I want to get better at quick thinking. I've started playing online poker again and taking (online) IQ tests. Both are good examples of what i want to get better at and, imo, good practice for it. I'd appreciate any other resources for improving this skill or general comments on how to do it/misconceptions i might have/etc.
Also, please recommend good online IQ tests, preferably free. There are many to be found with Google but a lot of them look a bit suspect.

A misconception would be that you can profit in any way by taking online IQ tests.

There aren't any good online IQ tests. They are created by random people with no training in psychometrics or even a basic understanding of what intelligence is.

There probably aren't any good IQ tests at all for you if you are trying to figure out if you are merely a bit bright or very bright. Real IQ tests are excellent at noting deficits, but extremely poor at identifying strengths. If you suspect that you might be mentally retarded, my opinion would be a bit different.

What, specifically are you trying to accomplish?

I think you increased my life expectancy by a few days with that quip!

quick thinking? speed chess and RTS games are two you can try.

Play Starcraft 2. Also quick thinking in one domain really won't translate into others as easily as you think.

This will rot your brain.

Instead, try Arthur Benjamin's mental math book. Also, try learning another language.

You'd be better off finding high school math competition questions than trying to find online IQ tests. You could also browse Jane Street Capital's interview questions on glassdoor.com. There's a book with similar questions, but I can't think of the name--something like 100 best math questions ever or something.

learn memorization, it trains the brain muscle. read some study about some memorization game improving iq test score.

If you want the best route to training specific mental abilities, your best bet is to eat healthily, get steady excercise, sleep well and to train vigorously at the tasks you want to become better at. Over time the brain becomes more adept at such tasks. Computer games have actually been shown to be good for training quick thinking, but I wouldn't rely on them exclusively.

For short boosts to mental ability you can take caffeine and clucose; a bottle of coke will do nicely.

Thanks for the answers.

Im not doing these IQ tests to test my IQ though, they simply offer what im looking for: solving problems under strict time constraints. In that regard they do a fine job imo, most of them at least.
As to what im trying to accomplish, my initial goal was to practice for job application tests but i think this quick, almost subconscious thinking im trying to train is very useful in general.


I bought SC2 just this weekend, partly with that in mind.

Indeed, Warcraft 3 is far superior and I recommend it to the OP. You're also going to become proficient at speedy clicking, an invaluable skill.

Just as a follow up because I see that OP posted he bought SC2. SC2 is about reacting, which isn't the type of quick thinking I gathered you were talking about, considering you mentioned IQ tests. I'm not suggesting not to play this game as it is quite fun (I'm a high level diamond player myself). However, it will work against your goal.

well, the way i see it SC2 forces me to make decisions very quickly (online poker and IQ tests too, but with a little and a lot more time on hand, respectively) which is exactly what i want to get better at.
I dont see what the type of decision, active or reactive, has to do with it. Im not even sure there is a difference in practice.

OK, I think that makes it a bit easier to figure out then.

I'd suggest that you do puzzles or whatever you find enjoyable. If you do enough of them, a lot of it becomes more automatic through practice. If you enjoy, then you are more likely to do enough of them.

The only problem with this is that it tends to be pretty task dependent. Getting to the point where you can type without thinking about it too much doesn't translate to playing the piano without thinking about it.

Come on, OP, tell us the real reason. You want to get really witty and snappy with those comebacks. You don't want to be that guy that wishes he thought of that great comeback three hours ago, AMIRITE?!

In one extreme, suppose you're playing a game where someone attempts to punch you at a random time during every 10 second interval. You will get better at avoiding the hits the more you play (your reaction time decreases). I doubt this would make you any better at solving 'IQ type questions'.

Online poker is a different ballpark because you should very likely be making analytical decisions, every decision is important, and there is not an obvious answer to a lot of the problems. The decisions in SC2 are of the type where there is an obvious answer to every problem--e.g. there should be more X so let's make more X (someone is punching me so I should move out of the way). I know some SC2 gamers would object to this, but once you build your mechanics the analysis of the game really doesn't get any deeper than that.