Start with overall IQ to see the general level
Overall IQ is the total score built from the results of the 9 tasks. The mean is 100 and the standard deviation is 15, so it is an entry point for seeing the general level.
However, overall IQ is not the conclusion of the report. The larger the differences across domains, the less overall IQ alone may match the person's actual experience.
For example, when verbal comprehension is high and processing speed is low, the overall IQ may appear somewhere in the middle. If only the total score is read, the difference between thinking through words and producing output in a short time becomes harder to see.
After checking overall IQ, read the differences across the 5 domains. It is more natural to separate the general level from the shape of the cognitive profile.
FSIQ is covered in what FSIQ means and how to read it.
Read differences across the 5 domains
BrainTypeIQ shows not only overall IQ, but also five separate domains.
| Domain | What it reads |
|---|---|
| Gc | Using vocabulary and knowledge for understanding, judgment, and expression |
| Gf | Finding relationships or rules in a new problem |
| Gv | Handling figures and spatial relationships in the mind |
| Gwm | Holding information temporarily while processing it |
| Gs | Judging visual information quickly and outputting accurately |
These 5 domains make it easier to read what overall IQ alone can hide: which format makes ability easier to use, and which conditions make load higher.
If the radar chart is closer to a circle, differences across domains are relatively small. If it has sharper peaks, the differences across domains are larger. Neither shape is simply better. The starting point is seeing the shape of your own cognitive profile.
Domain scores and task scores use different scales
The report contains two kinds of scores.
- Domain scores - IQ scale, with mean 100 and standard deviation 15
- Task scores - standard score scale, with mean 50 and standard deviation 10
When a domain score is 110 and a task score is 55, the domain score may look higher if the numbers are read directly. Statistically, however, both are a little above the mean on their own scales. Comparing the raw numbers as if they were on the same scale leads to misreading.
When you want to compare domains and tasks on a shared basis, percentile rank is easier to read.
+/-4 shows the expected score range
The "+/-4" shown beside each score represents measurement width. If the score is 112, it means the person's likely level may fall around 108 to 116.
When comparing two domains, if the confidence intervals overlap substantially, it is better not to overread the difference as clear. For example, verbal comprehension at 108 and fluid reasoning at 112 can be treated as roughly similar once measurement width is considered.
On the other hand, a difference of 15 points or more is easier to notice as a domain difference. It is important to read the overall shape and the size of the difference together, rather than focusing on a few points.
Use GAI and CPI to separate thinking ability and processing efficiency
GAI reads aspects of thinking ability, such as verbal comprehension and reasoning. CPI reads aspects of processing efficiency, such as working memory and processing speed.
When GAI is higher than CPI, the profile can be read as one where thinking or understanding is more stable, while holding information, moving quickly, or producing output creates more load. When CPI is higher than GAI, routine or step-based processing may move forward more stably, while new abstract tasks may create more load.
GAI and CPI are not indicators for deciding which side is the "real self." They separate thinking ability and processing efficiency so the result can be used more practically.
GAI/CPI is covered in GAI and CPI differences.
Read relative differences across tasks
Task percentiles are for seeing which task formats are relatively easier or more effortful within your own profile.
For someone whose scores are high overall, a relatively lower task may still be above average. Conversely, even when the overall level is lower, some tasks may still create relatively less load.
For that reason, task ranks are not for deciding good or bad. They are for seeing which formats are easier to handle within your own profile. Whether something becomes difficult in real life depends on the absolute score level, differences across domains, and the conditions of the environment.
How to use the result
After reading the report, organize these three points.
- Domains where ability appears more easily
- Domains where load rises more easily
- Whether there are large differences in GAI/CPI or across the 5 domains
When these three points are visible, it becomes easier to connect the result back to daily life or work. Increase formats that make ability easier to use, and adjust conditions that raise load. The first target is not changing ability itself, but changing procedures, environment, and tools.
Scores are not a report card. They are information for understanding the shape of your cognition and finding conditions that are easier to handle.
Reading profile differences more deeply
When a particular domain creates more load, or when differences across domains are large, it becomes easier to use the result by checking where that pattern appears in daily situations.
Other patterns are grouped under the Difficulties tab.