The classic 100-point scale
Most familiar IQ scales set the population mean at 100 and standard deviation at 15. About 68% of people in a normed sample score between 85 and 115; about 95% fall between 70 and 130. Extreme scores are rare by design.
Charts you see online often color-code these bands. Colors are pedagogical—they are not universal clinical labels.
This article is for general education only. It does not provide medical, psychological, or diagnostic advice.
IQ score range chart
Descriptors vary by publisher. Never diagnose from a chart alone—context, error margins, and subtest profiles matter.
| Score range | Approx. percentile | Typical descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| 130+ | ~98th+ | Very superior / exceptionally high |
| 120–129 | ~91st–97th | Superior |
| 110–119 | ~75th–90th | High average |
| 90–109 | ~25th–74th | Average |
| 80–89 | ~9th–24th | Low average |
| 70–79 | ~2nd–8th | Borderline (clinical context) |
| Below 70 | <~2nd | Requires professional interpretation |
Percentiles vs. IQ points
What percentiles mean
A percentile of 75 means you scored at or above 75% of the comparison group on that test. Percentiles depend entirely on who was in the norm sample.
Standard error
Real tests have measurement error. A score of 105 might reflect a true range of roughly 100–110 depending on instrument reliability. Online quizzes rarely report error bands.
Subtests and profiles
Full clinical reports show strengths and weaknesses across verbal, perceptual, memory, and processing domains. A single full-scale number can hide a scatter of highs and lows. Charts of one number oversimplify.
How FreeIQCheck scores fit in
Our illustrative IQ-style score maps weighted quiz performance to an educational range inspired by common charts. It is not normed on national populations and must not be read as a clinical percentile.
Use our chart mentally as motivation to practice—not as identity. Compare your own retakes over time instead of chasing labels.