The history of the IQ test begins with the term IQ, which stands for intelligence quotient. This came from the German word, Intelligenz-Quotient, which in turn came from the German psychologist William Stern clear back in the year 1912. The term originally was used as a way to score intelligence tests for children, such as tests created by Alfred Binet early in the 20th Century. Since this beginning, the IQ quiz scoring methodology has changed quite a bit.

Nowadays there are modern IQ scoring methods such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The main thing they all have in common is the way they measure intelligence in general, which is through the use of a Gaussian bell curve. This curve is renormalized as necessary to account for changes in the intelligence of society as a whole, so as to maintain an average score of approximately 100.