Is 118 a smart IQ?
Yes. An IQ of 118 is in the high average range, clearly above the middle of the population. The newest adult test, the WAIS-5, describes scores like this as above average.
Where 118 sits on the bell curve
An IQ of 118 is 18 points above the average of 100, or 1.2 standard deviations. It is higher than about 88% of people of the same age, shown by the shaded area below. Here the curve starts to thin out: each extra point now moves you past fewer people than it does near 100.
On other IQ scales, the same result would be about 119 on a test with a standard deviation of 16, such as older editions of the Stanford-Binet, and 129 on the Cattell scale, which uses 24. Why scales differ.
IQ 118 meaning: a closer look
With an IQ of 118, about 88 people in 100 would score lower, and roughly one in nine score 118 or above. It is two points short of the superior range. Scores this high mean you probably handle new, abstract problems more quickly than most people, though speed and accuracy can be quite different from each other. If you are curious whether your result is stable, a calm second attempt a few weeks later is more informative than an immediate retake.
Is 118 near the best IQ for a leader? The 120 peak explained
A 2017 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology tested an idea from the psychologist Dean Keith Simonton: leaders far brighter than their group may come across as less effective. The researchers studied 379 mid-level leaders in seven multinational firms, measured IQ with the Wonderlic Personnel Test, and gathered ratings from subordinates, peers and supervisors. After allowing for personality, gender and age, perceived leadership followed an inverted U. It peaked at an IQ of about 120, close to the predicted point of about 1.2 standard deviations above the group's average.
For someone with a 118 IQ, that is very near the peak in this sample. But the study measured how leaders were perceived, not how their teams actually performed. A University of Lausanne summary warns it would be "wrong to assume that greater intelligence necessarily reduces actual leadership effectiveness". The ideal point also depends on the group, because the theory ties it to the team's own average. Very bright leaders may simply seem less relatable when their ideas or language are hard to follow.
Sources: Antonakis, J., House, R. J. and Simonton, D. K. (2017), "Can super smart leaders suffer from too much of a good thing? The curvilinear effect of intelligence on perceived leadership behavior", Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(7), 1003-1021; HEC Lausanne Outreach, "The leadership IQ dilemma".
For average test scores job by job, from the original studies, see our page on IQ by profession.
What 118 looks like among real people
If you lined up 100 people of your age, about 88 would score lower than 118 and about 12 would score the same or higher. The orange dot marks your place in the line.
In a typical group of friends or colleagues, you would usually be in the upper part on reasoning puzzles.
How precise is a score of 118?
No IQ test measures to the exact point. On a professional test, a result of 118 usually comes with a likely range of about five points either way: 113 to 123. That range runs from the 81st to the 94th percentile, and it crosses from high average into superior.
A professional report would give a range around 118 that may dip into the average band or reach into the next band up, so the label matters less than the range.
On the Assessivo test, 118 is the score for 25 correct answers out of 36. How our score is worked out.
So if you scored 118 once, a retest on another day could reasonably land anywhere from 113 to 123. Online tests are less precise still, so treat any online result as a rough estimate.
IQ 118 and mental age in children
Early IQ tests for children worked with a "mental age", the age whose typical performance a child matched. The IQ was that mental age divided by the child's real age, times 100. Turned around, the formula shows what a score of 118 would have meant for children of different ages: working ahead of their years.
| Real age | Mental age at IQ 118 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 5 years 11 months |
| 7 | 8 years 3 months |
| 9 | 10 years 7 months |
| 11 | 13 years |
| 13 | 15 years 4 months |
The same 118 stands for a gap of about 11 months at age 5 but 2 years 4 months at 13, because the formula scales with age. That is one reason it broke down for teenagers and adults, whose test performance stops rising every year. Today's tests compare you with people of the same age instead, so a mental age is only a way to picture a child's score, never a description of an adult.
What an IQ of 118 means for you
It sits near the top of the high average band, which runs from 110 to 119.
- You probably pick up new patterns and rules a little faster than most people.
- Abstract and technical material may come more easily, especially with practice and good teaching.
- High average is close to average. Motivation, knowledge and skills usually matter more than the gap between them.
How far 118 is from other levels
How 118 compares with nearby scores
Want a score that isn't listed, or the share of people between two scores? Try the IQ calculator.
| IQ | Percentile | Classification | Score this high or higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | 70th | Average | 1 in 3 |
| 113 | 81st | High average | 1 in 5 |
| 118 | 88th | High average | 1 in 9 |
| 123 | 94th | Superior | 1 in 16 |
| 128 | 97th | Superior | 1 in 32 |
Questions about an IQ of 118
What percentile is an IQ of 118?
An IQ of 118 is at about the 88th percentile, which means it is higher than about 88% of people of the same age.
Is 118 a high IQ?
It is above average but not usually called a high IQ. Most definitions start at 120 or 130.
Can an IQ of 118 get into Mensa?
Not on its own. Mensa accepts the top 2% on an approved, supervised test, which is usually 130 or above. 118 is 12 points below that.
How common is an IQ of 118 or higher?
About 12% of people score 118 or higher, roughly 1 in 9. In a stadium of 50,000 people, about 5,750 would score at this level or above.
Is a 118 IQ smart enough to lead a team?
Yes. In a 2017 study of 379 managers, perceived leadership was highest at an IQ of about 120, so 118 sat close to that peak. The study measured how colleagues saw their leaders, not team results, and the best level depended on the group being led. Skills such as clear communication also shape how a leader is seen.
What mental age is an IQ of 118?
Under the old ratio formula, a 9-year-old with an IQ of 118 would perform like a typical child of about 10 years 7 months, roughly 19 months ahead. The idea only works for children: an adult who scores 118 simply did better than most adults of the same age on the test.
Is 118 a smart IQ?
It is above average and higher than most people. "Smart" isn't a technical term, but 118 is a good score by any everyday standard.
What jobs suit an IQ of 118?
No job requires a specific IQ. People in this range work in every field, and what decides success is training, interest and experience much more than a few IQ points.
Is 118 gifted?
Usually not by school standards. Gifted programmes have no single cut-off, but many use around 130, about two standard deviations above average. A score of 118 is above average without reaching that level.
Our guide to what counts as a good IQ score compares this band with the benchmarks people use, and IQ standard deviation explains the steps between bands. Average scores by occupation are on our IQ by profession page. Every score range is in the IQ range chart.
Behind a single score of 118 sit several separate abilities. Read about verbal reasoning, processing speed, fluid vs crystallized intelligence, abstract reasoning and spatial reasoning, or try the free pattern recognition test.
What would you score?
Take the free Assessivo IQ test: 36 questions, 25 minutes, and your estimated IQ score and percentile as soon as you finish.
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