Average IQ by Age Calculator

The average IQ is 100 at every age, because IQ tests compare you only with people your own age. Enter your age and IQ to see your percentile and rarity for your age group.

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · How we make our tests

6 to 100

Average 100, standard deviation 15

Free by email

Four hard IQ puzzles this week

Do not have an IQ to enter yet? One missing-piece grid every couple of days, each harder than the last, with the answer and the rule in the next email.

Tapping the button means yes to this: Email me four IQ puzzles from LifeScore over the next week, each with the answer in the next email, plus LifeScore's IQ test and practice tests. After that, I'm happy to get LifeScore's occasional study tips and offers (about one email a week). Unsubscribe any time with one click. We keep your address only for these emails. Privacy policy

Average IQ by age chart: ages 6 to 18

Every year of childhood and adolescence has an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.

Average IQ for each age, with the usual test
AgeAverage IQMiddle two-thirdsTop 2% startsCommon test
610085 to 115130WISC-V
710085 to 115130WISC-V
810085 to 115130WISC-V
910085 to 115130WISC-V
1010085 to 115130WISC-V
1110085 to 115130WISC-V
1210085 to 115130WISC-V
1310085 to 115130WISC-V
1410085 to 115130WISC-V
1510085 to 115130WISC-V
1610085 to 115130WISC-V or WAIS-IV
1710085 to 115130WAIS-IV
1810085 to 115130WAIS-IV

Average IQ by age: adults

The average stays at 100. What changes is the raw ability behind it.

Adult age bands. Raw ability changes shown are averages from cross-sectional studies.
Age bandAverage IQWhat changes in raw ability
18 to 24100Processing speed peaks around 18 to 19. Fluid reasoning is still rising.
25 to 34100Fluid reasoning peaks in the early to mid 20s, then eases slowly. Working memory peaks around 30.
35 to 44100Speed and fluid reasoning drift down slowly. Vocabulary and knowledge keep growing.
45 to 54100The same pattern. Knowledge-based skills hold up well.
55 to 64100Speed is clearly slower than at 20. Vocabulary is still rising.
65 to 74100Vocabulary peaks in the late 60s on average. Speed and fluid reasoning are lower.
75 and over100People differ a lot. Many keep their vocabulary and knowledge.

Each age band is scored against its own norms, which is why the average stays at 100. The table shows what that 100 stands for. These are averages and individuals vary widely.

Why the average does not change

IQ tests are standardised so that the average score is 100 at every age. A child's result is compared with other children of the same age, and an adult's with adults in their own age band. A 115 at age 10 and a 115 at age 50 mean the same thing: about the 84.1th percentile for that age.

That makes an IQ score a rank, not a measure of how much you can do. Raw ability rises through childhood, peaks in different skills at different ages, and eases in later life. A score of 100 at 70 is a typical result for a 70-year-old, not the same raw performance as a typical 25-year-old.

For the research on when each ability peaks, read at what age is IQ highest. For a fuller guide with age-group pages, see average IQ by age. To see how rare a score is whatever your age, use how rare is my IQ.

Average IQ and IQ tests, by age

Each age group has its own page on the average: average IQ for children by age, the average IQ of a teenager, average IQ for adults by age and average IQ for seniors. To try the puzzles, see the IQ test for kids and children, the IQ test for teens and teenagers, the IQ test for adults and the IQ test for seniors.

Working from a child's age instead? The mental age calculator turns an IQ and an age into the old mental age figure. For one age at a time, start with the IQ test for 10 year olds or the IQ test for 15 year olds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average IQ for a 12 year old?

It is 100, the same as at every other age. IQ tests compare a child only with other children of the same age, so a typical 12-year-old scores 100 by design. A score of 115 or higher is above average for a 12-year-old, and 130 or higher is in the top 2%.

Why is the average IQ 100 at every age?

Because scores are age-normed. A test is given to a large sample at each age, and the average of that sample is set to 100. Your score tells you where you rank among people your own age, not how much you can do compared with a 25-year-old.

Is 110 a good IQ for my age?

It is above average at any age. An IQ of 110 is the 74.8th percentile, so you outscore about 74.8% of people your age. About 25% score 110 or higher, or 1 in 4.

What is a good IQ for a 10 year old?

Any score from 90 to 110 is average for a 10-year-old. An IQ of 115 is the 84.1th percentile, and 130 is the 97.7th. The age-specific number is not different, only the group you are compared with.

Does IQ go down with age?

Your IQ score stays near the same rank, because it compares you with people your own age. Raw ability does change. Processing speed peaks in the late teens, fluid reasoning in the early to mid 20s and vocabulary much later, in the 60s. So an average 70-year-old and an average 25-year-old both score 100 but differ in speed and in knowledge.

At what age is IQ highest?

It depends on the ability. Speed peaks first, reasoning and memory a little later, and vocabulary last. The full picture is in at what age is IQ highest.

Can a child's IQ change?

Yes. Scores in childhood are less stable than in adulthood and can move by several points between tests. Education, sleep, health and the day of testing all play a part, and so does simple measurement error.

Is an IQ test for a child the same as for an adult?

They use the same scale, with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Children take tests designed for their age, such as the WISC-V for ages 6 to 16, and adults take tests such as the WAIS-IV.

What is the average IQ of adults over 60?

Also 100, because adult tests are normed within age bands. A 65-year-old who scores 100 is average for 65-year-olds. Compared with young adults, the same raw performance would give a lower number.

Is 130 gifted at any age?

Yes, as a rule. An IQ of 130 is the 97.7th percentile at every age, which is the top 2.3% of people, about 1 in 44.

Next in IQ calculators

Up next

Mental age test

How old does your mind act?

More in IQ calculators

Related tools

What's your IQ?

Take the IQ test

25 questions · about 12 minutes