Now that we know the average IQ score is 100, let’s find out what is a good IQ score.
When you take an IQ test, your ranking is based on how much more or less you scored compared to the average IQ.

Most people have an IQ range of 85 to 115. There is no such thing as a good score. Your ranking depends on the people who took the test with you.

If you score higher than 100, you have a good IQ.

There is only 2% of the population with an IQ score lower than 69 and it is very difficult to find people who score above 150. (Source)

Let us look at the history and types of IQ tests and how it has evolved.

• Stanford-Binet IQ test:

The Binet-Simon scale was the first intelligence test which became the basic for all the intelligence tests conducted today. However Binet didn’t think that his test can measure the inborn level of intelligence and insisted that intelligence is influenced by many factors and can change over time.

However, phycologists of Stanford University showed interest in the Binet-Simon scale and took the test and standardized it using American participants as the sample. The test was published in 1916 and was adopted by all. The test was later known as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence test.

In this test, the IQ is measured by dividing the test taker’s mental age by their chronological age and multiplying it with 100.

• Wechsler Intelligence Scales:

This test was created by David Wechsler, an American psychologist. He also beleived that intelligence involves different mental abilities. Therefore, he published his own intelligence test in 1955 which is known as Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

He created two different tests for children, one was called the Wechsler Intelligence for Children (WISC) and the other one was Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). The adult test after many revisions is now known as WAIS-IV.

The WAIS-IV contains ten subtests and five supplemental tests. The test is used to measure four major areas of intelligence including a verbal comprehensive scale, a working memory scale, a processing speed scale and a perceptual reasoning scale.

The test is conducted by comparing the test taker’s score to other’s scores. The average score is 100 and the normal IQ range was decided to be between 85 and 115. This method became the standard technique in intelligence testing.

• Woodcock-Johnson test of cognitive abilities:

This test has gained a lot of popularity over the years. The test provides an in-depth study of a person’s cognitive abilities and is recommended for people between 2 to 90 year of age.

It measures long term retrieval, short-term memory, auditory processing, visual-spatial thinking and
comprehenssion knowledge of a person.

• Raven’s Progressive Matrices:

This one is considered to be the ideal test. It is a non-verbal test which is used to measure general human intelligence and reasoning. The test uses pictures to measure a person’s intelligence.

This test is great for problem solving and deductive reasoning skills.

• Differential ability test:

This test is recommended for people between 2 to 17 years of age and is a mix of verbal and non-verbal tests.

There are 20 main tests and 17 additional subtests under this type.

What is the highest IQ possible?

There is a lower limit to an IQ score but there is no upper limit to it. IQ tests have been changed during the past few years which makes it difficult to know the upper limit of IQ. Some news articles claimed that Albert Einstein’s IQ was 160 and considered his IQ to be the highest, but it is unclear what that estimate is based upon.

A mathematician called Terence Tao is said to have an IQ score of 220 or 230. And there is a girls living in the United Kingdom who has an IQ score of 162 in the Mensa IQ test (source). Therefore, it is difficult to determine the highest IQ.

What does your IQ score indicate?

The IQ tests are scored by trained professionals and it represents that you are better or inferior than the people. The comparison is made on the basis of following categories:

What does an IQ not indicate?

If you have a high IQ score, it means that you are better at problem solving and reasoning than others. It reflects your intellectual potential and if you score 70 or less, it indicates limited intellectual functioning.

There might be certain conditions because of which you couldn’t score well in your IQ test. Some of the conditions are:

Your IQ doesn’t predict how your life will turn out. It just tells you the level you are at and helps you to know what are the skills that you need to work on.

How to improve IQ scores?

We need to understand that high IQ or low IQ doesn’t have to do anything with your education. You may have a low IQ but still can earn a degree.

IQ just measures your ability to reason and solve problems. But still it is one of the ways to measure intelligence. You can improve your IQ levels by:

How to take the IQ test?

Whether you want to take the IQ test online or offline, it can be performed in three basic steps:

Conclusion

IQ tests helps us to diagnose intellectual disabilities and measure our intellectual potential. It is very important to have an IQ test, no matter what age group you belong. If you are willing to take the online IQ test, then you have us. We are the most reliable online platform for IQ tests and we promise to give instant results.

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