Does a 131 IQ bring more anxiety?
Yes. An IQ of 131 is in the very superior range, the top 2% or so of the population. It meets the usual entry level for Mensa on a supervised test.
Where 131 sits on the bell curve
An IQ of 131 is 31 points above the average of 100, or 2.07 standard deviations. It is higher than about 98% of people of the same age, shown by the shaded area below. Past 130 the curve is almost flat against the axis: only about 2 people in 100 reach this far.
On other IQ scales, the same result would be about 133 on a test with a standard deviation of 16, such as older editions of the Stanford-Binet, and 150 on the Cattell scale, which uses 24. Why scales differ.
IQ 131 meaning: a closer look
At 131, you are just past the two-standard-deviation mark and higher than about 98% of people. Roughly one in 52 score at this level or above. On a supervised, approved test, a 131 would usually meet Mensa's requirement. In a class of 30, you would almost always be the highest scorer. Scores at this height vary more between tests, so if you have results from several tests, the average of them is a better guide than any one.
Does a high IQ make anxiety more likely? Two studies disagree
A 2018 paper in the journal Intelligence surveyed 3,715 members of American Mensa, whose scores are in the top 2%. According to Scientific American's summary, 20% reported a diagnosed anxiety disorder and 26.7% a mood disorder, against national averages of around 10% for each. The authors proposed a "hyper brain/hyper body" theory. But the results were correlational and self-reported, they were compared with national figures rather than a matched group, and Mensa members may differ from other people in more ways than IQ.
A larger UK Biobank study compared 16,137 adults with general ability at least 2 standard deviations above the mean, roughly an IQ of 130 or more, with 236,273 adults of average ability. The high-ability group had lower odds of general anxiety (odds ratio 0.69) and of PTSD, though slightly more allergies. For someone with a 131 IQ, the better-supported answer is that high intelligence does not, on average, raise the risk of anxiety. Anyone who feels anxious deserves support, whatever their score.
Sources: Karpinski et al. (2018), "High intelligence: A risk factor for psychological and physiological overexcitabilities", Intelligence; Williams et al. (2023), "High intelligence is not associated with a greater propensity for mental health disorders", European Psychiatry.
What 131 looks like among real people
If you lined up 100 people of your age, about 98 would score lower than 131 and about 2 would score the same or higher. The orange dot marks your place in the line.
In a room of 100 people, typically only about 2 would score 130 or higher.
How precise is a score of 131?
No IQ test measures to the exact point. On a professional test, a result of 131 usually comes with a likely range of about five points either way: 126 to 136. That range runs from the 96th to the 99.1th percentile, and it crosses from superior into very superior.
Scores this high are rare, so tests have fewer people to compare you with and become less precise. Two good tests can disagree by more than they would near 100.
On the Assessivo test, each correct answer is worth about 2.5 points, so 131 falls between two possible results: 130 for 30 correct answers and 133 for 31. How our score is worked out.
So if you scored 131 once, a retest on another day could reasonably land anywhere from 126 to 136. Online tests are less precise still, so treat any online result as a rough estimate.
IQ 131 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 131 would have meant for children of different ages: working ahead of their years.
| Real age | Mental age at IQ 131 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 6 years 7 months |
| 7 | 9 years 2 months |
| 9 | 11 years 9 months |
| 11 | 14 years 5 months |
| 13 | 17 years |
The same 131 stands for a gap of about 1 year 7 months at age 5 but 4 years 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 131 means for you
It sits near the bottom of the very superior band, which runs from 130 to 145.
- You likely find abstract reasoning, patterns and complex problems easier than almost everyone around you.
- This is the level many schools and societies use as a benchmark, such as Mensa's top 2%.
- A high score doesn't measure creativity, emotional understanding or persistence, which matter just as much.
How far 131 is from other levels
How 131 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 92nd | Superior | 1 in 12 |
| 126 | 96th | Superior | 1 in 24 |
| 131 | 98th | Very superior | 1 in 52 |
| 136 | 99.1th | Very superior | 1 in 122 |
| 141 | 99.6th | Very superior | 1 in 319 |
Questions about an IQ of 131
What percentile is an IQ of 131?
An IQ of 131 is at about the 98th percentile, which means it is higher than about 98% of people of the same age.
Is 131 a high IQ?
Yes. 131 is a high IQ by any common definition, in the top 2% of the population.
Can an IQ of 131 get into Mensa?
On most tests, yes. Mensa accepts people who score in the top 2% on an approved, supervised test, which is 130 or above on tests that use a standard deviation of 15. Online test scores are not accepted.
How common is an IQ of 131 or higher?
About 2% of people score 131 or higher, roughly 1 in 52. In a stadium of 50,000 people, about 969 would score at this level or above.
Are people with a 131 IQ more anxious?
Not on average, according to the strongest evidence. A survey of Mensa members reported high rates of anxiety, but it relied on self-report and had no matched comparison group. A UK Biobank study of more than 250,000 adults found that people with very high ability had lower odds of general anxiety. Anxiety deserves support at any score.
What mental age is an IQ of 131?
Under the old ratio formula, a 9-year-old with an IQ of 131 would perform like a typical child of about 11 years 9 months, roughly 33 months ahead. The idea only works for children: an adult who scores 131 simply did better than most adults of the same age on the test.
Should I take a professional test with a score of 131?
If you want an official result, for example to join Mensa or for a school programme, yes: only an approved test given under supervision counts. A psychologist can give one, and Mensa runs its own supervised testing sessions.
Is 131 a gifted IQ?
Often, yes. There is no single definition, but 130, two standard deviations above average, is a common benchmark for giftedness. Schools also look at more than one score.
Is an IQ of 131 genius?
No test uses the word genius. In everyday use people usually mean 140 or more, but the label says little: real achievement depends on much more than a score.
Our guide to what counts as a good IQ score covers the high-IQ societies, Mensa IQ requirements lists the qualifying score on each test, and IQ of famous people shows where well-known names really stand. Every score range is in the IQ range chart.
An IQ test arrives at a score like 131 by combining several kinds of task. Learn more about abstract reasoning, spatial reasoning, verbal reasoning, processing speed and fluid vs crystallized intelligence, or try the free pattern recognition test.
Many famous IQ figures are guesses. See what is really known about Stephen Hawking's IQ, Bill Gates' IQ, Elon Musk's IQ, Garry Kasparov's IQ, Terence Tao's IQ, Einstein's IQ, Isaac Newton's IQ and Nikola Tesla's IQ.
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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