Yes. It is above average. On the standard IQ scale, 118 is at roughly the 88th percentile, about 1 in 9 at or above.
An IQ of 118 sits in the above average range, higher than about 88.49% of people on a mean-100, SD-15 scale. This is a theoretical model comparison, not an observed population ranking. Here is what that means, and what it does not.
Reference score
118
Percentile
88.49%
At or above
1 in 9
Reference scale
100 mean / 15 SD
Prepared by IQInsight · Calculation guide · Updated
118 is near the top of the high-average range.
118 is 18 points, or 1.2 standard deviations, above the reference mean. The model places about 88.49% of values below it and 11.51% at or above it, around one in nine. It falls in the 110 to 119 high-average band on common test classifications.
From 118 to 120 the label changes from high average to superior or very high, yet the percentile moves only about 2.4 points. The boundary is a convention of test manuals, not a natural break in ability.
How test manuals label 118.
Professional tests describe score ranges with standard labels. On the WAIS-IV, 118 falls in the high average range; the newer WISC-V calls the same range high average. The labels describe ranges on those specific tests and change at fixed boundaries, so a score a point or two from an edge is not meaningfully different from one just across it.
Descriptive classifications used by the WAIS-IV and WISC-V
Score range
WAIS-IV label
WISC-V label
130 and above
Very superior
Extremely high
120–129
Superior
Very high
110–119 (118)
High average
High average
90–109
Average
Average
80–89
Low average
Low average
70–79
Borderline
Very low
69 and below
Extremely low
Extremely low
How precise is one result?
Every test score contains some measurement error. Professionally normed tests report a confidence interval, a band of several points around the score, and two results a few points apart often overlap. IQInsight has not been calibrated against a representative population, so it cannot provide a reliable interval for its estimates.
How the percentile is calculated.
The reference uses a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. First convert the score to a z-score, then find the area below it on the standard normal curve.
Theoretical normal distribution. Mean 100, standard deviation 15. This does not measure your IQ or compare you with IQInsight users.
Put the number in perspective.
In a normal distribution with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, about 11.51% of scores fall at or above 118. That is approximately one in 9. The figure describes the reference model; it is not a count of people we have tested.
The quality of the test matters.
A number alone does not show how accurately it was measured. An established, professionally administered test has supporting evidence and defined interpretation rules. An online exercise without representative norms cannot establish the same conclusions.
Nearby scores on the same scale.
Theoretical percentiles, mean 100 and standard deviation 15
If you scored 118, you are comfortably above average on the reference scale. A different day, test or set of questions could plausibly place you on either side of 120.
A score alone cannot tell you how a person thinks through a problem. This published sample illustrates a reasoning method; it is not calibrated to a 118 IQ level and does not predict a score.
Double the current term, then add the next counting number, starting with +1: 3, 7, 16, 35, 74. What comes next?
A. 148
B. 149
C. 152
D. 153
Reveal the answer and reasoning
Answer: 153. The additions are +1, +2, +3 and +4. The next transition is 74×2+5=153.
Check an alternative: 148. Doubling 74 leaves out the addition.
Try this approach. Write both parts of every transition and advance the changing part.
This is one of our public sample questions. Seeing the solution may make a future attempt more familiar. Explore the sample report to see how answers are explained.
A few things you might be wondering.
Clear answers, before you begin.
Is 118 close to 120?+
Yes. Two scale points is a small gap, smaller than the uncertainty in most single test results. A measured 118 and a measured 120 should not be treated as clearly different levels.
What percentile is an IQ of 118?+
On a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 118 is at roughly the 88th percentile: about 11.51% of values are at or above it. Tests with a different standard deviation give a different percentile for the same number.
Is 118 a good IQ score?+
On a theoretical scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 118 is in the above average range, higher than about 88.49% of people on a mean-100, SD-15 scale. This is a theoretical model comparison, not an observed population ranking. Whether a particular test result supports that interpretation depends on the quality and standardization of that test.
How rare is an IQ of 118?+
Under that normal-distribution model, about 11.51% of values are at or above 118, approximately 1 in 9. This is a mathematical reference, not observed IQInsight user data.
Does this number describe all of my abilities?+
No. IQ scores do not describe every skill, interest, quality or circumstance. A score on an unstandardized online exercise is especially limited and should not be treated as a diagnosis or a prediction of personal success.
Can I compare scores from different tests?+
Only with care. Tests can differ in norms, scales, questions, administration and reliability. Similar-looking numbers are not necessarily equivalent measurements.
Can I get my result without paying?+
Yes. IQInsight provides your estimated score, theoretical percentile and four-area breakdown for free. The optional report explains the answers in more detail.
