<p>I’ve taught a lot of college and high school students with similar fears. I think a better measure than any single test would be to get into a college where your teachers and peers challenge you, take classes in physics, attend professor office hours, get involved with their projects if possible, and then have actual professionals in the field you are considering give you honest feedback about whether it’s realistic for you to pursue this passion. You want a physicist who has made his living off of his intellectual work to give you that kind of feedback, not a multiple choice test (and I’m speaking here as someone who enjoys taking and tutoring standardized tests). You’ll also want to take into account the personality types of your instructors during this process; e.g., some are intimidated by their own students and can be discouraging even when it’s not warranted.</p>
<p>Besides, the notion of “raw intelligence” is a tricky thing–some tests privilege spontaneous creativity (seriously!), divergent/emergent thinking, processing speed, arithmetic computation, pattern finding, and a massive host of other things–and an Internet IQ test cannot even claim to have statistical validity even with these categories. Obviously, you can’t just let go of anxieties at will, but hopefully as you dive more into the work you love and as you cultivate your mental gifts, you’ll leave those IQ-related worries behind!</p>