary:

Professional IQ tests yield a fairly accurate measure of the intelligence level of a person. Some of them even give a certificate that can be used for professional purposes. Sometimes such a test can reveal your aptitude for things you have never attempted before. Simple fun IQ tests are a good pastime activity among family and friends.