Quick wits flash at IQ contest

ALAST-MINUTE search for a third member turned out to be a winning combination for a quiz team at the Fourth New Generation IQ Contest held recently in the Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association hall.

In the preliminaries, one team found itself short of a third member. In desperation, both Ha Yat-leung and Chan Pat-yim King's College turned to Lo Chi-win of Tang Shiu Kin Victoria Technical School.

The contest was organised by the New Generation Cultural Association and the Association for the Popularisation of Science and Technology. The aim of the contest was to train students to think creatively and to raise their standard of analytical thinking, as well as provide participants a fun learning experience.

After seven preliminary rounds, 40 students made it into the final. All finalists, individuals and groups, had to answer three questions.

Chi-wing, a Form Six student, said his group was formed by accident.

''One group member didn't turn up at the preliminaries, Yat-leung and Pat-yim asked me if I would join them.'' The group said teamwork was essential in any group competition.

It was the first time the two King's College students had taken part in the annual contest.

''Answering an IQ question is rather like solving a maths problem,'' Pat-yim said.

''And if you are good in logic, you stand a better chance with an IQ poser,'' added Yat-leung.

It was also a first time in the contest for individual champion Eric Wong Chi-yuen, who attributed his success to his quick wits.

''I guess I'm able to think fast,'' Eric said. ''As a student of Additional Mathematics, I have had long training in fast thinking!'' The champion did not, however, believe he had a higher IQ than the average student.

''Perhaps, the questions suited me. But I don't think IQ is the most important thing in problem-solving. I consider experience more important.'' The champions will take part in an inter-port competition with students from Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen on July 9 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.