- Evidence of performance at or above the 98th percentile on a test the local Mensa recognizes.
- Not always the same test list or the same scaled score.
- Almost never.
- Some chapters historically accepted old standardized tests with specific dates and scores.
- Different batteries, different SDs.
- Learn percentiles on our tools, try pattern-matrices-lite as a puzzle, then go to official Mensa for anything that matters.
What is the usual bar?
Evidence of performance at or above the 98th percentile on a test the local Mensa recognizes. On a Wechsler-type deviation IQ (SD 15) that is often described as 130. Stanford-Binet and Cattell scales use different numbers for the same percentile — do not mix them.
Do countries use the same cutoff number?
Not always the same test list or the same scaled score. Some chapters run their own supervised exam. Always read the national Mensa site (for example mensa.org and the country chapter). We will not publish an unofficial table of invented cutoffs.
Does an online IQ site qualify?
Almost never. Mensa wants supervised, approved instruments. Our games and even our entertainment IQ quiz are not Mensa tickets.
What about prior SAT/ACT/GRE?
Some chapters historically accepted old standardized tests with specific dates and scores. Those lists change. Verify on the official page for your country, not a screenshot from 2014.
Is 132 vs 130 a gotcha?
Different batteries, different SDs. 98th percentile is the idea; the printed IQ number follows the scale. Mixing Cattell 148 with Wechsler 130 as if they were the same raw number is a common error.
What can I do here?
Learn percentiles on our tools, try pattern-matrices-lite as a puzzle, then go to official Mensa for anything that matters.
❓ People also ask
What Is a Good IQ Score?
An IQ of 100 is exactly average; 110-119 is above average, 120 and up puts you in the top 10% (a genuinely 'good' score), and 130+ is considered gifted. IQ is built on a normal distribution with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, so most people cluster near the middle.
What Is a Good IQ Score? →IQ Percentile Chart: What Percentile Is My IQ?
Your IQ percentile tells you the share of people you scored higher than: an IQ of 100 is the 50th percentile, 115 is about the 84th, 120 is roughly the top 10%, and 130 is roughly the top 2%. The table below maps every major IQ band to its classification, percentile, and share of the population.
IQ Percentile Chart: What Percentile Is My IQ? →Are Online IQ Tests Accurate?
A well-designed online IQ test gives a reliable estimate of your reasoning ability, but it is not a clinical diagnosis — only a proctored test like the WAIS or Stanford-Binet provides that. This test is built on Raven's Progressive Matrices and CHC theory, scored on the standard scale (mean 100, SD 15), with an internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of about 0.85-0.92.
Are Online IQ Tests Accurate? →Can You Increase Your IQ?
You can meaningfully sharpen reasoning skills, working memory, and test performance through training and education, but raising your underlying general intelligence (g) substantially and permanently is not well supported — core g is largely heritable. The honest answer is that some gains are real and some popular claims are overstated.
Can You Increase Your IQ? →Genius IQ Level: What Number Counts as Genius?
A 'genius' IQ traditionally starts at 140, while 130 and above is labeled 'very superior' on modern tests. Scores that high are extremely rare, and the famous IQ numbers you see for historical figures are almost always estimates, not measured results.
Genius IQ Level: What Number Counts as Genius? →