Did Einstein ever take an IQ test?
There is no record that Einstein took an IQ test. No test result or other traceable record supports a score attributed to him, so the claim cannot be checked as a measured result.
The missing record does not prove that he never took any kind of reasoning assessment. It means there is no known IQ test result to report. A careful account distinguishes an absent record from proof that an event was impossible.
Where did the score of 160 come from?
The figure of 160 is an estimate repeated by the press, with no traceable test or primary source behind it. It is a claim about Einstein, not a documented score from a test he took.
Repeated claims can sound settled, but repetition does not supply a test record. The figure is best described as an unverified estimate. The same issue comes up with Stephen Hawking's IQ when a score circulates without a documented test.
Why would a test from his time be hard to compare?
IQ tests were still young during Einstein's time. The tests and scoring practices then were not the same as the modern reference scales people usually have in mind when they repeat a single number.
A result from an earlier test would need context: which test was used, how it was scored, and what comparison group gave it meaning. Without those details, translating a historical result into a modern figure would be uncertain. A supposed score should not be read like a current test report.
What would 160 mean on today's scale?
On today's IQ curve, 160 corresponds to about 1 in 32,000 people. That describes the rarity of a score at that level under the curve; it does not show that Einstein received one.
A score at the top end also needs context about test limits. The WAIS-IV full-scale range is 40-160, and Wechsler scales are not considered adequate beyond that range. For more context, see the IQ scale and IQ 160.
Why are famous historical IQ scores guesses?
Famous historical IQ figures are guesses when no test record can be traced. Achievements, biographies, and later retellings cannot show what someone would have scored on a particular test.
A person's work can be studied directly, but an unrecorded test result cannot be recovered from that work. Giving a precise number to an unsupported estimate makes it sound more certain than the evidence allows.