Organizations that limit their membership to individuals who have scored high on the IQ test are referred to as a high IQ society. There are numerous high IQ societies out there and each organization has different requirements for entry.
These organizations can also be referred to as genius societies because they accept scores for other standardized exams, not just the IQ test.
Summary: Learn about the different high IQ societies and the various requirements for membership to each one. You can take our free IQ test to see which IQ groups you may be eligible for.
List of High IQ Societies
- Mensa International
- Intertel
- Triple Nine Society
- Prometheus Society
- Mega Society
- Epimetheus Society
- Internation High IQ Society
View a brief breakdown of each of these genius societies in the table below. For additional information about each IQ society, you can read a more in-depth breakdown below.
| Name | Established | Fees | Main Requirement | Popular Tests Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mensa | 1946 | $79/year | 98th percentile | Mensa Test |
| LSAT | ||||
| CogAT | ||||
| Intertel | 1966 | $39/year | 99th percentile | AFQT |
| CogAT | ||||
| GMAT | ||||
| GRE | ||||
| LSAT | ||||
| Mensa Test | ||||
| MAT | ||||
| Triple Nine | 1978 | $30/year | 99.9th percentile | ACT |
| LSAT | ||||
| MAT | ||||
| Prometheus Society | 1982 | $10/year | 99.997th percentile | MAT |
| Mega Society | 1982 | $39/year | 99.9999th percentile | N/A |
| Epimetheus Society | 2006 | No fee | 99.997th percentile | MAT |
| GRE | ||||
| ACT | ||||
| International High IQ Society | 2000 | $129/Lifetime | 95th percentile | SAT |
| ACT | ||||
| GMAT | ||||
| MAT |
Please note that we have only listed the popular tests accepted in the table above. You can find more information about other tests accepted below under the additional information about each organization.
Many individuals think they can take a Wonderlic test to get into a high IQ group – this is not the case.
Review of High IQ Societies
After reviewing the table above, you can see that these high IQ societies (genius societies) have different requirements and acceptance policies. What may be the best option for one person may not be the best option for someone else.
We will go over each genius society below and review the IQ organizations in-depth to give you a better idea of their offerings and acceptance policies.
Mensa International
Mensa was founded in 1946 by Roland Berrill and Dr. Lance Ware. In Latin, the term “mensa” means table. The name is fitting because Mensa is a round-table organization where things like race, political beliefs, religious beliefs, and social background are all irrelevant.
The main requirement to join this high IQ group is that you have scored in the top 2% on an approved test. In other words, you must fall in the 98th percentile for one of the approved tests.
There are more than 145,000 members that span across 100+ countries. Some activities of the club include lectures, discussions, journals, special-interest groups, and assistance on research projects.
Tests & Scores Accepted
In order for applicants to get into Mensa they will need to submit a qualifying test score. There two ways to prove that you are qualified – you can take a test administered by Mensa or you can submit an approved test score. Listed below are some common tests and scores needed for this IQ society.
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) | Composite SAS of 132 |
| Differential Ability Scales (DAS) | GCA 132 |
| DAS-II | GCA 130 |
| Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) | 130+ |
| NNAT2/NNAT3 | 132+ |
| Otis Lennon School Abilities Test (OLSAT) | Total SAI 132 |
| Otis-Gamma Test | IQ 131 |
| Stanford Binet | IQ 132 |
| Stanford Binet 5 | IQ 130 |
| ACT (Before 9/1989) | 29 |
| GRE (Before 5/1994) | 1250 (quant + verbal) |
| GRE (From 5/1994 – 10/2001) | 1875 (quant + verbal + analytic) |
| LSAT (Before 1982) | 662 |
| LSAT (After 1982) | 95+ percentile rank |
| SAT (Before 10/1974) | 1300 |
| SAT (From 10/1974 – 2/1994) | 1250 |
| Cattell | IQ 148 |
| AFQT (Before 10/1980) | 98 |
*Please note these are not all of the accepted tests, but some of the more popular ones that people submit. Resource.
Intertel
Intertel was founded in 1966 for individuals who have scored in the 99th percentile on various tests. The society has 3 main purposes:
- To encourage meaningful intellectual fellowship
- To foster an exchange of ideas on any and all subjects
- To assist in research relating to high intelligence
This IQ society is split into 8 regions which are based on where you live. 6 of the 8 regions group various parts of the United States and Canada together while the other 2 consist of an international region and an off-world colonies region.
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| ACT (Until 1989) | 99th percentile |
| AFQT | 99th percentile |
| Cattel B | IQ 156 |
| Cattell (Culture Fair) | IQ 140 |
| Cattell (Verbal) | IQ 156 |
| Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) | 99th percentile |
| GMAT | 99th percentile |
| GRE (After 12/2011) | 99th percentile verbal or quant |
| GRE (From 10/2002 – 11/2011) | 740 (verbal only) |
| GRE (From 5/1994 – 9/2002) | 1950 (combined verbal, math, & analytical) |
| GRE (Before 5/1994) | 1300 (combined verbal and math) |
| LSAT (1994 – Present) | 172 |
| LSAT (1984 – 1993) | 41 or 99th percentile |
| LSAT (Before 1983) | 694 |
| Mensa Admission Test | 97 or 99th percentile |
| Miller Analogies Test (MAT) | 74 or 99th percentile |
| SAT (Until 2/1994) | 1300 |
*Please note these are not all of the accepted tests, but some of the more popular ones that people submit. Resource.
Triple Nine Society
Triple Nine Society gets their name from requiring their members to score at or above the 99.9th percentile on various intelligence tests. Triple Nine prides themselves on being 20 times as selective as Mensa International.
Triple Nine Society was founded in 1978 with the following guiding principles:
- Democracy
- Collegiality
- Respect for diverse philosophies
- Openness to innovation and evolution
Individuals who join Triple Nine Society will enjoy benefits like an active email forum where ideas can be exchanged, a Facebook group, the Triple Nine journal (Vidya), and annual meetings in the United States and Europe.
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| ACT (Before 10/1989) | 32 |
| ACT (After 9/1989) | 34 |
| GRE (Until 9/2001) | 1460 (combined verbal & quant) |
| GRE (1982 – 9/2001) | 2180 (combined verbal, quant, & analytical) |
| LSAT (Until 5/1982) | 730 |
| LSAT (6/1982 – 5/1991) | 48 |
| LSAT (After 5/1991) | 173 |
| Miller Analogies Test (MAT) | 472 scaled or 85 raw |
| SAT (Before 4/1995) | 1450 |
| SAT (From 4/1995 – 2/2005) | 1520 |
*Please note these are not all of the accepted tests, but some of the more popular ones that people submit. Resource.
Prometheus Society
The Prometheus Society was founded in 1982. This organization requires members to score in the 99.997th percentile in order to gain admission. That figure makes this on the more selective side of high IQ societies.
The 99.997th percentile is the same as 1 in 30,000 – which is four standard deviations from the norm.
The main purposes of the Prometheus Society (as found in their constitution) are the following:
- To provide a forum for the echange of ideas between members
- To promote understanding and friendship between members
- To foster intellectual freedom
- To assist in research relating to high intelligence and intelligence testing
- To encourage and assist the efforts of members to attain high levels of achievement in the arts, the sciences, and other fields of endeavor
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| Miller Analogies Test (MAT) | 500 (scaled score) |
| SAT (Before 4/1995) | 1560 |
| GRE (Before 10/1981) | 1600 (verbal + quant) |
| Mega Test (Before 4/1999) | 36 |
| Titan Test (Before 4/1999) | 36 |
The Prometheus Society has one of the more exclusive lists in terms of tests you can submit as part of your application. Resource.
Mega Society
The Mega Society is one of the most selective high IQ societies we looked at. Members in this organization will have scored in the 99.9999th percentile of various intelligence tests.
To put that percentile in perspective, that is 1 in 1,000,000 – an incredible accomplishment.
The Mega Society was founded in 1982 by Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin. Members will have access to the Journal of the Mega Society, also known as Noesis.
The notoriety of this IQ society began to increase in 1985 when Dr. Hoeflin created the Mega Test, which is a type of IQ examination.
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| Langdon Adult Intelligence Test (Before 1994) | IQ 175 |
| Mega Test (Before 1995) | 43 |
| Titan Test (Before 9/2020) | 43 |
| Ultra Test | 70 |
| Hoeflin Power Test | 34 |
The Mega Society also has one of the more exclusive lists in terms of tests you can submit as part of your application. Resource.
Epimetheus Society
The Epimetheus Society was founded in 2006. The organization was founded by Dr. Ronald K. Hoeflin – the same person who founded the Mega Society.
This organization is for individuals who have scored in the 99.997th percentile of various intelligence exams. The main purpose of this organization is to allow high IQ individuals the opportunity to interact with each other. This high IQ group has the same percentile score requirements as thePrometheus Society.
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| Stanford-Binet (Old Version) | IQ 190 |
| Stanford-Binet (Recent Version) | IQ 160 |
| Miller Analogies Test (MAT) | 98 |
| GRE | 1600 (verbal and quant) |
| ACT | 35 |
*Please note these are not all of the accepted tests, but some of the more popular ones that people submit. Resource.
International High IQ Society
The International High IQ Society was founded in 2000 by Nathan Haselbauer. It was originally founded as the New York High IQ Society. The organization changed its name to International High IQ Society after members from around the world started joining.
This organization requires members to have scored in the 95th percentile of various intelligence exams. Members will have access to the private online forum, a Facebook group, and a LinkedIn group.
The organization has a diverse group of members with the following breakdown:
- Europe – 30%
- North America – 30%
- Asia – 10%
- South America – 10%
- Australia – 5%
- Africa – 5%
- Other – 10%
Members will receive an official membership certificate once they are accepted and can show that membership on their resumes or LinkedIn profiles – membership to IQ organizations can be a great way to stand out from the crowd.
Tests & Scores Accepted
| Test | Score Needed |
|---|---|
| Culture Fair Intelligence Test | 95th percentile |
| Miller Analogies Test (MAT) | 95th percentile |
| SAT | 95th percentile |
| ACT | 95th percentile |
| GMAT | 95th percentile |
*Please note these are not all of the accepted tests, but some of the more popular ones that people submit. Resource.
