How rare is a 122 IQ?
Yes. An IQ of 122 is in the superior range, called very high on current children's tests. It is well above average and higher than about 9 in 10 people.
Where 122 sits on the bell curve
An IQ of 122 is 22 points above the average of 100, or 1.47 standard deviations. It is higher than about 93% of people of the same age, shown by the shaded area below. This is the thinning right shoulder of the curve, where only about 1 person in 15 scores in the whole 120 to 129 band.
On other IQ scales, the same result would be about 123 on a test with a standard deviation of 16, such as older editions of the Stanford-Binet, and 135 on the Cattell scale, which uses 24. Why scales differ.
IQ 122 meaning: a closer look
An IQ of 122 is higher than about 93% of people, about one in fourteen scoring this high or higher. It is a superior score, 22 points above average. Its likely range, about 117 to 127, sits mostly within the superior band. A point worth knowing: one person can score quite differently on different kinds of test. Someone might reach 122 on a pattern-only test and several points higher or lower on a broad test that also covers vocabulary, memory and speed.
Would a 122 IQ make a child gifted? It depends where they live
There is no national IQ cut-off for gifted programmes in the United States. A 2012 survey of state policies found that no state used a single IQ score alone to decide who is gifted. Most states (54%) combined measures through multiple cut-offs or averaging, and 64% set no specific test or cut-off score for eligibility, leaving many choices to districts. Eighteen states did name a specific IQ cut-off. The National Association for Gifted Children also advocates multiple assessments.
For a child with a 122 IQ, the answer therefore varies. Where a programme looks for roughly the top 2%, the line sits near 130 on the standard scale, so 122 would fall short on IQ alone. Where a programme serves a wider group, or weighs achievement tests, teacher ratings and work samples alongside IQ, a 122 can qualify. An IQ of 122 is higher than about 93% of people, a genuinely strong result. Rules change over time, so the local policy is the one that counts.
Sources: McClain, M.-C. and Pfeiffer, S. (2012), "Identification of gifted students in the United States today: A look at state definitions, policies, and practices", Journal of Applied School Psychology, 28(1), 59-88, figures as summarised by Scott Barry Kaufman, "Who is currently identified as gifted in the United States?"; NAGC, "The Role of Assessments in the Identification of Gifted Students", position statement.
What 122 looks like among real people
If you lined up 100 people of your age, about 93 would score lower than 122 and about 7 would score the same or higher. The orange dot marks your place in the line.
In most groups of a few dozen people, a score like this would be among the highest.
How precise is a score of 122?
No IQ test measures to the exact point. On a professional test, a result of 122 usually comes with a likely range of about five points either way: 117 to 127. That range runs from the 87th to the 96th percentile, and it crosses from high average into superior.
At this level, a single test can place you a few points either side of a line that some people care about, such as 130. A full professional test, or a retest, is the only way to know which side you are on.
On the Assessivo test, each correct answer is worth about 2.5 points, so 122 falls between two possible results: 120 for 26 correct answers and 123 for 27. How our score is worked out.
So if you scored 122 once, a retest on another day could reasonably land anywhere from 117 to 127. Online tests are less precise still, so treat any online result as a rough estimate.
IQ 122 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 122 would have meant for children of different ages: working ahead of their years.
| Real age | Mental age at IQ 122 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 6 years 1 month |
| 7 | 8 years 6 months |
| 9 | 11 years |
| 11 | 13 years 5 months |
| 13 | 15 years 10 months |
The same 122 stands for a gap of about 1 year 1 month at age 5 but 2 years 10 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 122 means for you
It sits near the bottom of the superior band, which runs from 120 to 129.
- You likely solve unfamiliar problems quickly and handle complex, abstract information well.
- Demanding academic and technical work often suits people in this range, although many other qualities decide success.
- It is below the 130 level that Mensa usually requires, but within reach of it on a good day or a different test.
How far 122 is from other levels
Famous names reported near 122
Very few famous people have published IQ scores, and most numbers online are invented. These are the ones with a documented report or a published estimate. Each is labelled so you can see what kind of figure it is.
Scored 123 on Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, given by Der Spiegel in Baku in 1987, and 135 on a test compiled by Hans Eysenck in the same session, a reminder that one person can score quite differently on two tests.
Tested score · Der Spiegel, "Genieblitze und Blackouts" (1987)How 122 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | 79th | High average | 1 in 5 |
| 117 | 87th | High average | 1 in 8 |
| 122 | 93rd | Superior | 1 in 14 |
| 127 | 96th | Superior | 1 in 28 |
| 132 | 98th | Very superior | 1 in 61 |
Questions about an IQ of 122
What percentile is an IQ of 122?
An IQ of 122 is at about the 93rd percentile, which means it is higher than about 93% of people of the same age.
Is 122 a high IQ?
It is well above average. Most definitions reserve "high IQ" for 130 and above, but 122 is higher than about 93% of people.
Can an IQ of 122 get into Mensa?
Not on its own. Mensa accepts the top 2% on an approved, supervised test, which is usually 130 or above. 122 is 8 points below that.
How common is an IQ of 122 or higher?
About 7% of people score 122 or higher, roughly 1 in 14. In a stadium of 50,000 people, about 3,560 would score at this level or above.
Is a child with a 122 IQ gifted?
It depends on the school or district. A 2012 survey found that no US state used one IQ score alone to identify gifted students, and most combined several measures. A 122 IQ is higher than about 93% of people, which meets some programmes' criteria but not those aimed at the top 2%, where the line sits near 130.
What mental age is an IQ of 122?
Under the old ratio formula, a 9-year-old with an IQ of 122 would perform like a typical child of about 11 years, roughly 24 months ahead. The idea only works for children: an adult who scores 122 simply did better than most adults of the same age on the test.
Is an IQ of 122 very high?
It is high: higher than about 9 in 10 people. Current children's tests label 120 to 129 very high. Most people reserve "very high" or "gifted" for 130 and above.
Can an IQ of 122 change?
A measured score can move a few points between tests because of measurement error and practice, so a result in the 120s on one test may come out higher or lower on another. Large, lasting changes are uncommon in adults, whose scores are usually stable over many years.
Is 122 good for a scientist or engineer?
It is a strong score for demanding technical work, but there is no IQ requirement for any profession. Training, persistence and curiosity matter at least as much.
See where 130 and the other benchmarks sit in what is a good IQ score?, and what higher scores do and don't predict in what IQ is. Average scores by occupation are on our IQ by profession page. Every score range is in the IQ range chart.
An IQ test arrives at a score like 122 by combining several kinds of task. Learn more about spatial reasoning, verbal reasoning, processing speed, fluid vs crystallized intelligence and abstract 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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