World’s shortest IQ test only has three questions – but more than 80% fail it

Want to test your intelligence?

Fortunately you don't have to spend ages answering sums as the world's shortest IQ test only has three questions.

Although it's a very quick test, a whopping 80% of people fail it.

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Published by professor Shane Frederick, the quiz tested 3,000 participants and only 17% managed to score full marks.

Now 20 years on from the test, it's still resurfacing and there to frustrate even more adults.

So if you're ready to try the test, give it a go and let us know how you get on in the comments below!

Here are the questions:

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

2. If it takes five machines five minutes to make five widgets. How long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?

3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake?

Scroll down for the answers…

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If you answered 10 cents, 100 minutes and 24 days, then you're wrong.

The answers are… 5 cents, 5 minutes and 47 days.

Frederick explained: "Anyone who reflects upon it for even a moment would recognise that the difference between $1 and 10 cents is only 90 cents, not $1 as the problem stipulates.

"In this case, catching that error is tantamount to solving the problem, since nearly everyone who does not respond '10 cents' does, in fact give the correct response."

Meanwhile Presh Talwalkar, from MindYourDecisions, attempted to explain the answers in a more manageable way on his blog.

Outlining the first question, he wrote: "Say the ball costs X. Then the bat costs $1 more, so it is X + 1. So we have bat + ball = X + (X + 1) = 1.1 because together they cost $1.10.

"This means 2X + 1 = 1.1, then 2X = 0.1, so X = 0.05. This means the ball costs 5 cents and the bat costs $1.05."

For number two, he went on: "If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, then it takes 1 machine 5 minutes to make 1 widget (each machine is making a widget in 5 minutes).

"If we have 100 machines working together, then each can make a widget in 5 minutes. So there will be 100 widgets in 5 minutes."

And for the final riddle, he said: "Every day FORWARD the patch doubles in size. So every day BACKWARDS means the patch halves in size. So on day 47 the lake is half full."

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