American psychologist Lewis Terman came up with the term "intelligence quotient," commonly known as "IQ." On the Stanford-Binet test scoring system, the average score is 100. Genius level starts somewhere between 132 and 145, depending on who you ask.
Here are some general IQ ratings and classifications:
| IQ: | Status: | Percentile: |
|---|---|---|
| 85-114 | Average | 17-81 |
| 115-124 | Above | 82-93 |
| 125-134 | Gifted | 94-98 |
| 135-144 | Highly gifted | 98-99.7 |
| 145-154 | Genius | 99.75-99.96 |
| 155-164 | Genius | 99.97-99.996 |
| 165-179 | High genius | 99.997-99.99996 |
| 180-200 | Highest genius | 99.99997-99.999999979 |
| Over 200 | "Universal" genius | 99.999999986 |
Obsolete terms for low IQ:
| IQ: | Status: |
|---|---|
| 70-80 | Borderline deficiency |
| 50-69 | Moron |
| 20-49 | Imbecile |
| Below 20 | Idiot |
IQ statistics generally follow a bell curve distribution, with most people having an IQ between 90 and 110, and only 2% of the entire population having an IQ above 132 (better than two standard deviations above the mean). It would take an exceptional statisical outlier to get an IQ score higher than about 195, as there are only about 7 billion or so people on the planet at this time. . . .
Nowadays, most people do not consider the Binet system a comprehensive indicator of all forms of intelligence. IQ tests generally evaluate logical and relational capabilities, but fail to take into account intelligence in the realms of linguistics, music, interpersonal skill, and other important disciplines. However, IQ tests are frequently used to determine whether children have learning disorders and need special educational help.