I took an IQ test and it says I'm weird. Pretty much weird. Not pathologically weird, just not like other people.

I took the test last year in order to find out whether or not I had a math learning disability. I was enrolled at MTSU, and struggling with high school algebra while acing English honors courses. The disparity was ridiculous. I couldn't keep up with the teacher, I couldn't finish my tests in the time allowed, I did fine on homework but failed all my in-class quizzes, etc. It was almost cripplingly reminiscent of all my math classes as a kid. Big flashbacks to major failure and self-hatred over fractions. I had to do something. So I decided to be tested for a math disability.

The point would be to get the university to allow me some breathing room, not to get me out of the course. I set up an appointment, took the test, and got the results in about a month's time. I'd reproduce them except I can't reduce the printout to anything readable, so here:

Lucy's scores on the test are testimony to her excellent strengths in reading and written expression. They also reveal her relative weakness in mathematics (note that her scores are still in the average range, however). For example, Lucy admitted she could not remember some of the formulas she needed in order to solve some of the problems. She was also unable to reduce fractions to their simplest form and did not seem to understand this concept at all. Using the point discrepancy formula (i.e., a 16-point difference between an examinee's full scale IQ score and her achievement test score), Lucy meets the diagnostic criteria for mathematics disorder because she had more than a 25-point between her IQ and her achievement test score.

Excuse me, I do too understand the concept of reducing fractions, I just can't effing do it. Notice I'm not told what my IQ score is, only that my math scores register significantly lower than my other scores (while yet being absolutely average). That was cheering, it really was. True, I'd have fun knowing my actual IQ score but they don't tell the examinee, they tell the person who recommended the testing, and she won't tell me. But of course, they don't just test your reading, writing, and 'rithmatic, they test your personality. What fun! I just loved being tested, I have to tell you. I got a bit carried away with the Rorschach test by the end of it. I couldn't see anything but ink splotches, to tell you the truth, so I just started making things up (for the final Rorschach I glibly said, "I call this one 'Dance of the Amoebas!' The assessor dutifully wrote that down. Oops). Oddly enough, they sussed me out fairly well. Here's some more results.

Her comments, particularly during the inquiry, were detailed and reveal her high intellectual ability plus her breadth of knowledge. In her responses Lucy revealed a tendency to avoid people or situations with which she is unfamiliar. When she does decide to pursue something, however, she is likely to begin swiftly, without holding back. Lucy can be emotional in situations others do not find emotional, yet she can be dispassionate in situations others find emotionally riveting. When she is emotional she is likely to feel things strongly and can go from elated to blue and back again more rapidly than most people do. She does not have a clinically diagnosable mood problem, but simply seems to be a creative person who feels things strongly. Lucy appears to feel conflicted regarding her tendency to speak her mind. She is somewhat uninhibited, but she is also anxious. Therefore, she might be a bit unpredictable in relationships. Lucy does not appear to have any pathology of thought or emotion. She may be a bit unusual or behave in an unexpected fashion at times, but she is within broad normal limits.

Am I sharing too much? I don't think this is terribly private stuff but I'm a sucker for personality tests of any sort and I love to hear about other people's IQ tests. I also like to understand myself, and since I'm not terribly objective about it all the time it's useful to get another person's opinion. If someone I know reads this, I hope they'll tell me if they agree or disagree with what Lisa Patterson, M.A., had to say about me. Here's the summary.

Test result indicate that Lucy is functioning in the superior range of intelligence. Her achievement scores in reading and written expression fell in the superior to very superior range. However, her math score fell in the average range and qualifies her for a diagnosis of mathematics disorder. Personality testing reveals that Lucy is a creative person who "marches to a different drummer," and who feels things strongly. She has no detectable pathology, although she can be a bit unpredictable, may unknowingly intrude on others' personal space, and often tends to be reticent to enter new situations.

The summary was surprisingly accurate. I mean, of course, that it surprised me that they could get all that from the various tests performed without actually talking to me like a therapist would. It was costly being tested but it was worthwhile. I have my proof that I need extra help in math. And I have black and white proof, of sorts, that I'm truly not like other people. Excuse me, I hear a drumbeat...