One of the main factors to take into account when looking at an IQ score is the age of the person that has taken the test. IQ scale: IQ charts by age. Different scores mean different things depending on age.
Even though there are many IQ tests available, they all use the same scale. Originally, the whole notion of IQ was arrived by the American psychologist and author Lewis Terman. Terman did not only devised the original IQ tests but also the scale used to classify all the different scores.
The IQ Scale
Although the scale for IQ scores can have slightly different names, it is always the same otherwise. Here is the original classification according to Terman:
Any IQ scores under 70 are classified as being ādefinite feeble-mindednessā or ālow.ā Scores between 70 and 79, indicate a āborderline deficiencyā or āborderline low.ā Those scores between 80 and 89 are indicative of ādullnessā or ālower average.ā
But scores between 90 and 109 indicate a ānormal or average intelligenceā or āhigher average.ā While scores between 110 and 119 are indicative of a āsuperior intelligenceā or āabove average.ā Anyone scoring between 120 and 140 in their IQ test would be classified as having a āsuperior intelligenceā or being āgifted.ā The highest possible scores are those over 140, which indicates āgenius or nearly genius.ā
Many of us has seen the movie āRain Manā where a disabled man with genius-level IQ wins big money at ģ¹“ģ§ė ø as a result of his counting and memory skills.
āWe have seen that intellect and achievement are far from perfectly correlated.ā ā Lewis Terman
How are IQ Scores Distributed?
What follows is a very general estimation of the percentage of the population that fits into one of the categories that we have gone over.
Let us begin with the lowest scores. It is estimated that about 0.13% of people score low. About 2.14% of people score borderline low. 13.59% of people score below average, and 34.13% lower average.
Now let us look at the higher scores on the IQ scale. It is estimated that also about 34.13% of people have a higher average score. 13.59% of people have an above-average score. Only 2.14% of people attain a gifted score, while a tiny 0.13% of people can be classified under genius status.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as opportunities to learn something new. ā Travis Bradberry
How Accurate Is The Data?
Although scores by age or nationality should always be taken with a pinch of salt it may be useful to look at them under certain circumstances.
There is no actual data organized by age, but there is some information about age groups. The following information should only be used for entertainment purposes, as it may not be totally accurate or the information may be out of date.
āIf we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.ā ā Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is only data for people between the ages of 16 and 74. This is mostly because IQ tests are not recommended for younger children unless individually recommended and guided by a psychologist.
Having said all of that, here are the average scores on the IQ scale for each age group.
Average IQ For Each Age Group
It is estimated that the average score for 16 to 17-year-olds is 108, which denotes ānormal or average intelligence.ā
For adults between 18 and 19 years of age, the average IQ scoreĀ is 105, which also denotes ānormal or average intelligence.ā
The average score for people between 20 and 24 years of age is 99, which also denotes ānormal or average intelligence.ā
For people between 24 and 34 years of age, the average score is slightly lower at 97, which still denotes ānormal or average intelligence.ā
The scores begin to go up again after that age, among older adults. For example, the average score for people between 35 and 44 years old is estimated to be 101, still within the ānormal or average intelligenceā scale.
If we donāt plant the right things, we will reap the wrong things. It goes without saying. And you donāt have to be, you know, a brilliant biochemist and you donāt have to have an IQ of 150. Just common sense tells you to be kind, ninny, fool. Be kind. ā Maya Angelou
And for people between the ages of 45 and 54, the average IQ score goes up to 106 within the ānormal or average intelligenceā scale. But the highest average score for people under 64 is attained by those people between the ages of 55 and 64, which gets to 109 in the IQ scale, just about falling short of being classed as having a āsuperior intelligenceā or āabove averageā intelligence and remaining firmly within the limits of a ānormal or average intelligenceā like all the other age groups.
Both age groups over 65 get a higher score. People between 65 and 69 have an average IQ score of 114, which puts them in the āsuperior intelligenceā or āabove averageā end of the scale. But people between 70 and 74 who are tested for IQ get an even higher average score of 119, which puts them a mere 1 put short of getting into the āgiftedā category, which means that they are still firmly within the āabove averageā or āsuperior intelligenceā group together with their younger 65-69 years old counterparts.
It should not be a surprise to anyone that all age groups that have been tested always attain an average score since, as we have already seen, overall, most people who get their IQ tested get scores within that scale.
What Is the Normal Distribution of IQ Scores?
If you do not take age into account, you can look more globally at IQ scores.
For example, did you know that about 50 percent of IQ is between 90 and 110? Or that 70 percent have a score of between 85 and 115? These figures are surely illuminating. But, wait, it gets more interesting! About 95 percent of all IQ scores are between 70 and 130. And, the overwhelming majority of them (99.5 percent) do fall somewhere between 60 and 140.
Only the people who are in the highest 2 percent of the IQ scale can be admitted into Mensa, the largest and most prestigious high IQ society in the world, with members in most countries around the world.
IQ charts by age or any other criteria must be treated with the utmost care. One reason for that if that we must always ensure that we keep it scientific and that no prejudices whatsoever go into it. Also, there are many different tests available but only a small portion of people would actually take those tests. And then there is the issue of mortality that still varies considerably in different countries around the world.
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As someone who has been professionally tested multiple times by both school personnel and psychologists, I can confirm that your IQ does not determine your intelligence. I am 15 and as of the last time I went through a psychological evaluation, which was about 3 months ago, my IQ is 145. Despite having a high IQ, I can be the most idiotic person due to the fact that most times I lack any sort of common sense. Sure I may be school smart, but I am sure as hell I'm not intelligent in any other way. IQ only shows how fast you can process and hold onto information, not smarts. And people with high IQs aren't perfect either. I suffer from a plethora of mental disorders including psychosis, major depressive disorder, c-ptsd, autism, panic disorder, and many more. We are normal people with the same struggles and aren't any more important than everyone else. Stay humble kids and stop taking fake IQ tests and trusting them with every cell in your body. If you want to find out, set aside the money to get professionally tested by a psychologist. And thank you for coming to my TED Talkš
Hey, I just took an IQ test and it said that I have an IQ of 134. Iām only twelve years old, and I think itās legit because at my school Iām in the gifted class. Though of you think itās fake tell me please.
lmao everyoneās here like āim 10 and my iq is 190 am i a genusā and iām just here wondering how i got diagnosed with high-functioning autism and got an iq score of 117 in the same day- isnāt 117 like just above average for 15?
I am 11 (turning 12 February 2021) and I took a test that said my iq was 114. But then I calculated Mental age (which I don't really know how to calculate, but I think 15) / actual age and got 136? My younger sister (just turned ten) also did the same test and got 126 for her IQ. Now I'm not even sure what my IQ is. I would like to think I'm smart, I skipped a grade after all.
Men what ur talking about?! i have 120IQ and im a 6 year old!
High IQ doesn't exactly mean how smart you are, it's how much you understand.
hey thats not cool
Please stop, they are not dumb at all
I had been 11 my dad took me to a place I can't remember but it was like m.e.c.r or something but he showed me a number but all I remember him saying was you're smarter than me
Well iq does not test how smart you are but for your dad to believe that common mistake is quite funny.
All questions are intelligent, but why did you ask them, if you know the answer.?
Hello, I'm 16 and my IQ is 131, I'm more like the lazy smart guy, trying to find more ways to avoid physical work by just using my mind but I still wouldn't consider myself very smart, there are of course tons of more people I know smarter than me but the thing that differentiates me from them Is just the way I think. Mt of them have a fixated mind or fixated goals while I'm just more creative, humble, confident and undecided on what path I should take in life. I'm still inferior to others in math and other classes but that doesn't mean I'm dumb, in contrary, I've been given the ability to think outside the box, I like things that aren't just straight forward like most school classes, I'm very good at geography, I like mind games, and strategy games and other games. Look people, all I'm trying to say is just don't judge people by their IQ, is just a number, some low IQ people turn out to be better than other high IQ people. It's about how you use your brain in life, not how you lose brain cells by judging people and bragging about how smart you are. Just accept the others as they are, maybe even help them improve but don't tell them they are stupid. That would make you even more idiotic. And think before you speak, words could have a bit of an impact on others. Could be good or bad, I don't know. Also respect the elders they know much more stuff than you and be more wise in most cases. Have a good day/night!
I am currently 12 years old turning 13 this year (2020) later in December. I recently took several IQ tests online out of curiosity and it most of the tests said I had an IQ around the 120-130. Would this be considered above average (for my age)?
same
yeah mine was 119
Wait. So I have an IQ of 133 and my dad has 147. I am 12 and my dad is 41. Is the IQ test I did fake?!
The "California test of Mental Maturity" was given to me at age 8 with a result of 117 and again at age 10 with a result of 135, then one final time at age 12 with a result of 150.Is it possible that my score would increase any more over time. Please reply
I am 10 and I have an iq of 162
Bob, you do not have an IQ of 162. Achieving a score of 162 on an IQ test is near impossible. An IQ of 162 means one must have 22 points over the genius level. Bob, your brain is 1/3 of the way developed. At your age, you cannot possibly fathom having that high of an intelligence quotient. May I ask you, please spend some time off of the computer; read a book, ride your bike, learn something. Don't tell lies for strangers on the internet to read.
From, Anon
i belive bob he seems legit
I'm looking for new specimens and from reading all the dialog above the search is over. I'm a Zookeeper for the Los Angeles Zoo and now I know what to put into my next exhibit.....all of you!
I wonder, all these people are saying they have ridiculously high IQ's, and yet they are reading these web articles, arguing with one another in the comments, not using proper grammar and not bothering to spell simple words out completely or correct their spelling mistakes, going farther to use cuss words and abbreviations for cuss words, it makes me wonder, are these peoples IQ's really as high as they claim they are?
I am 12 and have a iq of 106 am I stupid?
I'm 12 and my iq is 120
I'm 12 as well, and I received a score of 139 I believe.
I am 12 yrs old, in year 8. I have an IQ score of 105. But when I saw mental disability, I never knew what would happen(confusing right). I was planning of editing in human genos and graduating in MIT. I wonder, what is the IQ score of a baby? Can u answer @amitonicole12 ?
Good luck(wish me luck too.)
I have a IQ of 112 and I am 10 years old , I do not think of myself as smart but am I a nerd or geek then?
I have a IQ of 144 Im 16 I don't know where I fall in this it was kinda hard to comprehend the way it was written.
I have an IQ of 72- I'm 11 bro- dose- yeah it means I'm dumb right?
Don't worry, even with a lower iq you can find your way life, look Forest Gump...
I am 11 with an IQ of 121-137. Is that normal?
no
I am 11 with IQ of 118-125
I'm 6 and my IQ is 189 is that normal?
If you were eloquent enough, you would understand in the paper that you are of āsuperior intelligenceā
and if you were, then, youd realise that no age younger than 16 was applied to this paper :) thanks !
99% of the people in here claiming genius IQ are incredibly delusional to think that so many of the world's geniuses just happen to meet under this specific article. That Facebook IQ test you took is 1000% fake. You do not have an IQ of 165, 180 or 200, those are ridiculous numbers and if they were true, I doubt you would care enough to A) brag about it and B) spend your time on web articles.
Mine is 158 i hope that is good?
IQ, doesn't really determined or economy mean your a genius, a guess well not say or speak of a IQ or even say a think, a genius people are people who create or are rich a founding farther of a company or thing, place not a person who goes on a economic site or online, but a person who has a protential!
Who are you people?
Do any of these people leaving a reply know how to complete a sentence?
Do any of them know how to proof read?
There was not one comment that made sense!
Example: Im a jeanious cus I had iQ of 291 on my finder of a beesnous.