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:

70 Borderline
(less than 1 person out of 100,000)

85 Lower normal

100 Upper normal

115 Bright

130 Gifted

145 Highly gifted
(approx. 1 in 1,000)

160+ Exceptionally gifted
(approx. 1 in 100,000)

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 percent 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.And above all, remember, 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.