Do You Have a Genius IQ Score? (2024)

People often talk about very high intelligence 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? Are geniuses more successful than their lower-IQ counterparts? Some experts suggest that other factors, including emotional intelligence, might matter even more than IQ levels.

IQ vs. EQ: How Are They Different?

Do You Have a Genius IQ Score? (1)

Breakdown of Scores on an IQ Scale

The average score on an IQ test is 100. These labels are often given for IQ scores:

  • 1 to 24: Profound mental disability
  • 25 to 39: Severe mental disability
  • 40 to 54: Moderate mental disability
  • 55 to 69: Mild mental disability
  • 70 to 84: Borderline mental disability
  • 85 to 114: Average intelligence
  • 115 to 129: Above average or bright
  • 130 to 144: Moderately gifted
  • 145 to 159: Highly gifted
  • 160 to 179: Exceptionally gifted
  • 180 and up: Profoundly gifted

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.

  • Bell Curve: When IQ scores are plotted on a graph, they typically follow a bell-shaped curve. The peak of the "bell" occurs where the majority of the scores lie. The bell then slopes down to each side;one side represents lower than average scores and the other side representsscores that are above the average.
  • Mean: The mean is the average score. The average is calculated by adding all of the scores together, then dividing by the total number of scores.
  • Standard Deviation: This is a measure of variability in a population. A low standard deviation means that most of the data points are very close to the same value. A high standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be very spread out from the average. In IQ testing, the standard deviation is plus or minus 15.

1:56

Click Play to Learn How IQ Tests Are Measured

This video has been medically reviewed by Shaheen Lakhan, MD, PhD, FAAN.

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.

Today's intelligence tests are based largely on the original test devised in the early 1900s by French psychologist Alfred Binet. To identify students in need of extra assistance in school, the French government asked Binet to devise a test that could be used to discover which students were most in need of academic help.

Based on his research, Binet developed the concept of mental age. Children of certain age groups quickly answered certain questions. Some children were able to respond to the questions typically answered by children of an older age, so these children had a higher mental age than their actual chronological age. Binet's measure of intelligence was based on the average abilities of children of a particular age group.

Intelligence tests are designed to measure a person's problem-solving and reasoning abilities. Your IQ score is a measure of fluid 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 IQ Tests Measure

Logic, spatial awareness, verbal reasoning, and visual abilities are some of the key areas assessed by many IQ tests. They are not intended to measure knowledge in specific subject areas like the SAT and ACT tests focus on.

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 Questions

  • What was Einstein's IQ?

    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.

  • Is a 120 IQ good?

    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.

  • What is a good IQ score?

    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.

  • Who has the highest IQ ever?

    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 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Martinez M. Future Bright: A Transforming Vision of Human Intelligence. Oxford University Press. 2013.

  2. Mülberger A. MENTAL ASSOCIATION: TESTING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES BEFORE BINET. J Hist Behav Sci. 2017;53(2):176-198. doi:10.1002/jhbs.21850

  3. Richardson K, Norgate S. Does IQ measure ability for complex recognition? Theory and Psychology. 2014;24(6):795-812. doi.org/10.1177/0959354314551163

  4. 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

  5. Flynn JR. Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents'. TED Talk. 2013.

Do You Have a Genius IQ Score? (2)

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Do You Have a Genius IQ Score? (2024)

FAQs

Do You Have a Genius IQ Score? ›

If you score above 130, then you have a score higher than the IQ ranges of the average population, and below 70 would be lower than the average population. Superintelligent or gifted people get an average score of 120 to 140, and only about 2% of the population scores more than 130, considered to be genius.

At what IQ level is considered genius? ›

— A widely accepted threshold for genius IQ scores is 130 or above.

How do you know if you have a genius IQ? ›

Signs of Genius in Adults

They include quick learning, interest in unique topics, and the ability to process information fast, among others. Some other habits or behaviors that may indicate a high level of intelligence or genius in an adult are: Tendency to have slightly cluttered living areas and workspaces.

What is top 2% IQ? ›

The number actually represents how your results compare to those of other people your age. A score of 116 or more is considered above average. 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.

What is Einstein's IQ score? ›

The IQ of Albert Einstein remains a subject of speculation since he never took an IQ test. However, based on historical records, Einstein's estimated IQ is around 160. Despite the absence of concrete data, Einstein's genius is undisputed, given his profound contributions to science.

What is Taylor Swift's IQ? ›

Taylor Alison Swift, an American singer-songwriter, is reputed to possess an IQ of 160 according to certain reputable sources. Notably, she holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest singer ever to sign a deal at the age of 11.

What is Elon Musk's IQ? ›

Elon Musk's IQ is 160. This estimation is based on high correlation of SAT and IQ. The analysis to estimate his IQ score is grounded in scientific rigor and advanced statistical methods.

How can you spot a genius? ›

  • They question everything while seeing commonalities in everything.
  • They love to read and learn.
  • They see everything as being a math equation to be solved.
  • They are referred to as walking encyclopedias and can quickly recollect information they have already absorbed from years before.
Jan 24, 2017

Does IQ increase with age? ›

A large body of research shows that different IQ subscales show different patterns of change with age. Verbal or crystallized intelligence increases relatively steadily with age. However, nonverbal or fluid intelligence improves until the mid-20s to 30s and then slowly declines with further aging.

What IQ is considered gifted? ›

To be classified as gifted, most education departments require children to have an IQ score at or above 130 on a standardised test administered by a psychologist. However, a child can be classified as being mildly gifted with an IQ score of 115–129.

What qualifies as a genius? ›

In most countries the prevailing definition is an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130 or above. Increasingly, however, schools use multiple measures of giftedness and assess a wide variety of talents, including verbal, mathematical, spatial-visual, musical, and interpersonal abilities.

What IQ do you need 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 130.8, assuming a normal distribution.

What is Lady Gaga's IQ? ›

IQ 166-clever, however, feels a bit hard to swallow. How has Lady Gaga's career been so successful in comparison to other pop stars?

What was Marilyn Monroe's IQ? ›

Elevated to the category of myth and legend, perhaps less well known is the fact that various sources attribute an IQ of 165 to Monroe, five points higher than that of Albert Einstein himself, however, the perception of both characters was diametrically opposed due to the image projected by each one and their ...

What is Arnold Schwarzenegger's IQ? ›

Arnold Schwarzenegger is reported to have an IQ of 132.

Is a 120 IQ genius? ›

Superintelligent or gifted people get an average score of 120 to 140, and only about 2% of the population scores more than 130, considered to be genius. Many brilliant scientists, philosophers, poets, mathematicians, musicians, and chess players are known to have shot past an IQ score of even 200.

Is Snoop Dogg's IQ really 147? ›

After years of speculation, he finally confirmed that he does indeed have a staggering IQ of 147. With the average IQ ranging between 85 and 113, 147 is regarded as a genius level. But this shouldn't come as much of a surprise, considering the rapper's business acumen and many different musical skills.

What IQ qualifies 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 130.8, assuming a normal distribution.

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