Ed Walters
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An intelligence quotient ( IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardised tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. [1] The abbreviation "IQ" was coined by the psychologist William Stern for the German term Intelligenzquotient, his term for a scoring method for intelligence tests at University of Breslau he advocated in ...
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Dec 15, 2022 · IQ scores between 90 and 109 indicate a normal range or average intelligence. Individual adults usually score somewhere between the 70-130 range, with 100 being the theoretical average. If you score above 130, then you have a score higher than the average population, and below 70 would be lower than the average population.
- Overview
- What is a high IQ score?
- How IQ is measured and what the score indicates
- What IQ doesn’t indicate
- Improving IQ scores
- Takeaway
IQ tests can measure language, processing, memory, and reasoning. Your score tends to remain consistent from childhood to adulthood.
IQ stands for intelligence quotient. IQ tests are tools to measure intellectual abilities and potential. They’re designed to reflect a wide range of cognitive skills, such as reasoning, logic, and problem-solving.
It’s a test of intelligence, something you’re largely born with. It’s not a test of knowledge, which represents what you learn through education or life experience.
To know your IQ, you take a standardized test in the presence of a trained professional. IQ tests you find online might be entertaining, but the results aren’t valid.
It’s also important to understand that your IQ score doesn’t exist in isolation. The number actually represents how your results compare to those of other people your age.
A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.
IQ tests have gone through significant changes through the decades to correct for racial, gender, and social biases, as well as cultural norms. Today, there are several versions in use. They may have different methods of scoring, but they all use 100 as the average.
IQ scores follow a bell curve. The very peak of the bell represents the average score of 100. Lower scores are represented on one slope of the bell while higher scores are represented on the other.
The IQ scores of most people are represented in the middle of the bell, between 85 and 115. Overall, about 98 percent of people have a score below 130. If you’re among the 2 percent with a higher score, you’re an outlier.
Basically, a high IQ means your score is higher than that of most people in your peer group.
Standardized IQ tests are given and scored by trained administrators. The score represents how you compare to your peer group in:
•language
•reasoning abilities
•processing speed
•visual-spatial processing
•memory
There’s a lot of debate on the subject of intelligence and whether it can actually be measured.
There’s also no shortage of debate on the accuracy of scoring. A 2010 study validated the average scores in 108 countries, finding countries in Africa to have consistently lower scores. That same year, other researchers took great issue with that study, calling the methods used “questionable” and the results “untrustworthy.”
The decades-long controversy over IQs won’t end anytime soon. When it comes right down to it, don’t read into this single number as the definitive measure of your intelligence.
IQ scores can be affected by factors such as:
•nutrition
•health conditions
The brain is a complex organ — we may never fully comprehend how intelligence, ability to learn, and knowledge overlap. You can have a high IQ, but lack education and general knowledge. You can earn a degree yet score a lower IQ.
IQ tests measure your ability to reason, grasp ideas, and solve problems. Intelligence, in that respect, may be a matter of inheritance and potential.
For the most part, IQ is generally considered stable throughout life. Your IQ score is still a measure of how you compare to others in your peer group. IQ scores will remain fairly stable if everyone in a group begins to perform better on testing.
One small 2011 study suggests that intellectual capacity can increase or decrease during teen years. There’s some evidence that you might be able to increase your IQ score by a few points. You can probably improve focus, memory, or some other skill. You might even become a better test taker.
You can take the same test multiple times and end up with slight variations in score. For example, if you were sick or fatigued the first time around, you might do a little better in a second test.
All of this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more intelligent now than you were before.
If you have a high IQ score, your intelligence and potential for intelligence is above that of your peers. This could mean you’ll fare well when faced with unusual or complex problems. A high IQ might give you a leg up in certain situations, like getting the job you want.
A lower IQ score doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent or incapable of learning. A low score shouldn’t prevent you from working toward your goals. There’s no telling what you can achieve — regardless of IQ numbers.
People also ask
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Jun 17, 2024 · On many tests, a score of 100 is considered the average IQ. Sixty-eight percent of scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean (that is, between 85 and 115). That means that nearly 70% of all people score within plus or minus 15 points of the average score. Ninety-five percent of scores fall within two standard deviations (between 70 ...
Nov 16, 2023 · IQ scores differ depending on which version of the test you take, but the average IQ score ranges are between 85 and 115. Shown below is an IQ chart classifying the range of scores according to the Stanford-Binet test. IQ Range. IQ Classification. 145 – 160.
