IQ Score Interpretation

Tests conducted to determine the intelligence level of a person is known as an IQ (Intelligence Quotient) Test. The average IQ is by definition is 100. A value above 100 indicates a higher than average IQ and scores below 100 indicate a lower than average intelligence.

Scores can range between any value below or above 100, but anything below 50 indicates a very low IQ score and a value above 150 is much above normal. About 50% of the population has an IQ between 90 and 110, while 25% have lower scores and the remaining 25% have higher IQ scores.

Above 130: Very Superior(2.2%)

120-129: Superior(6.7%)

111-119: Above Average(16.1%)

90-110: Average(50%)

80-89: Below Average(16.1%)

66-79: Borderline(6.7%)

Under 65: Intellectually Deficient(2.2%)

The concept of tests to measure intelligence was first proposed about hundred years ago. These tests are limited in their scope and useful in measuring only the academic aspect of intelligence.

Despite the score, no individual should feel limited in his or her potential for success, and those who consider themselves to be non-academic should take pride in their highly intellectual, creative and emotional abilities.

A well-administered test can provide maximum information about your overall general aptitudes. The scores will tell whether you are a logical thinker, visually inclined, a verbal or a numerical genius.

Intelligence tests also assess the following skills.

• Mathematical skills
• Verbal skills
• Spatial skills
• Pattern recognition
• Logical reasoning
• Short-term memory
• General knowledge
• Classification skills

According to Robert J. Shiller, an economics and finance professor at Yale University, "Those with relatively high IQ scores invest more and diversify their investment portfolios more than those with lower scores." Thus a person's IQ score and his/her investing habits are somewhat co-related.

These IQ tests do not consider the social and emotional intelligence. They also do not measure other abilities such as musical and artistic talents, physical coordination or the spiritual level.

Each type of test is designed for different purposes. For example, Wechsler Intelligence Scale and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test are for school-aged children designed to test their logic, reasoning and learning abilities. These intelligence tests are the most widely used testing format for kids.

A General Intelligence Quotient score is a statistically derived number which indicates relative and comparative abilities that can be used to obtain academic skills and knowledge.

IQ tests are designed to measure certain aspects of intelligence and they do it very well. The ability to think logically, solve mathematical problems and explore possibilities of selection and choice are important aspects of intelligence. Academically inclined individuals tend to do well in this area.

Analogy tests are used to measure this kind of intelligence and are widely used by many educational institutions. But these tests cannot measure person's social and emotional skills. Those who score high in academics do not necessarily succeed socially and they may lack creativity or interpersonal skills that are difficult to measure.

1. IQ reflects a level of performance on a set of tasks.

2. Use the IQ classification to understand the level of people with different IQ scores.

3. IQ scores are not closely linked to other qualities such as career achievement and happiness.

4. Even though there is some level of unreliability, these tests are more accurate and reliable.

5. Some scales refer 'ratio IQ' (mental or chronological age) and 'deviation IQ' (these scores deflate ratio IQ which give someone an IQ, based on their ranking using a perfect bell curve distribution).

6. IQ tests available online give us a rough idea, so they should not be considered as true.

7. Interpretation or assessment of these scores should occur in a broader context based on behavior, observation and interview by a psychologist or a team of medical professionals.

Many researchers find this topic debatable, as IQ tests lack or cannot measure certain aspects like creativity, social and emotional behavior that also play an important role. They are still researching on the various co-relations available for IQ. We hope they come up with some interesting facts at the earliest.