mini-q: A Three-Minute Intelligence Screening

In 1968, Baddeley presented a straightforward and economic reasoning test based on grammatical transformations that allows one to assess verbal reasoning in 3 min (Baddeley, 1968) and is still in use today (e.g., Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2008). Owing to grammatical peculiarities of the English language, a direct translation has not been achieved. We describe the development of Baddeley's original test for the German language, which was tested on 478 persons, along with other intelligence measures. Item and scale statistics support the validity of the mini-q. The test proved reliable and valid regarding factor structure and numerous convergent and divergent criteria, yielding evidence that the German version allows speeded reasoning to be assessed accurately in a short time. As a screening for cognitive abilities, the mini-q is particularly useful where time constraints preclude the use of more sophisticated instruments and/or where cognitive abilities are assessed as a control variable.