Where 145 sits on the bell curve
This score is 45 points above the average of 100, or 3.00 standard deviations. The shaded part of the curve, everyone who scores lower, covers about 99.9% of people.
What an IQ of 145 means
145 is three standard deviations above the mean, about 1 in 740 people. Above this point there are so few people that tests have little data to measure against, so scores become less precise.
On the IQ score scale, the Very Superior range runs from 130 to 160 and beyond. Range names come from the Wechsler scales; they are labels for parts of the curve, not hard lines, so 144 and 146 reflect almost the same performance.
Whether 145 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 145?
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: fewer than one
- In an office of 250: fewer than one
- In a town of 10,000: about 13
- In a city of 1 million: about 1,350
145 compared with nearby scores
| IQ | Percentile | Range | How rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 135 | 99.02nd | Very Superior | 1 in 102 |
| 140 | 99.62nd | Very Superior | 1 in 261 |
| 145 | 99.87th | Very Superior | 1 in 741 |
| 150 | 99.96th | Very Superior | 1 in 2,300 |
| 155 | 99.99th | Very Superior | 1 in 8,100 |
"How rare" counts people at that score or higher.
145 and the usual reference points
- 45 points above 100, the average by definition.
- 30 points above 115, one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
- 15 points above 130, two standard deviations above average and the usual Mensa line (top 2%).
- Exactly 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 145 is best read as "probably between 140 and 150". Shorter 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 145 a good IQ score?
Yes. An IQ of 145 is in the Very Superior range (130 to 160) and higher than about 99.9% of people. About 1 in 741 people score 145 or higher.
What percentile is an IQ of 145?
An IQ of 145 is at about the 99.87th percentile. On the standard scale (mean 100, standard deviation 15) it is +3.00 standard deviations from the average.
How rare is an IQ of 145?
About 1 in 741 people score 145 or higher, which is 0.13% of the population.
Can a normal IQ test measure 145?
Clinical tests can report it, but precision drops at this height because so few people score there. Our own test reports results up to 145 and shows anything beyond as 145+.
How accurate is an online IQ score of 145?
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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