IQ 110: percentile and what it means

An IQ score of 110 is at the 74.8th percentile: three in four people score at or below it. It begins the commonly used High Average band, which runs from 110 to 119.

IQ 110 in numbers

Percentileof people score at or below	74.8
Rarityat or above	1 in 4.0
Commonly used band110 to 119	High Average

Band labels are the commonly used WISC-V ones, as listed by Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities: Understanding IQ Test Scores. Labels are conventions in common use; each test publisher words its own.

Where it sits on the curve

Shaded: the people who score above it (25.2%).

The same position on other scales

Same percentile on every row; the number changes because the scales use different standard deviations.

Scale	Score	Percentile
SD 15	110	74.8
SD 16	111	74.8
SD 24	116	74.8

How common is a score of 110?

A score of 110 is at the 74.8th percentile. The remaining 25.2 percent score above it, so roughly one in four score above this point.

Percentiles show a score’s place in a comparison group. They do not show how many test questions someone answered correctly. Use the IQ percentile calculator to see how scores map to percentiles.

What changes between Average and High Average?

The band label changes at 110, but that boundary does not mark a sharp change in ability. The nonprofit that lists commonly used WISC-V labels places 110 to 119 in the High Average band.

Wechsler scores use a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, putting 110 at 0.7 standard deviations above the mean. A label summarizes a score, but cannot describe every part of a person’s reasoning. See IQ 100 for the scale’s center.

Can a test margin move 110 across a band line?

Yes. When a test’s margin of measurement is considered, a score near a boundary can fall on either side. The reported number is an estimate from a particular test, so the label at 110 is not a hard dividing line.

The scale also affects the number used to express a score. Older Stanford-Binet editions use a standard deviation of 16, while the Cattell scale uses 24; equivalent positions can have different numbers. Learn how IQ standard deviation affects comparisons.

Questions

Is an IQ of 110 good?

It is above the Wechsler mean and at the 74.8th percentile. “Good” is a value judgment. A score alone does not measure a person’s worth or describe all of their skills.

Is 110 an Average or High Average IQ?

In commonly used WISC-V labels, 110 starts the High Average band, which runs from 110 to 119. Other tests and labeling systems may set boundaries differently, so check which test and scale a score uses.

Could a score just below 110 mean the same thing?

Scores close to a boundary can overlap when the test’s margin of measurement is considered. A small gap between reported numbers does not necessarily indicate a clear difference in reasoning ability. The test report can explain its margin.