Official Mensa® Challenge – October 2023
American Mensa is where brilliance belongs – it’s where friendships are forged for life, business connections and opportunities are made, and where brilliant minds find the chance to engage with others in an intellectually stimulating environment.
Just for LOCAL Life readers: Take the Mensa Practice Test for just $5! Visit americanmensa.org/mht and use offer code: Local21
Questions
1. Charlie went out to buy some tools. He spent half of the original amount plus $10 for a drill, half of what was left plus $4 for a sander, then half of what was left plus $2, leaving him with $6. How much did he start with?
2. A 10-letter word is hidden in the circle. Find the missing letter, then begin with the correct letter and move clockwise or counterclockwise around the circle. (Use each letter only once.)
3. Find the word that fits the definitions below when it’s 1) a whole word and 2) divided into two words.
1) Whole word: frank and open
2) Two words: a. container b. past tense of a verb
4. Make your way from ARMY to NAVY in nine steps, changing one letter at a time to make a common English word at each step.
ARMY → _ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ →
_ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ → _ _ _ _ → NAVY
5. George went to the store to buy some supplies. He spent half of the original amount plus $8 for pens, half of what was left plus $2 for paper, then half of what was left and $1 for a clipboard leaving him with $4. How much did he start with?
Answers
1. $100 ($50 + $10 = $60, leaving $40; $20 + $4 = $24, leaving $16; $8 + $2 = $10, leaving $6)
2. OBJECTIVES (The missing letter is “J.”)
3. 1) candid 2) a. can b. did
4. ARMY, ARMS, AIMS, RIMS, DIMS, DIME, DAME, NAME, NAVE, NAVY
5. $64 ($32 + $8 – $40, leaving $24; $12 + $2 = $14, leaving $10, $5 + $1 = $6, leaving $4)