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Can you pass the world's shortest IQ test? Only 17 per cent of people can

A 17% pass rate on the CRT has been reported, with many top university students puzzling over its deceptively simple questions, including the bat-and-ball puzzle. The test, introduced in a 2005 MIT paper, was given to more than 3,000 research participants.
The CRT originated in a 2005 research paper by Shane Frederick and was given to over 3,000 participants, illustrating why intuitive answers often spring impulsively, Frederick said.
The three CRT items include the bat-and-ball problem, the lily-pad patch problem, and the machines/widgets problem, with algebra showing the ball costs five cents, the patch covers half the lake on day 47, and 100 machines make 100 widgets in five minutes.
Presh Talwalkar posted clear solutions that guide readers and online participants through the CRT's three items, while Professor Shane Frederick linked slow reflection to finding the correct answers.
Performance even at top American universities indicates the CRT's 17% pass rate highlights widespread cognitive reflection failures among high-achieving populations, as Frederick explained that reflection exposes correct answers.

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