World’s shortest IQ test could reveal if you have the brain of Einstein… how quick can YOU do it?

THIS is the world’s shortest IQ test – and it could reveal if you have the brain of Einstein.

The three-question brain scratcher, called the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), challenges you to solve a simple problem that could be harder than you first think.

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The CRT test was created by psychologist Shane Frederick in 2005.

Frederick picked these questions as they seem easy to begin with, but ultimately require some deeper thought.

But if you identify the answers quickly – you just might have the IQ of Albert Einstein.

Here are the three questions:

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?

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

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?

These three seemingly simple questions have left people on the internet scratching their heads for years.

The most popular guesses are: ten pence – for question one, 100 minutes – for question two, and 24 days – for question three.

If you got any of these answers then you’re not alone – but unfortunately you would be wrong.

Don’t worry if you can’t manage to figure out the correct answers to this tricky test though, as we have the solutions below.

1. The ball would cost five pence or £0.05

If the ball costs X, and the bat costs £1 more, then it will be:

X + £1

So, bat + ball = X + (X+1) = 1.1

2X + 1 = 1.1, and 2X = 0.1

Therefore, X = 0.05

2. It would take five minutes to make 100 widgets.

If five machines can make five widgets in five minutes; one machine can also make one widget in five minutes.

So, if we have 100 machines all making widgets, they can make 100 widgets in five minutes too.

3. It would take 47 days for the patch to cover half of the lake.

Since the area of the lake doubles every day, a patch that covers half the lake would fully cover it in just one extra day. If you subtract that one day from 48 days, you’ll be left with the correct answer of 47.

In a 2013 survey of around 3,500 people, 33 per cent got all three wrong, and 83 per cent missed at least one.

And only 17 per cent of students from the top universities in the got a perfect score on the CRT, according to a study.

Didn’t manage to work out the answers to this tricky test?

Why not try and work out what’s hiding in these hypnotic images – these optical illusions will leave your mind blown.

Or, test how smart you really are in this four-question personality test.

And if you prefer quiz-style puzzles, try solving these questions in this 25-question IQ test.