The IQ Scale and IQ Score Chart

CheckIQ Editorial Team · Updated

The IQ scale is set so that the average score is 100 and the standard deviation is 15. About 68% of people score between 85 and 115, and about 95% score between 70 and 130. A score of 130 or more is in the top 2%.

IQ score chart

These labels follow the Wechsler naming that most psychologists use. Other tests use words like “gifted” or “very high”, but the numbers mean the same thing.

IQ score chart: what your score means
IQ scoreClassificationShare of people
130+Very superior2.2%
120–129Superior6.7%
110–119High average16.1%
90–109Average50%
80–89Low average16.1%
70–79Borderline6.7%
< 70Extremely low2.2%

How does the IQ scale work?

Modern IQ tests are deviation IQ tests. Your result is compared with a large sample of people your age, and the score shows how far you are from the average, measured in standard deviations:

  • 100 is exactly average (50th percentile).
  • 115 is one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
  • 130 is two standard deviations above average (about the 98th percentile).
  • 85 and 70 are one and two standard deviations below average.

IQ percentile chart

The last column shows how rare it is to score at that level or higher. Select a score to see what it means.

IQScores lowerThis score or higher
702.3%—
8515.9%—
10050%—
11074.8%1 in 4
11584.1%1 in 6
12090.9%1 in 11
12595.2%1 in 21
13097.7%1 in 44
13599.02%1 in 102
14099.62%1 in 261
14599.87%1 in 741

Is the standard deviation always 15?

Most current tests use 15, including the Wechsler scales, the Stanford–Binet 5 and CheckIQ. Some older tests and the Cattell scale use 16 or 24, which makes the same ability look like a bigger number. Always check which scale a score uses before you compare it.

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal IQ range?

Scores from 90 to 109 count as average, and about half of all people fall in that range. Two thirds of people score between 85 and 115.

What percentile is an IQ of 130?

An IQ of 130 is around the 98th percentile: higher than about 98% of people.

What is the highest possible IQ score?

Most tests stop measuring accurately somewhere between 145 and 160. So few people score that high that there isn’t enough data to compare them reliably.

Learn more about IQ