What Are Reliable IQ Tests?

What is the most reliable IQ test? Discover the gold-standard professional tests: WAIS, Stanford-Binet, Woodcock-Johnson, and the only fully reliable online option—RIOT.

Dr. Russell T. WarneChief Scientist

Reliability is the foundation of every scientific measure, and IQ tests are no exception. In psychometrics, reliability refers to the stability of test scores. This stability can be measured over time, across similar test items, or different versions of a test. A well-designed test yields reliable (i.e., consistent scores) under comparable conditions. Without that stability, an IQ score cannot meaningfully represent intelligence, because intelligence is believed to be a very stable trait. If the scores are not stable, then this indicates that the test has a problem.

How Psychologists Determine Reliability

Reliability is established through statistical analysis, and different types of reliability require different research designs and sometimes different statistical procedures. For example, psychologists calculate test–retest correlations by administering the same test twice to the same sample of individuals and calculating the correlation between the two scores. Regardless of the procedure, 1.0 is the maximum reliability value. Reliability coefficients of .70 are good enough for research purposes, while a reliability value of .85 or so is a reasonable minimum for scores that will be used to make decisions about people’s lives. However, for very important decisions, reliability may need to be much higher: perhaps .95 or more.

The Importance of Professional Development

Producing a reliable IQ test requires expertise in psychometrics. Qualified professionals understand how to balance item difficulty, minimize measurement error, and maintain uniform administration procedures. Their work follows detailed guidelines from the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).

Legitimate tests include technical manuals documenting how reliability was evaluated and what the results mean. In contrast, unverified or anonymously created online tests lack this documentation and cannot guarantee that their scores are meaningful or repeatable.

Traditional IQ Tests

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), the Woodcock-Johnson test, and the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales remain benchmarks for reliable testing. Each was developed through decades of refinement, with extensive norming to ensure that scores are comparable across ages and populations. Their reliability values are .90 or higher for most age groups, which is one of the reasons why professionals often choose these tests.

Reliability in Online IQ Testing

As intelligence testing moves online, maintaining reliability requires the same scientific rigor as traditional assessments. Many web-based tests fail because they are created without psychometric oversight, leading to unstable results. A legitimate online IQ test must provide evidence of test–retest consistency, use a representative norm sample, and document how its items were selected and evaluated. Only tests developed under professional standards can achieve the stability that gives IQ scores their meaning. As of 2025, the only online IQ test that meets professional standards (including reliability) and is suitable for making low- and medium-stakes decisions is the Reasoning and Intelligence Online Test (RIOT).

Watch “Are Online Intelligence Tests Legitimate?” with Dr. Russell T. Warne on the Riot IQ YouTube channel to learn how to tell which IQ tests are truly reliable.