Return to Additional Materials Menu
This test does not measure your intelligence, your fluency with words, and certainly not your mathematic ability. It will, however, give you some gauge of your mental flexibility and creativity. In the years since we first developed the test, we have found few people who could solve more than half the problems on their first try. Many, however, reported getting answers long after the test had been set aside, particularly at unexpected moments when their minds were relaxed, and some reported solving all the problems over a period of several days. Take this as your personal challenge.
Instructions: Each question below contains all the initials of words that will make it correct. Find the missing words. For example: 16 O. in a P. means 16 ounces in a pound.
Note: this test does have a distinct USA flavor, that might be why you do not understand a given question.
1) 26 L. of the A. 41) 29 D. in F. in a L. Y. 2) 7 W. of the A. W. 42) 3 P. for a F. G. in F. 3) 1,001 A. N. 43) 1,000 W. that a P. is W. 4) 12 S. of the Z. 44) 56 S. of the D. of I. 5) 54 C. in a D. (with J.) 45) 20 Y. that R. V. W. S. 6) 9 P. in the S. S. 46) 40 T (with A. B.) 7) 88 P. K. 47) 30 D. H. S. A. J. and N. 8) 13 S. on the A. F. 48) 32 D. F. at which W. F. 9) 1 D. at a T. 49) 10 A. in the B. of R. 10) 18 H. on a G. C. 50) 435 M. of the H. of R. 11) 90 D. in a R. A. 51) 31 I. C. F. at B.-R. 12) 50 C. in a H. D. 52) 200 D. for P. G. in M. 13) 8 S. on a S. S. 53) 2 T. D. (and a P. in a P. T.) 14) 3 B. M. (S. H. T. R.) 54) 4 H. of the A. 15) 4 Q. in a G. 55) 40 D. and N. of the G. F. 16) 24 H. in a D. 56) 8 P. of S. in the E. L. 17) 1 W. on a U. 57) 9 I. in a B. G. 18) 5 D. in a Z. C. 58) 1 R. A. in E. B. 19) 57 H. V. 59) 76 T. that L. the B. P. 20) 11 P. on a F. T. 60) 3 L. K. that L. T. M. 21) 7 H. of R. 61) 4 S. on a V. 22) 101 D. 62) 5 T. on a C. (including S. in T.) 23) 64 S. on a C. B. 63) 6 P. on a P. T. 24) 13 C. in a S. 64) 7 Y. of B. L. for B. a M. 25) 10 L. I. 65) 2 G. for E. B. (in the B. B. S.) 26) 20,000 L. U. T. S. 66) 9 J. of the S. C. 27) 13 O. C. 67) 10 D. in a T. N. (including the A. C.) 28) 12 K. of the R. T. 68) 20 C. in a P. 29) 13 in a B. D. 69) 3 S. Y. O. at the O. B. G. 30) 66 B. of the B. 70) 1 C. Y. in K. A. C. 31) 10 D. in a D. 71) 3 W. from the G. in the B. 32) 15 M on a D. M. C. 72) 20 Q. (A., V., or M.) 33) 80 D. A. the W. 73) 7 D. with S. W. 34) 24 B. B. in a P. 74) 30 S. over T. 35) 7 B. for 7 B. 75) 8 D. a W. (in the B. S.) 36) 36 I. in a Y. 76) 212 D. F. at which W. B. 37) 6 W. of H. the E. 77) 4 P. on M. R. 38) 2,000 P. in a T. 78) 10 D. in a R. of Q. 39) 60 S. in a M. 79) 48 S. in the C. U. S. 40) 5 F. on the H. 80) 7 C. on the E. 81) 2 G. of V.
Answers to Mental Abilities Test
1) 26 letters of the alphabet 41) 29 days in February in a leap year 2) 7 wonders of the ancient world 42) 3 points for a field goal in football 3) 1001 Arabian Nights 43) 1000 words that a picture is worth 4) 12 signs of the zodiac 44) 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence 5) 54 cards in a deck (with jokers) 45) 20 years that Rip Van Winkle slept 6) 9 planets in the solar system 46) 40 thieves (with Ali Baba) 7) 88 piano keys 47) 30 days has September, April, January, and November 8) 13 stripes on the American flag 48) 32 degrees Farenheidt at which water freezes 9) 1 day at a time 49) 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights 10) 18 holes on a golf course 50) 435 members of the House of Representatives 11) 90 degrees in a right angle 51) 31 ice cream flavors at Baskin-Robbins 12) 50 cents in a half dollar 52) 200 dollars for passing go in Monopoly 13) 8 sides on a stop sign 53) 2 turtle doves (and a partridge in a pear tree) 14) 3 blind mice (see how they run) 54) 4 horsemen of the apocalypse 15) 4 quarts in a gallon 55) 40 days and nights of the great flood 16) 24 hours in a day 56) 8 parts of speech in the English language 17) 1 wheel on a unicycle 57) 9 innings in a baseball game 18) 5 digits in a zip code 58) 1 rotten apple in every barrel 19) 57 Heinz varieties 59) 76 trombones that lead the big parade 20) 11 players on a football team 60) 3 little kittens that lost their mittens 21) 7 hills of Rome 61) 4 strings on a violin 22) 101 Dalmations 62) 5 tires on a car (including the spare in trunk) 23) 64 squares on a chessboard 63) 6 pockets on a pool table 24) 13 cards in a suit 64) 7 years of bad luck for breaking a mirror 25) 10 little Indians 65) 2 girls for every boy (in the Beach Boys' song) 26) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 66) 9 judges of the Supreme Court 27) 13 original colonies 67) 10 digits in a telephone number (including the area code) 28) 12 knights of the round table 68) 20 cigaretts in a pack 29) 13 in a baker's dozen 69) 3 strikes you're out at the old ball game 30) 66 books of the Bible 70) 1 Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court 31) 10 dimes in a dollar 71) 3 wishes from the genie in the bottle 32) 15 men on a dead man's chest 72) 20 questions (animal, vegtable, or mineral) 33) 80 days around the world 73) 7 dwarfs with Snow White 34) 24 blackbirds baked in a pie 74) 30 Seconds over Tokyo 35) 7 Brides for 7 Brothers 75) 8 Days a Week (in the Beatle's song) 36) 36 inches in a yard 76) 212 degrees Farenheidt at which water boils 37) 6 wives of Henry the Eighth 77) 4 presidents on Mount Rushmore 38) 2,000 pounds in a ton 78) 10 dollars in a roll of quarters 39) 60 seconds in a minute 79) 48 states in the continental United States 40) 5 fingers on the hand 80) 7 continents on the Earth 81) 2 Gentlemen of Verona