Famous People IQ Scores: Which Ones Are Real?
Most famous IQ scores have no source. We checked 19 famous people, from Einstein to Shakira, and graded each claim as tested, estimated or unsourced.
13 min read
IQ Scores & Percentiles
Understand what your IQ score means — the IQ scale, classification bands, percentiles, and the bell curve.
12 articles
Nikola Tesla IQ: Was It 160 or 310? What's Verified
No record shows Nikola Tesla took an IQ test — the first was published when he was 49. Where 160 and 310 come from, and why 310 is impossible.
11 min read
Stephen Hawking's IQ: Was It Really 160? What's Verified
Stephen Hawking never published an IQ score — he called people who boast about IQ "losers". Where the famous 160 comes from, what it would mean, and what his record shows.
8 min read
Einstein's IQ: Was It Really 160? What the Record Shows
Einstein never took an IQ test. Where the 160 figure came from, why earlier sources said 205 and 207, and why no one's IQ is meaningfully 160.
9 min read
Is an IQ Score in the 80s Good? What 80–89 Really Means
An IQ in the 80s is below average but normal — the 9th to 23rd percentile. What the “Low Average” label means, why it is not an intellectual disability, and how much the number is worth.
8 min read
The Highest IQ Ever Recorded: Why There Is No Answer
Guinness retired the highest-IQ record in 1990. Where the famous 228 came from, why the test's own manual capped at 170, and why no IQ above 200 is measured.
7 min read
Does IQ Predict Success? The Numbers Changed in 2022
The canonical .51 validity for cognitive ability was inflated by a flawed correction. The corrected figure is .31 — behind structured interviews and biodata.
6 min read
What Is a Good IQ Score? Average, High & Gifted Explained (2026)
What counts as a good IQ score? A clear beginner's guide to the average (90–109), high-average and superior (110–129), gifted (130+) and genius (140+) ranges, with percentile context, tables and real-world interpretations.
5 min read
Genius IQ — What Score Counts as Genius? (140+ Explained)
What IQ score is considered genius? Where 140, 145 and 160 sit on the scale, how rare each is, and the famous high-IQ figures often cited.
4 min read