Dec 1, 2025·History & Origins Of IQ TestingHow Old Are IQ Tests?
How old is the IQ test? Over 120 years! The first IQ test was created in 1905 by Binet & Simon. Discover how IQ testing has evolved from 1905 to today’s professional online tests.
Dr. Russell T. WarneChief Scientist
IQ tests have existed for more than a century. The first appeared in 1905, when French psychologist Alfred Binet and his collaborator Théodore Simon created the Binet–Simon Scale to identify schoolchildren who required additional educational support.
Their test introduced systematic procedures for measuring reasoning and memory, establishing intelligence assessment as an empirical science.
The American Revision
In 1916, Stanford University psychologist Lewis Terman adapted Binet’s work for use in the United States. His Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale standardized the test on an American sample and expanded the range of scores so that the test could identify bright children also.
By quantifying performance relative to age-based norms, Terman transformed Binet’s experimental tool into a foundational instrument for research, education, and clinical evaluation.
Early Large-Scale Testing
During World War I, the U.S. Army developed the Army Alpha and Beta tests to evaluate recruits’ reasoning and learning ability. These group-administered assessments demonstrated that mental ability could be measured efficiently across large populations. Their success led to widespread adoption of psychometric testing in schools, workplaces, and government institutions, firmly establishing intelligence testing as part of applied psychology.
The tests were spearheaded by a committee of psychologists, including Robert M. Yerkes and Lewis M. Terman, with the express purpose of classifying and assigning the massive influx of U.S. military recruits efficiently. The goal was to place men according to their cognitive ability for tasks ranging from officer training to basic labor.
• Army Alpha Test: This was a verbal test designed for literate recruits. Its content was based on earlier tests, but adapted for large-group administration to adults.
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AuthorDr. Russell T. WarneChief Scientist
