IQ Score Chart & Scale: What Every Range Means
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Quick answer
An IQ score chart turns a single number into something you can actually interpret. Below is the full IQ scale — every classification band from 'extremely low' to 'genius', the share of the population in each range, and where you land on the bell curve. All figures use the standard mean-100, standard-deviation-15 scale used by modern tests.
The full IQ score chart
Each band below groups a range of IQ scores into a named classification, with the approximate percentage of people who fall in that range.
| IQ Range | Classification | % of People | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤69 | Extremely Low | ~2.2% | Well below average. On clinical tests this range may warrant professional assessment. |
| 70–79 | Borderline | ~6.7% | Below average reasoning on this scale. |
| 80–89 | Low Average | ~16.1% | Slightly below the population average. |
| 90–109 | Average | ~50% | The middle of the distribution — where most people score. |
| 110–119 | High Average | ~16.1% | Above average reasoning ability. |
| 120–129 | Superior | ~6.7% | Notably above average — roughly the top 10%. |
| 130–144 | Gifted | ~2.1% | The conventional 'gifted' threshold (130) and above — top ~2%. Mensa qualifies here. |
| 145+ | Highly Gifted / Genius | ~0.1% | Exceptionally rare — the far right tail of the distribution. |
How to read it
Find your score's row to see your classification and roughly what percentage of the population scores in that band. The middle band (90–109) alone contains about half of all people.
IQ and the bell curve
IQ scores follow a normal distribution — the familiar 'bell curve'. Most people cluster near the average of 100, and scores become rarer the further you move toward either extreme.
Because the scale is built around a standard deviation of 15, each 15-point step away from 100 moves you a fixed distance along the curve: 68% of people fall within one step (85–115), about 95% within two steps (70–130), and roughly 99.7% within three (55–145).
IQ score to percentile and rarity (lookup table)
Every point on the curve maps to a percentile — the share of people who score at or below it. Because the distribution is fixed, each IQ corresponds to exactly one percentile. Use this table to look up any common score, how rare it is, and which classification band it falls in.
| IQ score | Percentile | Rarity (about) | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 2nd | 1 in 44 | Borderline |
| 80 | 9th | 1 in 11 | Low Average |
| 85 | 16th | 1 in 6 | Low Average |
| 90 | 25th | 1 in 4 | Average |
| 100 | 50th | 1 in 2 | Average |
| 110 | 75th | 1 in 4 | High Average |
| 115 | 84th | 1 in 6 | High Average |
| 120 | 91st | 1 in 11 | Superior |
| 125 | 95th | 1 in 21 | Superior |
| 130 | 98th | 1 in 44 | Gifted |
| 140 | 99.6th | 1 in 260 | Gifted |
| 145 | 99.9th | 1 in 740 | Highly Gifted / Genius |
Read the table both ways: a score tells you your percentile and rarity, and a target percentile tells you the score you'd need. Note that rarity is symmetric around 100 — an IQ of 130 and an IQ of 70 are each about 1 in 44, just on opposite sides of the average.
Need a score that isn't in the table? — use the interactive IQ-to-percentile calculator for any value.The score categories at a glance
Average (90–109)
The central band, containing about half of all people. The 50th percentile — IQ 100 — sits in the middle of this range.
Above average to superior (110–129)
Roughly the 75th up to the 97th percentile: the top quarter down to about the top 3% of scores.
Gifted and beyond (130+)
The top ~2% (98th percentile and above) — the conventional gifted threshold and the Mensa entry bar. Above 145, scores become exceptionally rare (around the top 0.1%) and harder to measure precisely.
What does your band mean for you? — interpret your own result and see what the number does and doesn't predict.Important caveats
- Different tests use different scales. A '132' on an SD-15 test is not the same as '132' on an SD-16 or SD-24 test — always check which scale a score uses.
- IQ tests are age-normed. Your score compares you to people your own age, not to the whole population.
- A single online score has a margin of error. Treat any result as a range, not a precise point.
- IQ measures a specific slice of cognitive ability. It does not capture creativity, emotional intelligence, practical skills or character.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good IQ score?+
Any score from 90 to 109 is squarely average and entirely normal. Scores of 110–119 are above average, 120–129 superior, and 130+ is considered gifted (the top ~2%). But 'good' depends on context — the number says nothing about creativity, drive or emotional intelligence.
What is the average IQ?+
The average IQ is 100 by definition. IQ tests are standardized so that the average of the population is always set to 100, with a standard deviation of 15.
What percentage of people have an IQ over 130?+
About 2% of people score 130 or above on a standard SD-15 scale. This is the conventional 'gifted' threshold and roughly the Mensa entry requirement (98th percentile).
Is an IQ of 120 good?+
Yes — an IQ of 120 is in the 'superior' band and places you in roughly the top 9% of people. It means you scored higher than about 91% of the population.
What IQ range is considered gifted?+
130 and above is the conventional 'gifted' threshold — roughly the top 2% of the population. Scores of 145+ are sometimes labelled 'highly gifted' or 'genius', the top ~0.1%, but those ranges are exceptionally rare and hard to measure precisely.
What percentage of people are in the average range?+
About half of all people score in the Average band (90–109), and roughly two-thirds score between 85 and 115. The closer a score is to 100, the more common it is.
What is the highest possible IQ score?+
There is no fixed maximum, but standard tests rarely measure reliably above about 145–160 because so few people score there that the scale runs out of comparison data. Extremely high figures you see quoted are usually estimates or use a different scale, not precise deviation-IQ scores.
Sources
This guide draws on standard psychometric references and peer-reviewed research:
- 1.Pearson — Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).
- 2.Deary, I. J. (2020). Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- 3.Neisser, U., et al. (1996). “Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns.” American Psychologist, 51(2). APA.
- 4.American Psychological Association (APA)
Sources are provided for further reading. Organization links point to official sites; academic works are cited in full. See our research standards and editorial team.
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