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What is the RIOT?

Today, we want to introduce a project our team has developed: “RIOT”, the Reasoning and Intelligence Online Test. It’s the world’s first professionally developed,  online intelligence test available to the public. Most intelligence tests are required to be administered by a psychologist or another professional with advanced training, making intelligence testing out of reach for many people who may want to know more about their cognitive functioning. We built this test because we believe that intelligence testing is ready for modernization, and should be globally accessible to researchers, psychologists, neuropsychologists, professionals of other disciplines, and the general public. We have endeavored to make the RIOT the best possible intelligence test within the limits of online proctoring.

Quick Test Structure Overview

The RIOT consists of 15 subtests grouped into 5 cognitive abilities (known as indexes). Every index consists of 3 subtests, which all contribute to that specific index score. There are 5 index scores: verbal reasoning, fluid reasoning, spatial ability, working memory, and processing speed. All 15 subtests contribute to an overall IQ, which is a score that measures a person’s general intelligence. Most of these subtests use tried and true question formats. The RIOT builds on over 100 years of intelligence research to ensure that examinees take a scientifically sound test. But the RIOT is not an old or traditional test. The test is enhanced by the latest developments in open science and introduces a continuous test development philosophy which makes the test responsive to the needs and expectations of the 21st century. We will always be iterating on the RIOT to make it better everyday. Weekly, monthly, and yearly updates will occur to fine tune and continually improve the test and ensure it remains up to par with current innovations

The 15 RIOT Subtests

The 15 subtests of RIOT cover a variety of tasks, ranging from verbal questions to visual puzzles on a computer screen. Having various tasks on the RIOT ensures that its IQ scores do not  favor one type of ability. For example, a test consisting entirely of verbal tasks would not measure the full breadth of intelligence, and someone with spatial ability strength would be disadvantaged in such a case. Instead, the RIOT consists of 15 different subtests that balance out one another, which makes the overall test more accessible and fair to everyone. 15 subtests may sound like a lot, but the total testing time for the full RIOT test version is only about one hour.

RIOT Scoring

The RIOT gives a total of 21 scores to examinees: 15 subtest scores, 5 index scores, and an overall IQ score. Global IQ scores for the RIOT range from 70 to about 145, which makes it appropriate for 97.6% of the population. On this scale, 100 is the average of the population, and over two-thirds of people have scores between 85 and 115. Index and subtest scores are reported as T-scores, with a range of 30 to 80 and an average of 50. This variety of scores gives test users a great deal of information about the test taker’s cognitive abilities. The different scores also give insight into a person’s strengths and weaknesses.

RIOT Norming

The first version of the RIOT is normed on a representative sample of native English-speaking adults in the United States. No other publicly available online test has a representative norm sample. This allows more accurate scoring and helps examinees understand how they perform on the test compared to the general population--not a self-selected group that seeks out a test to take online. It is important to note that anyone can take the RIOT, but the test questions are designed with adult Americans in mind, and examinees will be compared to Americans when their scores are calculated. Adaptations of the test for other countries are in the works, and there is also interest in preparing the RIOT for administration in other languages.

Who is the RIOT for?

We developed the RIOT with research, clinical and other professional use cases in mind, while maintaining availability to the public in some capacity. We are developing a full-length technical manual for the RIOT. The manual includes internal evidence of the test’s ability to measure intelligence and external evidence such as its correlation with other scores. It also includes research on the scores’ reliability and other technical aspects of the test.

The RIOT is ideal for low to moderate-stake assessments of intelligence, but not for high-stakes scenarios with significant consequences. For high-stakes situations, an intelligence test administered face-to-face is still the best option. In other situations, the RIOT is an option that some may choose for its cost-effectiveness, convenience, efficiency, or breadth of information. For example, the RIOT is not appropriate for diagnosing people with a disability. However, a counselor may administer the RIOT as part of a series of tests to a client in order to help determine which type of therapy to administer. 

Adhering to Testing Standards

The RIOT was developed to meet all of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing established by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council for Measurement in Education. Adaptations for other countries will be designed to meet the standards of the International Testing Commission. The development processes and technical characteristics of the RIOT are available in the test’s technical manual.

Our team will make the test’s data and analysis code freely available to the public so that the team’s work can be audited by experts. Intelligence tests should not be a “black box”, and the RIOT team hopes to make the RIOT the most transparent test ever created.

Our Team Will Continually Update and Improve RIOT

The RIOT is not a static intelligence test. Like many educational tests, new questions will be added to the test, and old questions will be retired. The RIOT team will also implement technical improvements to the scoring and subtest administration to improve the test. These changes will be documented in supplements or new editions of the test manual.

For Riot IQ, this is an exciting time. The RIOT intelligence test is just the beginning. While we are launching with just one American intelligence test, the possibility of administering intelligence tests in new languages, in new countries, and to new populations means that there is a bright future for online intelligence testing. We will eventually have the capacity to administer other psychological tests, such as vocational, personality, interest tests, and many more.