IQ Scale/Range and Average IQ Score by Age

There are multiple standardized IQ tests some are for the general population while others are designed for specific groups of people, such as teenagers, adults, or people above 60. The average IQ score for any age group is 100, while adults from 20 to 24 have a 99 average score.

Studies have shown that IQ declines with the passage of time after adulthood based on the conditions. Therefore, the average IQ after 24 to 34 is lower, at 97; however, the average is 101 from 35 to 44. It grows up again after age 34 and in middle age, the average IQ score is 106; similarly from 55 to 64, 65 to 69, and 70 to 74, the average IQ score is 109, 114, and 119 respectively.

IQ Range

When we learn new skills, for example playing a violin or speaking a new language, our brain slightly changes. These changes affect our overall functioning and shape our beliefs, and experiences, expanding our mental zones and affecting our emotional stability.

Studies have shown that if a person is growing up in a healthy environment and does not have a brain tumor or any major psychological disability, his IQ increases with the passage of time.

It is observed that human children have a normal IQ range as they can perform a list of complex cognitive tasks, such as solving mathematical problems, abstract thinking, or learning new skills quickly. However, adulthood brings emotional stability and an understanding of complicated problems.

A middle-aged person is smarter than an early adult as he has multiple life experiences and an old person is able to perform cognitive tasks far better than a teenager due to his high IQ.

Experts have classified the IQ based on the age group. When we perform an IQ task, our results are matched with our age group people and then the IQ score is determined. The IQ range helps us determine intellectual disability, borderline intelligence, average IQ score, above average, and gifted scores.

IQ Score Range	Intelligence Level
140 and above	Genius
120 – 139	Gifted
110 – 119	Above average
90 – 109	Average intelligence
80 – 89	Lower average
Below 70	Intellectual disability

In this table, you can see that people below an IQ score of 70 compared to their age group might have an intellectual disability. However, a score from 80 to 89 indicates below-average IQ, and 90 to 109 is the normal range of IQ.

People who score 110 to 119 are above average and from 120 to 139 are considered gifted, whereas above 140 scores indicate the person is a genius.

What’s the Average IQ?

Average IQ indicates that a person has cognitive abilities similar to those of his age group. We cannot measure the intelligence of a person; therefore, we test the cognitive abilities of the subject in order to understand the efficiency of his memory, knowledge, thinking, and reasoning.

The average IQ is 100, if a person scores 85 to 115, it is considered that the subject’s cognitive abilities are working as efficiently as the majority of people.

Some people consider that average IQ indicates low intelligence but according to intelligence experts, average IQ indicates that the subject is normal. He does not have a high IQ or low intelligence. His cognitive abilities function perfectly, similar to most people.

What’s the Genius IQ?

Genius is a term used in intelligence to indicate that the subject has a higher IQ than the above-average people. People who score above 140 compared to their age group are considered geniuses. Based on observation, genius people who have above 140 IQ are thirsty for knowledge and able to perform tasks that an average person cannot accomplish.

Great scientists such as Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Marie Curie, all had above 140 IQ. Similarly, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the German physical mathematician and diplomat, and theologian, had an above 140 IQ. Additionally, the Australian mathematician, Terence Tao has above 140 IQ.

What’s the Highest IQ?

When it comes to human intelligence and cognitive abilities, we do not have a universal highest IQ. However, the highest recorded IQ is at 228 of Marilyn vos Savant. There are some reports claiming subjects have more than 250 IQs, but these reports lack credibility.

What’s the Lowest IQ?

We measure the intelligence of people through tests, so if a person scores zero it indicates the lowest IQ. But the IQ tests are designed in a way that they are achievable for intellectually disabled people, so there is no zero score recorded.

In addition, IQ tests estimate intelligence by measuring multiple cognitive functions; they have some limitations as they cannot predict 100% accurate results.

A person may be unable to perform specific cognitive tasks due to a tumor in the brain, an unhealthy diet, or an inferior complex. Some people also have low IQ scores due to their inability to comprehend the IQ test, while others are unable to perform the mathematics part, some have short attention spans and others are less confident to present themselves.

All these factors can contribute to earning a low IQ score but it does not mean that the subject has a low IQ. There are multiple psychological standardized tests to measure the efficacy of cognitive abilities and there are some neurological methods to assess the cognitive functioning of people.

Both psychological and neurological methods have limitations and experts agree that we have not yet developed a test to measure 100% accurate intelligence of a person.

What’s the Gifted IQ Scale?

Gifted IQ is a term coined by intelligence experts for the group of people who score more than the above-average people. If a person scores from 120 to 139, he is considered as gifted.

The term does not indicate that his intelligence is gifted by a Being but it indicates that the subject has better cognitive abilities compared to the majority of the people.

A high IQ indicates that a person is smarter than others, but it does not guarantee success because it is also observed that people with average IQ are more successful than gifted or above-average IQ people.

Similarly, some people use their intelligence for the greater good while others are more prone to commit crimes, such as Ted Bunday and Theodore Kaczynski. Additionally, the IQ of a person is not determined by his lineage but by his efforts and his ability to perform cognitive tasks.

Experts believe that almost all of us are equally intelligent after birth but with the passage of time, our intelligence is shaped by the environment in which we live.

IQ is a part of intelligence, as there are also other types of intelligence, such as existential intelligence, social intelligence, emotional intelligence, kinetic intelligence, or musical intelligence. Anyhow, I have explained the average intelligence and the range of IQ, I hope this information will help you in the future; thank you.