A supervised IQ test session has been organised on 21 June (11.00am) at the Royal Station Hotel for anyone interested in finding out their own IQ score for just £15.

Local people are invited to contact Helen Oliver on 01902 772771 or email bookatest@mensa.org.uk to reserve a place. Everyone who scores within the top two per cent of the population is invited to join Mensa.

Mensa chief executive John Stevenage said: "We are getting more and more people wanting to find their IQ score to include this in their CVs or university applications. In these increasingly competitive times, people are looking for extra ways to differentiate themselves from other candidates."

To help people understand more about themselves and their capabilities, Mensa joined forces with business psychologists Team Focus to offer a range of online psychometric assessments called Profiling for Success, available at www.mensa.org.uk

These online tests are designed to help individuals explore their personality, prepare for job interviews or make career choices.

British Mensa currently has around 24,000 members, with almost 2,000 in the North East region. The society welcomes people from all walks of life, with the objective of enjoying each other's company and participating in a range of social and cultural activities.

The society's aims are to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members; and to encourage research into the nature, characteristics and uses of intelligence.