Complete reference

IQ Score Guide: Every Score from 55 to 160 Explained

Complete reference for every IQ score: percentile rank, Wechsler classification, and rarity. Based on the standard Wechsler scale (M = 100, SD = 15). 3 scores currently have detailed guides.

6 min read

How to use this guide

Every IQ score corresponds to a specific percentile rank and classification. The grid below covers the complete range from 55 to 160 — so whatever score you're looking up, you'll find where it sits in the population. Scores with a detailed article available are shown with an arrow — click through for a full breakdown.

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How IQ scores work

Modern IQ tests are standardised so the population mean is 100 and the standard deviation is 15. That convention is called the Wechsler scale, after the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) — the gold-standard clinical test used worldwide since 1939.

The scale produces a normal distribution — the familiar bell curve. About 68% score between 85 and 115; about 95% score between 70 and 130; only about 2% score above 130 or below 70.

IQ scores also carry measurement error. Any observed score is an estimate within roughly ±5 points of your true underlying ability. See how accurate is an IQ score? for a full explanation.

Classification bands

The Wechsler classification system groups scores into seven bands. These labels are used in clinical IQ reports worldwide.

RangeClassificationPercentile
IQ 130 and aboveVery SuperiorTop 2%
IQ 120 - 129Superior91st - 98th percentile
IQ 110 - 119High Average75th - 90th percentile
IQ 90 - 109Average25th - 75th percentile
IQ 80 - 89Low Average9th - 25th percentile
IQ 70 - 79Borderline2nd - 9th percentile
IQ 55 - 69Extremely LowBottom 2%

Every score at a glance

Every IQ score from 55 to 160, grouped by classification band. Each tile shows the score and its percentile. Scores with a detailed article are clickable — look for the arrow indicator.

Very Superior

IQ 130 and above · Top 2%

160
>99.9%
159
>99.9%
158
>99.9%
157
>99.9%
156
>99.9%
155
100.0%
154
100.0%
153
100.0%
152
100.0%
151
100.0%
150
100.0%
149
99.9%
148
99.9%
147
99.9%
146
99.9%
145
99.9%
144
99.8%
143
99.8%
142
99.7%
141
99.7%
140
99.6%
139
99.5%
138
99.4%
137
99.3%
136
99.2%
135
99.0%
134
98.8%
133
98.6%
132
98.4%
131
98.1%
130
97.7%

Superior

IQ 120 - 129 · 91st - 98th percentile

129
97.3%
128
96.9%
127
96.4%
126
95.8%
125
95.2%
124
94.5%
123
93.7%
122
92.9%
121
91.9%
120
90.9%

High Average

IQ 110 - 119 · 75th - 90th percentile

119
90%
118
88%
117
87%
116
86%
115
84%
114
82%
113
81%
112
79%
111
77%
110
75%

Average

IQ 90 - 109 · 25th - 75th percentile

109
73%
108
70%
107
68%
106
66%
105
63%
104
61%
103
58%
102
55%
101
53%
100
50%
99
47%
98
45%
97
42%
96
39%
95
37%
94
34%
93
32%
92
30%
91
27%
90
25%

Low Average

IQ 80 - 89 · 9th - 25th percentile

89
23%
88
21%
87
19%
86
18%
85
16%
84
14%
83
13%
82
12%
81
10%
80
9.1%

Borderline

IQ 70 - 79 · 2nd - 9th percentile

79
8.1%
78
7.1%
77
6.3%
76
5.5%
75
4.8%
74
4.2%
73
3.6%
72
3.1%
71
2.7%
70
2.3%

Extremely Low

IQ 55 - 69 · Bottom 2%

69
1.9%
68
1.6%
67
1.4%
66
1.2%
65
1.0%
64
0.8%
63
0.7%
62
0.6%
61
0.5%
60
0.4%
59
0.3%
58
0.3%
57
0.2%
56
0.2%
55
0.1%

Percentiles calculated from the standard normal cumulative distribution function using Wechsler scale parameters (M = 100, SD = 15). Values under 10 or over 90 are shown to one decimal place; all others are rounded to the nearest whole number.

How to read the grid

  • Percentile is non-linear. Going from IQ 100 to 110 covers 25 percentile points. Going from 140 to 150 covers less than half a percentile point. The curve flattens at the tails.
  • Different scales give different numbers. This grid uses the Wechsler scale (SD = 15). Stanford-Binet L-M (SD = 16) gives 132 instead of 130 for the Mensa threshold. Cattell III B (SD = 24) gives 148.
  • Clinical reports include confidence intervals. A professional report for an observed 118 will say “FSIQ 118 (95% CI: 113-123).” That range is where your true ability probably is.

Related reading

Find your place on the grid

Our 50-question assessment covers verbal, numerical, spatial, and memory reasoning — the same four domains measured by clinical tests like the WAIS. You get your score, your exact percentile, and a breakdown of where you're strongest.

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50 questions · Full cognitive breakdown · 2.5M+ completed

Sources

  • Wechsler, D. (2008). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Technical and Interpretive Manual. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.
  • Abramowitz, M., & Stegun, I. A. (1964). Handbook of Mathematical Functions (formula 7.1.26, used for the error-function approximation).
  • Kaufman, A. S. (2009). IQ Testing 101. New York: Springer Publishing.