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The IQ Test Scale:

How Do You Rank?

Okay, so you've taken an IQ test. But how do you rank on an IQ test scale, compared to others?

The classic IQ test score is a number that reflects your mental age and your intelligence. While 100 is considered average, about 68 percent of the populations falls in the range from 85 to 115.

The Flynn Effect is a phenomenon that has been coming into play in recent years. Scientists have found that over the years, we are getting smarter - probably a good thing, given the state of the world today! But to compensate for the increase in overall intelligence over the years, IQ tests are adjusted every couple of decades to make sure that a score of 100 continues to reflect an average achievement.

Measuring Up On The

IQ Test Chart

This IQ test scale will help you see how your IQ score measures up:

IQ Test Scale

Want to put this into perspective? Experts suggest that about 95 per cent of us will fall into the range of 70 to 130 on the IQ test scale. Those who fall in the remaining 5 per cent? They are extraordinary -- for good or ill!

Overall, we've come a long way in the way we look at intelligence as a society, and that's a good thing! Consider how they used to describe scores on the intelligence scale just a few years ago:

25 Idiot

40-54 Imbecile

55-70 Moron

85 Dull normal

If you scored in the top 2 per cent of the population with your IQ test score -- and this achievement varies from test to test -- you may be eligible to join Mensa. Joining this elite group of the brightest-of-the-bright would not only look good on your resume, but it would definitely give you bragging rights, too.

Then again, if your results show room for improvement, you might want to consider heading back to school, and taking some online classes to boost your IQ.

Keeping IQ Test Scores

In Perspective

No matter what your score on the IQ test scale, be sure to keep your results in perspective! Many factors can affect your IQ score -- results can vary from test to test, and they are also affected by how you felt when you took the test. Be sure to keep that in mind when you are considering how you measure up on the intelligence scale.

It's also important to remember that not all IQ test scales are created equal. Some tests -- the Wonderlic IQ Test among them -- use an entirely different scale. So, be sure you are comparing apples to apples when you interpret your IQ test scores.

With Wonderlic, folks who are literate can expect to score 10 on this IQ test; a score of 20 is normal. These kinds of scores would, however, be cause for alarm on a conventional IQ test.

Above all, remember that the man who discovered the structure of DNA had an IQ of "only" 115. If you look up his scores on the IQ test scale, he was only average, after all.

One of the most powerful men in the world, George H.W. Bush, is widely reported to have an IQ of just 98. If a man with less-than-average IQ can run one of the strongest countries in the world, there's hope for us all.