Where 85 sits on the bell curve
This score is 15 points below the average of 100, or 1.00 standard deviations. The shaded part of the curve, everyone who scores lower, covers about 15.9% of people.
What an IQ of 85 means
85 sits in the middle of the Low Average range (80 to 89). It is 1.00 standard deviations below the mean of 100, so about 16 in 100 people score lower.
On the IQ score scale, the Low Average range runs from 80 to 89. Range names come from the Wechsler scales; they are labels for parts of the curve, not hard lines, so 84 and 86 reflect almost the same performance.
Whether 85 counts as a good score depends on the comparison: against everyone, or against the people you study or work with.
How common is an IQ of 85 or lower?
If scores follow the standard bell curve, this is how many people you would expect to score this low or lower:
- In a class of 30: about 4.8
- In an office of 250: about 40
- In a town of 10,000: about 1,587
- In a city of 1 million: about 158,655
85 compared with nearby scores
| IQ | Percentile | Range | How rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | 5th | Borderline | 1 in 1 |
| 80 | 9th | Low Average | 1 in 1 |
| 85 | 16th | Low Average | 1 in 1.2 |
| 90 | 25th | Average | 1 in 1.3 |
| 95 | 37th | Average | 1 in 1.6 |
"How rare" counts people at that score or higher.
85 and the usual reference points
- 15 points below 100, the average by definition.
- 30 points below 115, one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
- 45 points below 130, two standard deviations above average and the usual Mensa line (top 2%).
- 60 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 85 is best read as "probably between 80 and 90". 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 85 a good IQ score?
An IQ of 85 is in the Low Average range (80 to 89) and higher than about 16% of people. About 1 in 6.3 people score 85 or lower.
What percentile is an IQ of 85?
An IQ of 85 is at about the 16th percentile. On the standard scale (mean 100, standard deviation 15) it is -1.00 standard deviations from the average.
How common is an IQ of 85?
About 1 in 6.3 people score 85 or lower.
Is 85 a low IQ?
It is below the Average range (90 to 109) and inside the Low Average range, higher than about 16 in 100 people. Many people score here. A single online score has a margin of error of several points and says nothing about knowledge, skills or effort.
How accurate is an online IQ score of 85?
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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