IQ Test Scores : What is a Good IQ Test Score?
What do IQ Test Scores Mean?
An average IQ score is between 90 and 109
- An IQ score of 180 and up suggests someone is Profoundly gifted
- A score of 160 to 179 indicates that someone is Exceptionally gifted
- Scoring 145 to 159 suggests a person is Highly gifted
- IQ scores of 130 to 144 indicate someone is Moderately gifted
- IQ scores of 115 to 129 suggest someone is above average or bright
- A score between 90 and 109 is ‘normal or average intelligence’
- An IQ score between 80 and 89 suggests ‘lower than average cognitive abilities’
- Finally, an IQ score between 70 and 79 is classed as ‘Extremely Low’
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 represents scores that are above the average.
What are some of the highest ever IQ Scores?
Over the years a number of celebrities or famous people have either undergone official IQ tests, or, based on their creative output and abilities, had their IQs predicted.
Below are some of the highest IQ scores ever recorded.
| Name | Occupation | Country | IQ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Terence Chi-Shen Tao
|
Mathematician |
USA |
230 |
|
Kim Ung-Yong |
South Korean Professor, Former
Child Prodigy & Engineer |
South Korea |
230 |
|
Leonardo da Vinci |
Polymath |
Italy |
220 |
|
Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe |
Writer |
Germany |
210 |
|
Emanuel Swedenborg |
Theologian, Scientist & Philosopher |
Sweden |
205 |
|
Gottfried Wilhelm von
Leibniz |
Philosopher, Scientist & Lawyer |
Germany |
205 |
|
Hugo Grotius |
Writer |
Holland |
200 |
|
Huig De
Groot |
Jurist |
Holland |
200 |
|
John Stuart Mill |
British Philosopher, Political
Economist, Civil Servant &
Universal Genius |
England |
200 |
|
Sir Francis Galton |
Scientist & Doctor |
British |
200 |
Why take a test?
IQ test scores are used for educational placement, assessment of intellectual disability, and evaluating job applicants. In research contexts, they have been studied as predictors of job performance and income. IQ test scores are also used to study distributions of psychometric intelligence in populations and the correlations between it and other variables. With so many uses, it is both interesting and helpful to take a test and get an understanding of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
