The shortest IQ test in the world has just three questions

Think you're a bit of a clever clogs when it comes to brain teasers? Then try these three short questions to put your grey matter truly to the test.

The three questions, devised by Dr. Shane Frederick, are said to be able to separate the mediocre from those firmly sitting at the top of the intelligence tree. But are the answers really as simple as they seem?

The Cognitive Reflection Test has been hailed for its simplicity in approaching the tough task of assessing a questionnaire's ability to solve a simple problem, that is really harder than it seems at first glance.

In essence, it's designed to see if you can see past your 'gut instinct' answer - for the more complex solution.

The time it takes to get the right answer is a key part of the problem solving process, and goes a long way to determine if you're a genius-level thinker.

Fancy your chances? Take the test below:

1. A bat and a ball cost £1.10 in total. The bat costs £1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? _____ pence

2. If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets? _____ minutes

3. In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake? _____ days

Answers: The gut instinct answers to these questions are typically: 10 pence, 100 minutes, and 24 days; while the correct answers are: 5 pence, 5 minutes, and 47 days.

A fuller explanation of the answers