Lowest IQ Ever

The intelligence quotient is widely used to assess cognitive abilities to assess the intelligence of individuals. Some claim that a high IQ guarantees success, while others argue the opposite and consider IQ measures as being limited and inaccurate to measure intelligence. However, the IQ test is considered standardized and valid, according to psychologists.

High-IQ people such as Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Terence Tao are famous, but people also want to know about the lowest IQ ever recorded. IQ tests are designed to measure intelligence, and they have no limit for high IQ, but there is a limit for low IQ, which is zero. It is not only rare but nearly impossible for an individual to score zero on an IQ test; let’s understand the meaning of the lowest IQ and see the dumbest person in the world.

Understanding the Lowest IQ

IQ test results are personal and are not publicly revealed due to confidentiality. Experts cannot reveal the IQ results without the permission of subjects who participated in these tests. When we discuss the highest IQ, we see the individuals who scored high on the IQ tests.

However, when we focus on low IQ, we are unable to find a single authentic record because all lowest scores are confidential. Additionally, the lowest score one can earn on the IQ test is zero. However, IQ tests are designed in a way that all people, from the mentally disabled to the genius, can perform; therefore, we have no record of zero IQ.

Furthermore, there are different IQ ranges from zero to above 140. An average IQ is 100, and if a person secures 85 to 115, it means his cognitive abilities are functioning perfectly similar to those of the general population of his age. In case the person scores between 84 and 70, experts consider it borderline intellectual disability.

Borderline intellectual disability does not indicate that a person is unable to perform cognitive tasks, but it indicates that the subject is unable to advance forward in the school or workplace without sufficient support. If a person scores between 69 and 55, he is considered mildly intellectually disabled.

It means that his cognitive abilities are not working as efficiently as the general population but he can perform complex tasks with support. Mild intellectually disabled people require support more than borderline intellectually disabled people. In case, a person scores between 40 and 54, he is considered moderately intellectually disabled who cannot perform highly complex tasks and is unable to utter proper words of language.

Moderate intellectually disabled people require more support than mild intellectually disabled people. However, there are some tasks in which they can score similarly to the general population, while the highly complex tasks are difficult for them. If a person scores between 39 and 25, he is considered severely disabled and cannot perform 70 to 85 percent of the cognitive tasks.

Lastly, people below 25 are considered profoundly mentally disabled as they cannot perform any cognitive tasks, nor can they utter language words. Instead, they produce rough sounds similar to language, which are hard to understand. These people have the lowest IQ, but we cannot consider them dumbest; instead, we consider them profoundly mentally disabled.

Why Do Some People Have Low IQ?

There can be a list of reasons why some people may suffer from intellectual disabilities compared to others. If we analyze the number of intellectually disabled people, we find that most of them are facing conditions due to genetics, while others are mentally disabled due to a head injury.

However, there are chances that if a newborn child experiences violence, lives in a highly aggressive family, and is unable to get an education, he may suffer from borderline intellectual disability. Additionally, there are genetic problems that can cause mental and intellectual disabilities, such as Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, or Klinefelter syndrome.

There is no recorded lowest IQ nor an authentic record of the dumbest person in the world. Experts have designed the IQ ranges, and if a person falls below average or has a mild intellectual disability, we can consider it a low IQ. IQ scores are confidential, so no psychologist leaks the results of his subjects without permission; therefore, we cannot consider any IQ score as the lowest or dumbest.