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.
Understand what your IQ score means — the IQ scale, classification bands, percentiles, and the bell curve.
9 articles
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.
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.
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.
The canonical .51 validity for cognitive ability was inflated by a flawed correction. The corrected figure is .31 — behind structured interviews and biodata.
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.
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.
Convert any IQ score to a percentile with our interactive calculator. See exactly what share of people you score above on the standard mean-100, SD-15 scale.
The full IQ score chart at a glance: look up any score to see its classification band, percentile, rarity, and share of the population, plus the bell curve — the complete reference scale (mean 100, SD 15).
Just got an IQ score? A plain-English guide to interpreting your own result — what your percentile means, whether the number is 'good', and what it does and doesn't predict about you. (For the at-a-glance reference table, see the IQ score chart.)