Standardized IQ Score Chart & Bell Curve

An IQ score between 90 and 109 is statistically average. A score of 115 or higher (one standard deviation above the mean) places you in the top 16% of the population, commonly classified as High Average or Bright. A score of 120–129 is classified as Superior (top 9% to 2.5%), and scores of 130 or higher represent Very Superior or Gifted intelligence (top 2.27%).

An IQ of 115 is exactly one standard deviation (SD 15) above the population mean of 100. It corresponds to approximately the 84.1st percentile, meaning you performed equal to or higher than ~84 out of 100 people in the general population.

An IQ of 120 corresponds to the 90.9th percentile (top 9.1%), while an IQ of 125 corresponds to the 95.2nd percentile (top 4.8%). Both fall into the 'Superior' cognitive classification under the Wechsler WAIS-IV scale, reflecting advanced problem-solving, rapid abstraction, and strong analytical capacity.

On standard intelligence scales with a standard deviation of 15 (such as the WAIS-IV), an IQ score of 130 sits exactly two standard deviations above the mean. Mathematically, approximately 2.27% of the human population scores at or above 130. This is the standard threshold for Mensa membership.

Different psychometric scales use different standard deviations. The Wechsler scale uses SD 15 (where 130 is the 98th percentile). The Stanford-Binet Form L-M historically used SD 16 (where 132 is the 98th percentile). The Cattell Culture Fair test uses SD 24 (where 148 is the 98th percentile). While the raw numerical scores differ, they describe the exact same percentile rank and relative distance from the population mean.

Adult IQ test scores show high test-retest stability (correlations typically r = 0.80 to 0.90 across years). However, scores can fluctuate within a standard error of measurement (typically ±3 to 5 points) due to test anxiety, fatigue, health, or practice effects. Over generations, raw performance has historically shifted due to the Flynn effect, requiring periodic re-norming of test batteries.

Psychometric studies and occupational cognitive data (such as the Hauser Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and Wonderlic normative analyses) find that medical doctors, physicians, and surgeons average an IQ between 120 and 125. This score range places medical professionals in the Superior classification, around the 91st to 95th percentiles of the general population.