What does an IQ of 138 mean?
An IQ of 138 is higher than about 99.4% of people. Roughly 1 in 161 people score 138 or above.
20 puzzles, free to take, no sign-up. Most people don't finish.
Where 138 sits on the bell curve
IQ scores follow a bell curve with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. The shaded area shows the 99.4% of people who score below 138.
What the "Extremely high" range means
Scores of 130 and above are in the top 2% of the population, the range often described as "gifted". It is also roughly the entry threshold used by high-IQ societies such as Mensa.
In a room of 100 people, about 1 would score 138 or higher.
Careers that often suit an IQ around 138
Based on how complex each job is. Your strongest reasoning area (abstract, numerical or verbal) changes the picture a lot, and the full test report matches careers to your own strengths.
How exact is a single score?
No test measures IQ to the exact point. A score of 138 on a short test is best read as a range of roughly 133 to 143. That's why the report on this site gives a confidence band as well as a score.
Nearby scores
| IQ | Higher than | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | 98% | Extremely high |
| 134 | 99% | Extremely high |
| 136 | 99.1% | Extremely high |
| 140 | 99.6% | Extremely high |
| 142 | 99.7% | Extremely high |
| 144 | 99.8% | Extremely high |
Questions people ask
Is 138 a good IQ score?
Yes. An IQ of 138 is above average, higher than about 99.4% of people.
What percentile is an IQ of 138?
An IQ of 138 is at about the 99.4th percentile: it is higher than roughly 99.4% of the population.
How rare is an IQ of 138?
About 1 in 161 people score 138 or higher.
Can my IQ score change?
Scores on any single test vary by a few points from day to day because of sleep, focus and familiarity with the question types. Underlying reasoning ability is fairly stable in adults, but a single result should always be read as a range rather than an exact number.
20 puzzles, free to take, no sign-up. Most people don't finish.