Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIQ Scale BreakdownKey TermsInterpretationWhat IQ Tests MeasureFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
IQ Scale Breakdown
Key Terms
Interpretation
What IQ Tests Measure
Frequently Asked Questions
Close
People often talk about very highintelligence quotient(IQ) scores, often referred to as genius IQ scores, but what exactly do these numbers mean and how do they stack up? How do IQ scales break down scores into different IQ levels?
Are people in the “Genius IQ” bracket really that much better off than those in the “High IQ” or even the “Average IQ” brackets? Aregeniuses more successfulthan their lower-IQ counterparts? Some experts suggest that other factors, includingemotional intelligence, might matter even more than IQ levels.
IQ vs. EQ: How Are They Different?
Breakdown of Scores on an IQ Scale
The average score on an IQ test is 100. These labels are often given for IQ scores:
An average IQ score is between 85 and 115. 68% of IQ scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean. That means that the majority of people have an IQ score between 85 and 115.
Understanding IQ Scale Scores
IQ scores follow what is known as the bell curve. To understand what the score on an IQ test means, there are a few key terms that you should know.
1:56Click Play to Learn How IQ Tests Are Measured
1:56
Click Play to Learn How IQ Tests Are Measured
What IQ Scores Really Mean
What exactly constitutes a genius score on a measure of intelligence? To understand the score, it is important first to learn a little more about IQ testing in general.
Intelligence tests are designed to measure a person’s problem-solving and reasoning abilities. Your IQ score is a measure offluid and crystallized intelligence. Your score on an IQ test indicates how well you did on these tests of mental abilities compared to other people in your age group.
What the Average IQ Means
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
An IQ test is not something that you can really study for in order to improve your score. Instead, these tests are more interested in looking at your ability to use logic to solve problems,to recognize patterns, and to make rapid connections between different points of information.
IQ Scores Are Increasing
IQ scores have also increased with passing generations. This is known as the Flynn effect, named for researcher James R. Flynn.
Since the 1930s when standardized tests first became widespread, researchers have noted a sustained and significant increase in test scores among people all over the world. Flynn has suggested that this increase is due to improvements in our abilities to solve problems, think abstractly, and utilize logic.
In a 2013 TED Talk, Flynn explained that past generations largely had to deal with the concrete and specific problems of their immediate environments. In contrast, people today are expected to think more about abstract and hypothetical situations. Not only that, but approaches to education have changed dramatically over the past 75 years and more people tend to have jobs identified as cognitively demanding.
A Word From Verywell
IQ tests are indeed interesting, but it’s important to remember that they are not the only measurement of intelligence. They focus on certain areas of our abilities and, while they do point to how smart a person may be academically, there are areas in life that someone may be better at than others.
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhile you might often hear that people known for their brilliance, including Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, possessed IQs of 160 or higher, or that certain presidential candidates have specific IQs, these numbers are simply estimates.In most of these cases, there is no evidence that these well-known individuals ever took a standardized IQ test, let alone shared these results with the public.An IQ level of 120 would be described as ‘above average or bright’ on an IQ scale. The average score is 100, and 68% of all people have scores between 85 and 115.Any IQ score above 116 would be considered above average. However, it is important to remember that IQ does not necessarily reflect an individual’s potential, full range of abilities, or chances for success. Other factors, including social-emotional intelligence, are also important.According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Marilyn vos Savant, a magazine columnist, has the highest ever recorded IQ, with a score of 228.
While you might often hear that people known for their brilliance, including Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, possessed IQs of 160 or higher, or that certain presidential candidates have specific IQs, these numbers are simply estimates.In most of these cases, there is no evidence that these well-known individuals ever took a standardized IQ test, let alone shared these results with the public.
While you might often hear that people known for their brilliance, including Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking, possessed IQs of 160 or higher, or that certain presidential candidates have specific IQs, these numbers are simply estimates.
In most of these cases, there is no evidence that these well-known individuals ever took a standardized IQ test, let alone shared these results with the public.
An IQ level of 120 would be described as ‘above average or bright’ on an IQ scale. The average score is 100, and 68% of all people have scores between 85 and 115.
Any IQ score above 116 would be considered above average. However, it is important to remember that IQ does not necessarily reflect an individual’s potential, full range of abilities, or chances for success. Other factors, including social-emotional intelligence, are also important.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Marilyn vos Savant, a magazine columnist, has the highest ever recorded IQ, with a score of 228.
How Are Scores on IQ Tests Calculated?
5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Martinez M.Future Bright: A Transforming Vision of Human Intelligence.Oxford University Press. 2013.Mülberger A.MENTAL ASSOCIATION: TESTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES BEFORE BINET.J Hist Behav Sci. 2017;53(2):176-198. doi:10.1002/jhbs.21850Richardson K, Norgate S.Does IQ measure ability for complex recognition?Theory and Psychology. 2014;24(6):795-812. doi.org/10.1177/0959354314551163Trahan LH, Stuebing KK, Fletcher JM, Hiscock M.The Flynn effect: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2014;140(5):1332-60. doi:10.1037/a0037173Flynn JR.Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'. TED Talk. 2013.
5 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Martinez M.Future Bright: A Transforming Vision of Human Intelligence.Oxford University Press. 2013.Mülberger A.MENTAL ASSOCIATION: TESTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES BEFORE BINET.J Hist Behav Sci. 2017;53(2):176-198. doi:10.1002/jhbs.21850Richardson K, Norgate S.Does IQ measure ability for complex recognition?Theory and Psychology. 2014;24(6):795-812. doi.org/10.1177/0959354314551163Trahan LH, Stuebing KK, Fletcher JM, Hiscock M.The Flynn effect: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2014;140(5):1332-60. doi:10.1037/a0037173Flynn JR.Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'. TED Talk. 2013.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Martinez M.Future Bright: A Transforming Vision of Human Intelligence.Oxford University Press. 2013.Mülberger A.MENTAL ASSOCIATION: TESTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES BEFORE BINET.J Hist Behav Sci. 2017;53(2):176-198. doi:10.1002/jhbs.21850Richardson K, Norgate S.Does IQ measure ability for complex recognition?Theory and Psychology. 2014;24(6):795-812. doi.org/10.1177/0959354314551163Trahan LH, Stuebing KK, Fletcher JM, Hiscock M.The Flynn effect: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2014;140(5):1332-60. doi:10.1037/a0037173Flynn JR.Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'. TED Talk. 2013.
Martinez M.Future Bright: A Transforming Vision of Human Intelligence.Oxford University Press. 2013.
Mülberger A.MENTAL ASSOCIATION: TESTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES BEFORE BINET.J Hist Behav Sci. 2017;53(2):176-198. doi:10.1002/jhbs.21850
Richardson K, Norgate S.Does IQ measure ability for complex recognition?Theory and Psychology. 2014;24(6):795-812. doi.org/10.1177/0959354314551163
Trahan LH, Stuebing KK, Fletcher JM, Hiscock M.The Flynn effect: a meta-analysis.Psychol Bull. 2014;140(5):1332-60. doi:10.1037/a0037173
Flynn JR.Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'. TED Talk. 2013.
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