The IQ Scale is the metric used to determine an intelligence quotient score after an IQ test. The scale goes from 40 to 160. The score that denotes average intelligence is 100, but most people fall between 85 and 115. The top 2% of the population scores 145 and above.
Meaning of IQ
85 to 115 - Two thirds of us have an IQ in this range: the 'average' IQ is 100. Over 135 - You are in the top 1%.
By the current "deviation IQ" definition of IQ test standard scores, about two-thirds of all test-takers obtain scores from 85 to 115, and about 5 percent of the population scores above 125.
About 2% of the population has an IQ score lower than 69. Such a low IQ score often is hard to measure using a regular intelligence test. Very high IQ scores are also hard to determine accurately.
The percentile of a score is the percentage of people who score equal to or below the score. For example, an IQ score of 70 is in the 2nd percentile (for SD = 15), which means that only 2% of people score 70 or lower. IQ 125 is at the 95th percentile - 95% of people have an IQ equal to or less than 125.
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.
Can IQ change with age? Yes. However, there is heavy debate over exactly how IQ and intelligence change with age. Studies have demonstrated that a person's fluid intelligence tends to decrease starting in their late 20s, while their crystallized intelligence tends to increase as they grow older.
The Genius Threshold: 130 and Beyond
While there is some debate among psychologists, a widely accepted threshold for genius IQ scores is 130 or above. This score places an individual in the top 2% of the population, making them exceptionally intelligent.
According to professionals, the Mensa IQ test is fairly accurate in finding your IQ. However, you may have some differences between taking the practice test online and the real test. This is because when you take the practice test, you are at home in your environment without the pressure of the real thing.
People between 65 and 69 years of age have an average IQ score of 114, which puts them in the superior intelligence or above-average end of the scale. But people between 70 and 74 years who are tested for IQ get an even higher average score of 119.
But genetics can explain the wide range of possible IQs too because so many different genes are involved in developing and running a brain. It is possible, for example, to inherit all the higher IQ genes from each parent and leave the lower IQ ones behind. Now the child will be brighter than the parent.
Mensa has only one criterion for membership: a high IQ. They require members to take an approved standardized test of intelligence and score in the 98th percentile.
Some intelligence tests don't use IQ scores at all. This is why Mensa keeps it simple with a cutoff of 98%: candidates who have achieved a score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard test of intelligence will qualify for Mensa.
Which IQ test is most accurate? The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or WAIS, is the most accurate IQ test.
There are several successful entrepreneurs who are known for their high IQ scores, such as: Jeff Bezos: The founder of Amazon, Bezos has an IQ estimated to be around 145.
About 45 percent of billionaires are in the top one percent of cognitive ability, the study states. Billionaires were generally smarter than Fortune 500 CEOs, where 38.6 percent were in the top 1 percent of brains. Senators ranked just below that, with 41 percent, along with federal judges 41 percent.
Like most aspects of human behavior and cognition, intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
Children's intelligence fluctuates as they develop. It used to be held that IQ stabilises by around the age of 10. This was the rationale for introducing tests at 11-12 years of age in those education systems where ability is used to select which secondary school children attend.
The lowest IQ ever would be 0. However, no one has ever scored that. Scores below 75 usually indicate a cognitive disability. Some of the countries with the lowest IQ scores are Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nepal.
Yes, there is some data to suggest that, historically, the average Harvard undergraduate IQ was around 136. The pre-1995 SAT was considered an approximation of an IQ test.
There are different ways to measure IQ, but they all rely on similar principles, which means it's possible to increase your IQ with study and training. Improving your IQ can help you to improve your problem-solving and lateral thinking skills, which can be useful in many careers.
In practice, qualifying for Mensa in the top 2% means scoring 132 or more in the Stanford-Binet test, or 148 or more in the Cattell equivalent.