What does an IQ of 79 mean?
An IQ of 79 is higher than about 7.6% of people.
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Where 79 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 7.6% of people who score below 79.
What the "Very low" range means
Scores from 70 to 79 are below average. On a short online test, a result here often reflects time pressure, distraction or unfamiliar question types as much as ability, so treat it with caution.
In a room of 100 people, about 92 would score 79 or higher.
Careers that often suit an IQ around 79
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 79 on a short test is best read as a range of roughly 74 to 84. That's why the report on this site gives a confidence band as well as a score.
Nearby scores
| IQ | Higher than | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | 3.3% | Very low |
| 75 | 4.5% | Very low |
| 77 | 5.9% | Very low |
| 81 | 9.7% | Low average |
| 83 | 12% | Low average |
| 85 | 15% | Low average |
Questions people ask
Is 79 a good IQ score?
An IQ of 79 is below the average of 100. On a short online test, results in this range are often affected by time pressure, so it's worth retaking it in a quiet setting.
What percentile is an IQ of 79?
An IQ of 79 is at about the 7.6th percentile: it is higher than roughly 7.6% of the population.
How rare is an IQ of 79?
More than half of people score 79 or higher, so it isn't rare.
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.
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