This is a very complicated issue. It goes way beyond standardized tests. It is now clearly recognized that the concept of General Intelligence is very difficult to define, and even more difficult to measure.

For decades most I.Q. tests measured what prep-schools taught. That included things such as basic math, a large vocabulary, the ability to define some of society's norms, and how to recognize sameness and differences.

Now, what people recognize is that while those skills are things that might help you get through college, they are not the skills that will help you get through life.

Many cognitive psychologists have agreed upon a definition of “intelligence,” and it is very simple. It is the ability to anticipate what will happen next.

Of course, figuring out what comes next is different in every environment. The people who quickly learn what to say or do in order to get fed and be safe in their family, or in their neighborhood, have a better chance of surviving.

Recently, most people in America have been made aware of that with the example of what to anticipate when a policemen wants to talk to you. Everyone has to be smart in that situation, but people from different neighborhoods, and people of different colors, have to learn different answers. A Black boy would answer that question very differently than a White boy, but that certainly wouldn’t mean that he’s not as smart.

That makes it almost impossible to design a test that is culture free.