He gave a vivid account of a recent oral, in which a boy and a girl were both defending their dissertation for finals. The girl had done an amazing amount of detail, but had not grasped what it all added up to. The boy saw instantly what it was all about, but was fuzzy on the supporting evidence. Both of them gained firsts. IQ tests routinely recognize the difference, and make allowances accordingly.
Boys score better with numbers, pattern recognition, and abstract reasoning.
Girls do better with language and situational logic. An IQ test intended for both sexes will have sections which play to each of the different skills, to avoid being easier for the one sex than the other. Chris Woodhead, the government's former chief inspector of schools, recognizes the change. Professor Alan Smithers, of Liverpool University's Centre for Education and Employment Research, takes a broader view. They present less of a challenge, and are more easily coped with by conscientious and consistent application.