What Is the Normal Range for IQ? Chart, Factors, Uses (2023)

  • Is IQ 120 Good?
    • Is a 120 IQ good?
  • What Is It?
    • What do you mean by IQ?
  • Uses
    • What are the uses of an IQ test?
  • Influencing Factors
    • What factors influence a person’s IQ?
  • Aptitude vs. IQ Tests
    • What are the differences between aptitude tests and IQ tests?

What Is the Normal Range for IQ? Chart, Factors, Uses (1)

An IQ score above 140 Indicates genius or nearly genius. Einstein's IQ estimated IQ scores range from 205 to 225 by different measures.

The intelligence quotient or IQ is a standardized method to know the mental ability of a person, usually against a peer group.

IQ scores between 90 and 109 indicate a normal range or average intelligence. Individual adults usually score somewhere in between the 70-130 range, with 100 being the theoretical average.

If you score above 130, then you would have a score higher than the average population, and below 70 would be lower than the average population.

What is an average IQ for my age?

As per research, the average IQ for each age group may be interpreted in the following manner:

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  • The average score for 16-17 year-olds is 108, which denotes normal or average intelligence.
  • For adults between 18 and 19 years of age, the average IQ score is 105, which also denotes normal or average intelligence.
  • The average score for people between 20 and 24 years of age is 99, which also denotes normal or average intelligence.
  • For people between 24 and 34 years of age, the average score is slightly lower at 97, which still denotes normal or average intelligence.
  • The scores begin to go up again after that age, among older adults. For example, the average score for people between 35 and 44 years of age is estimated to be 101, still within the normal or average intelligence scale.
  • For people between the ages of 45 and 54, the average IQ score goes up to 106 within the normal or average intelligence scale.
  • The highest average score for people under 64 years of age is attained by those people between the ages of 55 and 64, who get 109 on the IQ scale.
  • People between 65 and 69 years of age have an average IQ score of 114, which puts them in the superior intelligence or above-average end of the scale. But people between 70 and 74 years who are tested for IQ get an even higher average score of 119.
Table:IQ scores and Intelligent Chart
ScoresIntelligence
Between 110 and 119Superior intelligence or above average
Between 120 and 140Superintelligence or being gifted
Scores over 140Indicates genius or nearly genius
Scores between 80 and 89Indicates dullness or “lower average”
Scores under 70Definite “feeble-mindedness” or low

Is a 120 IQ good?

An IQ score of 120 is a good score since it means superior or above-average intelligence.

What is a good IQ score?

A score of 100 is said to be the average IQ and anything above that is above average intelligence for the person’s age. IQ is based on a statistical calculation considering people who are expected to have a certain IQ. Hence, IQ scores are not calculated in isolation for an individual. A person’s IQ doesn’t exist in isolation. The IQ score represents how a person’s results compare to those of other people of their age.

IQ tests generally focus on a person’s:

  • Memory
  • Mathematical skills
  • Reasoning ability
  • Processing speed
  • Language, including vocabulary
  • Visuospatial processing (the ability to perceive, analyze, recall, and manipulate images oriented in space and keep track of the location of moving objects)
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What do you mean by IQ?

IQ stands for intelligence quotient, which remains a popular tool for job placement and educational services, particularly helping to place children in an appropriate setting for their educational needs.

  • An IQ score is a numerical representation of an individual’s intelligence within a normalized scale of test results.
  • Most modern tests are adjusted so that the mean score is 100.
  • IQ score is a combination or an average of multiple scores.

Questions on an intelligence testjudge various categories such as working memory, verbal comprehension, processing speed, and perceptual reasoning. All these individual scores are combined to create your overall IQ. IQ scores are often a combination of verbal and performance scales. Typically, individuals are stronger in one area than the other; therefore, the combination of these scores can better identify intelligence.

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What are the uses of an IQ test?

An IQ test may be used for:

  • Assessing a person’s eligibility for a job
  • Educational assessment
  • Diagnosis of intellectual disabilities
  • Psychological research purposes
  • Evaluating a person’s cognitive abilities, including attention, memory, mathematical skills, problem-solving skills, and response time

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What factors influence a person’s IQ?

Several factors can influence a person’s IQ, such as

  • Age - IQ increases with age,
  • Educational background
  • Cultural practices and beliefs
  • General health, including any underlying health conditions
  • Environment
  • Genetics
  • Musical training
  • Brain anatomy

To summarize, although IQ is commonly used to measure a person’s intelligence, the concept of IQ has earned significant disrepute over the years.

  • Researchers argue that IQ calculation may not be comprehensive enough to classify a person as more or less intelligent. There are various aspects to intelligence including spiritual, emotional, and creative aspects.
  • People with a higher IQ do not necessarily perform well under different circumstances, including different levels of physical and mental stress.
  • Classifying people based on IQ can result in prejudice against people with a lower IQ. People have even made groups open for those with a certain level of IQ.

Moreover, IQ does not measure the abilities that are important for making good judgments in real-life situations.Hence, intelligence may span far beyond the confines of IQ, but a person’s work productivity, ability to adapt to life situations and emotional health cannot be predicted by their IQ score.

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What are the differences between aptitude tests and IQ tests?

The difference between aptitude tests and intelligence quotient (IQ) tests is as follows:

Aptitude tests

Most aptitude tests assess a specific set of skills; cognitive aptitude tests can measure a broad range of abilities and provide individual scores for each ability. Cognitive aptitude testing can be done through standardized tests or game-based assessments.

  • These tests can measure specific areas of intelligence.
  • Age is not a factor.
  • There is a score for each category.
  • These tests are highly predictive of job performance.
  • The most common use is pre-employment testing.

IQ tests

They are typically standardized tests that cover a wide range of questions including logical, visual, spatial, classification, analogical, and pattern-driven questions. The IQ is determined by the deviation between the test score and the average test score of people of your age. IQ is considered a rough metric for general intelligence.

  • These tests measure general intelligence.
  • Age is used to determine IQ scores.
  • One general score is determined.
  • These are moderately predictive of job performance.
  • The most common uses are research and education.

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Medically Reviewed on 12/15/2022

References

What is IQ? https://www.mensa.org/iq/what-iq

Medscape Medical Reference

(Video) The dark history of IQ tests - Stefan C. Dombrowski

GracePointhttps://www.gracepointwellness.org/18-psychological-testing/article/8217-intelligence-quotient-iq

Mensa Internationalhttps://www.mensa.org/iq/what-iq

Assessment Psychology Onlinehttp://www.assessmentpsychology.com/iqclassifications.htm

FAQs

What is a normal range for an IQ? ›

Psychologists revise the test every few years in order to maintain 100 as the average. Most people (about 68 percent) have an IQ between 85 and 115. Only a small fraction of people have a very low IQ (below 70) or a very high IQ (above 130).

What are full scale IQ percentiles? ›

Average ability is usually determined to be a Full Scale standard score of 90-110 and a percentile score of 25-75%. This is based on a midpoint standard score of 100 and percentile score of 50%. Half of the people tested are expected to receive IQ scores within this range.

How do you measure IQ? ›

IQ, or intelligence quotient A number representing a person's reasoning ability. It's determined by dividing a person's score on a special test by his or her age, then multiplying by 100.

How to calculate your IQ? ›

To calculate IQ, take a person's mental age, divide it by chronological age, then multiply that number by 100. For example, if a person has a mental age of 12 but is 10 years old, then you'd divide 12 by 10, and multiple that number by 100, which would result in an IQ of 120.

What IQ is 99.9 percentile? ›

The Triple Nine Society (TNS) is an international high IQ society for adults whose score on a standardized test demonstrates an IQ at or above the 99.9th percentile of the human population. The society recognizes scores from over 20 different tests of adult intelligence.
...
Triple Nine Society.
Formation1978
Websitewww.triplenine.org
5 more rows

Does your IQ change with age? ›

An individual's IQ does not change with age. In other words: if you did an IQ test now and then another one in 10 years' time, your IQ score will probably be very similar. This is because IQ is always measured relative to other people your age.

What is the average IQ in USA? ›

IQ compared by countries

With an average IQ of 98 points, the USA ranks 29th in this ranking. With 108 points, the inhabitants of Hong Kong reach the highest intelligence quotas worldwide. The last place, with only 56 points, is occupied by Equatorial Guinea.

What is the top 1 IQ score? ›

An average person scores 100 on an IQ test using the Stanford-Binet IQ scale. A score of 137 to 160 is considered the top 1 percent to .

What's the highest IQ ever recorded? ›

A score above 130 indicates exceptional intelligence, and anything higher than 160 makes you a genius (at least when it comes to taking intelligence tests). The appropriately named Marilyn vos Savant is in a class of her own. According to Guinness World Records, her astonishing IQ of 228 is the highest ever recorded.

What is a 110 IQ score? ›

110 - 119 is "superior intelligence", while 90 - 109 is "normal or average intelligence". An IQ between 80 and 89 suggests "dullness", while a score of 70 to 79 is classed as "borderline deficiency".

What is a good IQ score by age? ›

The average IQ scores follow the bell curve, which you can find above. For those below that age, there's a WAIS-V test that's available.
...
What Is the Average IQ By Age?
Age RangeAverage IQ Score
20 to 24-year-olds99
24 to 34-year-olds97
35 to 44-year-olds101
45 to 54-year-olds106
3 more rows
Jan 8, 2022

Can you improve your IQ? ›

Although science is on the fence about whether you can raise your IQ or not, research does seem to suggest that it's possible to raise your intelligence through certain brain-training activities. Training your memory, executive control, and visuospatial reasoning can help to boost your intelligence levels.

What percentile is gifted? ›

Gifted children are usually, but not always, high achievers. Even when they don't get good grades in class, they tend to score high on achievement tests, most often in the 95–99 percentile range.

What IQ is gifted? ›

Although there are no standard IQ levels of intellectual giftedness, some experts suggest the following IQ ranges: Mildly gifted: 115 to 129. Moderately gifted: 130 to 144. ighly gifted: 145 to 159.

What is the top 2% IQ? ›

A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.

Does reading increase IQ? ›

It increases intelligence.

Exposure to vocabulary through reading (particularly reading children's books) not only leads to higher score on reading tests, but also higher scores on general tests of intelligence for children. Plus, stronger early reading skills may mean higher intelligence later in life.

What are some signs of high IQ? ›

Some signs that often appear in children include:
  • Intense need for mental stimulation and engagement.
  • Ability to learn new topics quickly.
  • Ability to process new and complex information rapidly.
  • Desire to explore specific topics in great depth.
  • Insatiable curiosity, often demonstrated by many questions.
Jun 7, 2022

At what age is your brain at its peak? ›

They conclude that humans reach their cognitive peak around the age of 35 and begin to decline after the age of 45. And our cognitive abilities today exceed those of our ancestors. “Performance reveals a hump-shaped pattern over the life cycle,” report the authors in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

What state has the smartest people? ›

Massachusetts, home of Harvard University and a plethora of other prestigious colleges and schools, earned the top spot, with an overall index score of 93.9.

What's the average IQ in Japan? ›

Here are the 10 countries with the highest IQ: Japan - 106.48. Taiwan - 106.47. Singapore - 105.89.

What is Einstein's IQ level? ›

Albert Einstein likely never took an IQ test but is estimated to have a 160 IQ—but even that can't stand up to these masterminds.

Is 120 IQ a genius? ›

An IQ score over 140 indicates that you're a genius or nearly a genius, while 120 - 140 is classed as "very superior intelligence". 110 - 119 is "superior intelligence", while 90 - 109 is "normal or average intelligence".

What IQ is considered genius? ›

Notably, the average IQ score falls between 85 and 115. A score above 140, meanwhile, is considered to be genius level.

Is 70 a high IQ score? ›

55 to 69: Mild mental disability. 70 to 84: Borderline mental disability. 85 to 114: Average intelligence. 115 to 129: Above average or bright.

What is IQ of Bill Gates? ›

Bill Gates IQ was set at 160 IQ, which put him ahead of Warren Buffet and Elon Musk in the most recent rankings.

Who has 500 IQ? ›

Marilyn vos Savant
BornMarilyn Mach August 11, 1946 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
OccupationAuthor columnist
SpouseRobert Jarvik ​ ( m. 1987)​
Children2

Does IQ increase with age? ›

An individual's IQ does not change with age. In other words: if you did an IQ test now and then another one in 10 years' time, your IQ score will probably be very similar. This is because IQ is always measured relative to other people your age.

How rare is an IQ of 122? ›

An IQ 122 score is considered high. Individuals with this score outperform 92.9 percent of their peers in their age group. On a credible IQ test, only around one out of every ten people would score so high.

What is the minimum IQ for Mensa? ›

The minimum accepted score on the Stanford–Binet is 132, while for the Cattell it is 148 and 130 in the Wechsler tests (WAIS, WISC). Most IQ tests are designed to yield a mean score of 100 with a standard deviation of 15; the 98th-percentile score under these conditions is 131, assuming a normal distribution.

What is the IQ of Mark Zuckerberg? ›

Various sources, however, estimate it at 152 IQ based on biographical data, publications, and achievements. He is regarded as a genius and among the world's most intellectual individuals. A score of 152 is regarded as high, while a score of 100 is considered normal.

Can IQ be increased? ›

Although science is on the fence about whether you can raise your IQ or not, research does seem to suggest that it's possible to raise your intelligence through certain brain-training activities. Training your memory, executive control, and visuospatial reasoning can help to boost your intelligence levels.

Who has the highest IQ in the United States? ›

Christopher Langan
BornMarch 25, 1952 San Francisco, California, U.S.
EducationReed College (dropped out) Montana State University–Bozeman (dropped out)
OccupationHorse rancher
Known forHigh IQ
2 more rows

What is the average IQ for a 72 year old? ›

People between 65 and 69 years of age have an average IQ score of 114, which puts them in the superior intelligence or above-average end of the scale. But people between 70 and 74 years who are tested for IQ get an even higher average score of 119.

What is the mental age of an IQ of 75? ›

Critical interpretation of full-scale IQ scores. To further simplify it: An IQ of 75 means that an 8-year-old child will function intellectually overall at 75% of the average 8-year-old's intellectual functioning ie, at an average of a 6-year-old level.

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