Where 120 sits on the bell curve
This score is 20 points above the average of 100, or 1.33 standard deviations. The shaded part of the curve, everyone who scores lower, covers about 90.9% of people.
What an IQ of 120 means
120 is where the Superior range begins (120 to 129). It is one and a third standard deviations above the mean, so about 9 in 10 people score lower.
The Superior range runs from 120 to 129. Range names come from the Wechsler scales; they are labels for parts of the curve, not hard lines, so 119 and 121 reflect almost the same performance.
Whether 120 counts as a high IQ depends on the comparison: against everyone, or against the people you study or work with.
How rare is an IQ of 120?
If scores follow the standard bell curve, this is how many people you would expect to reach this score or higher:
- In a class of 30: about 2.7
- In an office of 250: about 23
- In a town of 10,000: about 912
- In a city of 1 million: about 91,211
120 compared with nearby scores
| IQ | Percentile | Range | How rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 75th | High Average | 1 in 4 |
| 115 | 84th | High Average | 1 in 6 |
| 120 | 91st | Superior | 1 in 11 |
| 125 | 95th | Superior | 1 in 21 |
| 130 | 98th | Very Superior | 1 in 44 |
"How rare" counts people at that score or higher.
120 and the usual reference points
- 20 points above 100, the average by definition.
- 5 points above 115, one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
- 10 points below 130, two standard deviations above average and the usual Mensa line (top 2%).
- 25 points below 145, three standard deviations above average (about 1 in 741).
How much to trust a single score
No test measures IQ exactly. Clinical tests such as the Wechsler scales report a confidence interval of roughly 5 points either side, so a measured 120 is best read as "probably between 115 and 125". Quick online tests carry wider ranges, which is why our free test shows a 90% range next to every result.
Scores also move between sittings. Tiredness, stress and practice with the puzzle types can each shift a result by a few points, so the range name tells you more than the exact number.
Frequently asked questions
Is 120 a good IQ score?
Yes. An IQ of 120 is in the Superior range (120 to 129) and higher than about 91% of people. About 1 in 11 people score 120 or higher.
What percentile is an IQ of 120?
An IQ of 120 is at about the 91st percentile. On the standard scale (mean 100, standard deviation 15) it is +1.33 standard deviations from the average.
How rare is an IQ of 120?
About 1 in 11 people score 120 or higher, which is 9.1% of the population.
Is 120 considered gifted?
Not by the usual definition. Most gifted programmes and Mensa use about 130, the top 2%. 120 is the start of the Superior range and higher than about 91 in 100 people.
How accurate is an online IQ score of 120?
Treat it as a range, not an exact number. Clinical tests report a confidence interval of roughly 5 points either side, and short online tests have wider ranges, so read any single result as a band rather than an exact point.
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