What is a good IQ score?
An IQ score is not marks out of 100. It shows where you stand compared with other people, so a "good" score depends on what you want to compare it to.
The short answer
Most modern IQ tests are built so that the average score is 100. About two out of three people score between 85 and 115. A score of 100 is average, anything from 90 to 109 is the normal range, and 110 or more is above average.
A score of 130 or more puts you in roughly the top 2 percent. Scores above 145 are very rare, around 1 person in 1,000.
Why 100 is the middle
IQ scores are not counted like exam marks. A test is given to a large, representative group of people, and the results are rescaled so the group average becomes 100 and the typical spread (the standard deviation) becomes 15. Your score tells you how far above or below that average you are.
That also means a score only makes sense next to the group it was compared with. A test that has not been checked against a real group of people cannot give a real IQ.
What the ranges usually mean
| IQ score | Common label | Share of people |
|---|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very high | about 2 in 100 |
| 120 to 129 | High | about 7 in 100 |
| 110 to 119 | Above average | about 16 in 100 |
| 90 to 109 | Average | about 50 in 100 |
| 80 to 89 | Below average | about 16 in 100 |
| 70 to 79 | Low | about 7 in 100 |
| Below 70 | Very low | about 2 in 100 |
Is a higher score always better?
A higher score means you did better on the kinds of puzzles the test uses: patterns, numbers, shapes, logic and words. It does not measure creativity, kindness, discipline, practical skill or how well you will do in life. Many people with average scores do outstanding work, and a high score alone guarantees nothing.
For a short online test, treat the result as a rough estimate. A range is more honest than a single number, which is why our report shows one.