Learning about fluid vs. crystallized intelligence[/caption] Fluid vs crystallized intelligence. What’s the difference? General intelligence can be decomposed into (1) crystallized and (2) fluid intelligence. Fluid vs crystallized intelligence are simple concepts to grasp. Crystallized IQ relates to general knowledge and verbal ability, which is accumulated over time in formal education. Crystallized IQ test questions may include grouping synonyms, explaining the meaning of words, identifying antonyms, working with analogies or perhaps even filling in the blanks in a paragraph with missing words. Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, relates to one’s ability to solve novel problems. The latter type of intelligence cannot emanate from materials taught in schools. Fluid IQ test questions may include identifying patterns, finding a missing sequence and spatially manipulating complex figures. So when I test my IQ, it is quite possible to expect different levels of performance on crystallized vs fluid intelligence components of the test. That said, the two measures should be correlated, but more in one direction that the other.