IQ scores
What an IQ of 105 means
An IQ of 105 is at the 63 percentile on the standard scale. About 1 person in 2.7 scores this high or higher. It falls in the range usually labelled average.
IQ 105 at a glance
| Percentile | 63 |
| Rarity | 1 in 2.7 (this high or higher) |
| Range | Average (about 50 in 100 of people) |
| Distance from average | 0.33 standard deviations above |
| Same result on SD 16 | 105 |
| Same result on SD 24 (Cattell) | 108 |
What it tells you
A score of 105 is in the average range, where half of all adults fall. Differences of a few points here are smaller than the margin of error of any test, so 105 and 110 are not meaningfully different results.
Most people in every occupation score in this range. Within it, things a test does not measure, such as persistence, knowledge and practice, matter far more than the number.
How sure can you be of a score of 105?
That depends on the test. On a long, supervised assessment the margin of error is a few points. On a short online test it is around ten, so a reported 105 means a true score probably somewhere between 94 and 116. That span runs from the 34 to the 86 percentile.
Scores also depend on the scale. If your 105 came from a test using a standard deviation of 16 or 24, it is not the same as 105 here; the percentile calculator converts between them.
Nearby scores
- IQ 100: 50 percentile.
- IQ 110: 75 percentile.
- The full IQ scale, with every range.