IQ score guide

An IQ of 145: what it actually means

Percentile

99.9%

Rarity

1 in 741

this high or higher

Classification

Very superior

2%14%34%34%14%2%145557085100115130145mean 100 · each band of 15 points = one standard deviation

On the standard scale (mean 100, SD 15), a score of 145 sits 3.0 standard deviations above the mean — the 99.9th percentile, meaning it matches or beats about 99.9% of the adult population. Test manuals file it under "very superior" (about 1 person in 44).

What a score like this predicts, statistically: faster learning of novel, abstract material, and easier entry to intellectually selective paths. What it does not predict for any individual: outcomes. Within any profession, once past its entry demands, conscientiousness and accumulated expertise dominate — the tailwind is real, but modest.

Is an IQ of 145 good?

By any statistical standard, yes — 145 is in the top 0.1% of the population, past the usual gifted and high-IQ-society thresholds. The practical caveat: at this rarity, test measurement error and test ceilings matter as much as the number itself.

How rare is an IQ of 145?

About 1 person in 741 scores 145 or higher — it marks the 99.9th percentile, 3.0 standard deviations above the mean.

Could my "real" IQ differ from a test score of 145?

Almost certainly, by a little. Even excellent tests carry ±3–5 points of measurement error, online tests more, and the same person swings several points between good and bad days. Read 145 as "probably between 138 and 152" from a good test — wider from a casual one. Any result quoted without an error range is overclaiming.

Nearby scores: IQ 140 · IQ 144 · IQ 146 · IQ 150 · or see the whole scale.

Was 145 your score somewhere? Cross-check it: our test is free, untimed, generates fresh questions every attempt, and reports an honest range instead of a single flattering number.

Take the free IQ test