On the reference scale, 120 sits in the high range, around the 90.9th percentile. Here is what that means, and what it does not.
Prepared by IQInsight · Calculation guide · Updated
120 is above the model midpoint, but it is not the top 2%.
The score is 20 points above the reference mean, or about 1.33 standard deviations. In this model, roughly 91 out of every 100 values fall below 120 and 9 fall at or above it. That describes the scale, not your rank among IQInsight participants.
Moving from 120 to 125 adds five scale points, but the percentile rises by about 4.3 percentage points. Score points and percentile points are different units; neither means a percentage increase in intelligence.
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 9.12% of scores fall at or above 120. That is approximately one in 11. 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
Looking at the answers can be useful even when a score is only provisional. Which patterns did you notice? Which constraints did you overlook? Those are concrete things you can review without treating a single number as your identity.
Does 120 mean I answered 120 questions correctly?+
No. A scaled score is different from a raw count or percentage correct. In IQInsight, the estimate comes from a provisional mapping of weighted points. A score of 120 is not 120 correct answers or 120% accuracy.
Is 120 a good IQ score?+
On a theoretical scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 120 is in the high range, around the 90.9th percentile. Whether a particular test result supports that interpretation depends on the quality and standardization of that test.
How rare is an IQ of 120?+
Under that normal-distribution model, about 9.12% of values are at or above 120, approximately 1 in 11. 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 is designed to provide the estimated score, theoretical percentile and all four domain breakdowns for free. The optional report explains the answers in more detail.
