Dating app uses IQ test to exclude 'unintelligent’ daters

As the terrain of the online dating world gets ever rockier, and more apps and services clamour for our attention, you could be forgiven for thinking every possible metric of dating discernment has been used.

Not so, as it turned out this morning when former MKR contestant Olga Rogacheva launched her new and exclusive dating app, Love Smart, that uses a stringent intelligence test as a condition of entry.

You need to pass at least 50% of the questions to be let in at all, a move intended to exclude people who Olga says aren’t of correct ‘character’.

“We made it our mission to fix the omissions of the current dating services and create a space for smart people to meet and bond without the pain of dealing with unsavoury characters,” Olga says.

The app refuses entry to people with what they call ‘a subpar intelligence level’, as determined by their unique test.

Olga told Yahoo Lifestyle the exam was specially formulated to combine traditional IQ metrics with pop culture and general knowledge to create a more cohesive test of intelligence.

When asked if she thought the app could be described as elitist, Olga pointed out the test’s design meant both formally and self-educated people could succeed.

“When we looked at other apps, a lot were based around the [university] degree,” Olga told Yahoo Lifestyle, adding their specific test tests a ‘level of personal intelligence [that] favours the self-educated’.

So, we put it to the test.

Yahoo tries the test

The lonely hearts of the Yahoo newsroom tackled the test with various levels of success.

The test is called the ‘Heimdall Quiz’ described on the website as being inspired by a Nordic myth.

“In the realm of Asgard the legendary guardian Heimdall guarded the gates and only the chosen ones could enter the inner sanctum where there were beautiful Valkyries, handsome Demigods,” the website reads.

The test is timed, three minutes to answer as many questions as you can fit. Certain questions carry more points and the test covers a range of topics.

14 staff members undertook the test with five failing, and nine passing.

Each test featured a mix of questions though some seemed to focus largely on vocabulary and geography, while others were almost exclusively maths and problem-solving based.

Overall, most Yahoo test-takers felt that the questions were a bit of a lucky dip. Some, bizarrely, seem to drill hardest on identifying pictures with subjects ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to juniper berries to a hammer.

Here are some of the example questions you can try yourself:

The consensus

Steph, who got mainly maths questions, failed.

“The algebra questions were impossible and I don’t know why knowing a certain type of flower deems whether or not I’m smart enough for love,” she said.

Others pointed out the time pressure meant only speedy wits would make it through, and impacted people’s ability to perform.

“If I had more time the test would have actually been quite simple,” said Sarah, who passed the test.

“I don’t see how the questions related to my intelligence,” said Anastasia, another passer.

Andrew failed after he spent too long on a maths question, while Chris passed but pointed out his quiz seemed a little easier than others’.

“There were maybe one or two curly ones, but at least half of them were identifying various fruits and vegetables, which seemed like an incredibly low bar,” he said.

Glynn also passed and similarly reported half his questions involved identifying flowers.

A ‘randomly generated’ quiz

Olga insists the quizzes are not tailored for sex or age, describing them as ‘randomly generated’.

She also points out those who fail can try again after seven days.

I passed the test, though if I am to be frank, I may have prioritised quantity over quality and guessed a large chunk of the maths questions.

Marcus passed but reported his test focused almost entirely on maths and general knowledge saying the test is ‘not a good reflection of a person’, suggest social situation problem solving might be a better option.

With the app apparently already attracting over 2000 members, it remains to be seen what kind of reaction the interactive, but strong opinions of the program may attract.

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