What IQ is considered genius?
No test publisher defines a genius score. The popular numbers come from history, not from a rule.
There is no official line
Test manuals describe scores above about 130 as very high or with similar words. None of them uses genius as a category, because a test measures reasoning on its tasks, not achievement or creativity.
Where 135 and 140 come from
In 1921 the psychologist Lewis Terman began a long study of gifted children. Sources describe the entry line as an IQ of about 135, roughly 1 child in 100. Popular writing often repeats 140 as the genius line instead.
How rare high scores are
The table shows how many people score at or above each line on the standard scale, where the average is 100 and one step is 15 points. These shares follow from the shape of the curve, not from our test.
| Score | Share at or above | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 130 | 2.3% | 44 |
| 135 | 1% | 102 |
| 140 | 0.38% | 261 |
| 145 | 0.13% | 741 |
| 150 | 0.04% | 2,330 |
| 160 | 0.003% | 31,560 |
What Terman’s children became
The study followed the children for decades. They were at least as healthy as others and had ordinary personalities, but a high score did not guarantee creativity or fame.
What about the IQ of famous people?
The first intelligence test appeared in 1905, so many famous scientists of the past were never tested. Numbers quoted for them are guesses from biographies, not results.
Where our test fits
Online tests are least precise at the very top of the scale. Our free test gives an estimate on a provisional scale and cannot tell whether someone is at 140 or 160.
Sources
- Terman, Lewis Madison. Encyclopedia.com (Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography)
- Lewis Terman. Wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-03
A summary of published research, not medical, career or psychological advice. A correlation describes groups, not any one person. This text has not yet been reviewed by a psychologist.