Where 126 sits on the bell curve
This score is 26 points above the average of 100, or 1.73 standard deviations. The shaded part of the curve, everyone who scores lower, covers about 95.8% of people.
What an IQ of 126 means
126 sits in the upper half of the Superior range (120 to 129). It is 1.73 standard deviations above the mean of 100, so about 96 in 100 people score lower.
On the IQ score scale, 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 125 and 127 reflect almost the same performance.
Whether 126 counts as a good score depends on the comparison: against everyone, or against the people you study or work with.
How rare is an IQ of 126?
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 1.2
- In an office of 250: about 10
- In a town of 10,000: about 415
- In a city of 1 million: about 41,518
126 compared with nearby scores
| IQ | Percentile | Range | How rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 86th | High Average | 1 in 7 |
| 121 | 92nd | Superior | 1 in 12 |
| 126 | 96th | Superior | 1 in 24 |
| 131 | 98th | Very Superior | 1 in 52 |
| 136 | 99.18th | Very Superior | 1 in 122 |
"How rare" counts people at that score or higher.
126 and the usual reference points
- 26 points above 100, the average by definition.
- 11 points above 115, one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
- 4 points below 130, two standard deviations above average and the usual Mensa line (top 2%).
- 19 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 126 is best read as "probably between 121 and 131". Short 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 126 a good IQ score?
Yes. An IQ of 126 is in the Superior range (120 to 129) and higher than about 96% of people. About 1 in 24 people score 126 or higher.
What percentile is an IQ of 126?
An IQ of 126 is at about the 96th percentile. On the standard scale (mean 100, standard deviation 15) it is +1.73 standard deviations from the average.
How rare is an IQ of 126?
About 1 in 24 people score 126 or higher, which is 4.2% of the population.
How close is 126 to Mensa level?
It is 4 points below the usual Mensa line of 130, the top 2%. Any single score has a margin of error of several points, and only a supervised test counts for admission.
How accurate is an online IQ score of 126?
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.
Nearby IQ scores
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