You may have heard of other famous people achieving IQ scores of 140, but what does that actually mean? What percentile is an IQ score of 140? Do they qualify as genius? How difficult is it to get an IQ score of 140? We will answer all of these questions below.
140 IQ Score
An IQ score of 140 is remarkable as it is a level achieved by very few individuals as it places them in the top 2% of intelligence compared to the general population. The average IQ score ranges between 85 and 115, with roughly 2/3rds of individuals scoring within this range. On the other hand, only one person in 50 will score within 1 standard deviation above average. This means that an IQ score of 130 is around the 68th percentile and a score of 140 puts you at about the 98th percentile.
The average IQ score of doctors is 120 and engineers typically have an average IQ score of 115. This means that most individuals with a 140 IQ score will likely excel in these fields if they do not already work in these career paths.
140 IQ percentile
An IQ of 140 is in the 98.7th percentile, meaning that someone with an IQ of 140 or higher will score better than 98.7% of other people who take the test. If you have a score as high as 140 you are considered smarter than 98 out of 100 people your same age or profession.
Do people with an IQ score of 140 qualify as geniuses?
While official IQ scores do not quantify someone officially as a “genius”, it is generally agreed that when someone achieves an IQ of 140, they are considered a genius by their peers.
The term ‘genius’ is highly subjective and means different things to different people, but many psychologists agree that individuals who score within the top 1% in terms of intelligence are likely to be considered geniuses by their peers.
Individuals who have an IQ score of 140 are certainly not the highest scorers on IQ tests. In recent years, some people have been able to score as high as 170+ and this would put them in a whole new category.
It should be noted that most geniuses throughout history had IQ scores well above 140. The likes of Einstein, Mozart, and other historical figures likely had IQ scores over 160.
The difficulty of an IQ score of 140
An easy way to look at how challenging it is to achieve an IQ score of 140 is to consider the difficulty of getting into Harvard. Harvard, Stanford, and MIT accept around 6% of their applicants. Given that half or more of their applicants are likely in the top 1% when it comes to academic performance, the percentage of applicants who score within the top 2% in terms of intelligence is likely around 1.2%. This means that it will be considerably more difficult to get into Harvard (or other elite colleges) with an IQ score of 140 than it will be to achieve your desired score on an official IQ test, where you are taking all the same questions that everyone else is.
The percentile for an IQ score of 140 means that not all people who achieve such a score will be geniuses (individuals who truly stand out from their peers and think in novel ways). However, if you find yourself scoring within the 98th percentile, you should feel accomplished as this suggests that your cognitive abilities are better than about 98% of the population.
What is required to achieve an IQ score of 140?
While it is extremely rare to have reached an IQ score of 140, it is not impossible for less intelligent individuals to achieve such a score.
While some people who reach this level are naturally gifted in terms of intelligence (they did nothing to get there) other individuals could have achieved similar scores simply by putting in the time and effort necessary to make the most of their cognitive abilities.
The key point to take away from this is that it is not impossible for someone with average intelligence to score at a level that would put them in the top 1%.
How to Increase IQ Score
Understanding how to increase your score on an IQ test is challenging as multiple factors could be critical: motivation, education, practice tests (used in preparation), etc. While we cannot tell you how to accomplish your goal of increasing your score, we can tell you the best way to prepare for an IQ test.
By taking practice tests and reviewing the types of questions that were on each test, you will be able to improve your score on future tests by having some experience with what you are likely to face.
Because of the vast number of questions that are present on IQ tests, you cannot expect to answer all questions correctly, so consider taking at least three full-length practice tests before attempting an official test.
With enough time, preparation, and hard work, you may be able to increase your score, possibly to a level of 140 or higher!
Famous People with IQ Scores of 140
There have been many famous individuals who have reportedly scored 140 on an IQ test. Here is a list of some of the most well-known individuals.
| Name | IQ Score Ben Shapiro | 140 Shakira | 140 Kesha | 140 Natalie Portman | 140 Madonna | 140 Hillary Clinton | 140 Geena Davis | 140 Frank Abagnale | 140 Geena Davis | 140 Robin Williams | 140 George Washington | 140 Neil Armstrong | 140 Walt Disney | 140 Martin Luther King Jr. | 140 Vin Diesel | 140 Stan Lee | 140 Alfred Binet | 140 Audrey Hepburn | 140 Robert E. Lee | 140 Sasha Grey | 140 Che Guevara | 140 Charlie Chaplin | 140 Dr. Seuss | 140 Sylvia Plath | 140 Song Joong Ki | 140 Scott Adams | 140 Claire Danes | 140 Anna Faris | 140 |
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