MENSA: A Global Community of Brilliant Minds

Mensa is one of the world’s best-known international societies for people with exceptionally high scores on standardized intelligence tests. Its name derives from the Latin word mensa, meaning “table,” symbolizing a round table where people meet as equals, regardless of background. Today, Mensa has about 170,000 members in more than 90 countries.

A Remarkable Beginning

Mensa was founded in Oxford, England, in 1946 by Roland Berrill, an Australian-born barrister, and Dr. Lancelot Lionel Ware, a scientist and lawyer. The two met by chance on a train and began discussing intelligence and intelligence testing. Ware administered an intelligence test to Berrill, who scored in approximately the top 1%. Their discussions ultimately led to the creation of a society for people with very high intellectual ability. October 1, 1946, is recognized as Mensa's founding date.

The founders envisioned a society that could identify and nurture exceptional intelligence while providing an environment for intellectual exchange. Mensa's three stated purposes remain to foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity, encourage intelligence research, and provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members.

How Does One Become a Mensan?

Membership is based on intellectual performance rather than on academic degrees, profession, wealth, fame, or social status. The fundamental requirement is to achieve a score in the top 2% of the general population on an approved, properly administered, and supervised intelligence test.

There are generally two routes:

1. Take a Mensa admission test under approved conditions.
2. Submit evidence of a qualifying score on another standardized intelligence test recognized by Mensa.

Importantly, online IQ tests cannot be used for Mensa admission. The exact qualifying score depends on the specific test and its standardized norms. For example, Mensa International notes that approximately 132 or higher on the Stanford-Binet and 148 or higher on the Cattell correspond to the top 2%. However, these figures should not be treated as interchangeable across different IQ tests.

For someone living in a country without an established national Mensa organization, Mensa International provides a Direct International Membership route that requires submission of evidence of a professionally supervised qualifying test; supervised testing may also sometimes be arranged through another national Mensa organization.

Beyond the IQ Score

Mensa is more than an IQ credential. Its members participate in discussions, lectures, special-interest groups, cultural activities, publications, and social gatherings. Its core idea is simple yet powerful: to bring intellectually curious people together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore what human intelligence can accomplish.