IQ 130: percentile and rarity

On the SD 15 scale, IQ 130 is two standard deviations above the mean and begins the Extremely High band. About 1 in 44 scores are this high or higher.

IQ 130 in numbers

Percentileof people score at or below	97.7
Rarityat or above	1 in 44
Commonly used band130 and above	Extremely High

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 (2.3%).

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	130	97.7
SD 16	132	97.7
SD 24	148	97.7

How rare is IQ 130?

On the SD 15 scale, about 1 in 44 scores are this high or higher. The score is higher than 97.7 percent of scores.

That rank places 130 near the upper end of the distribution. It is a comparison with a test's reference group, not a description of how someone performs in every setting. The IQ percentile calculator can show ranks for other scores.

How close is 130 to Mensa's requirement?

IQ 130 sits just below the point where the top 2 percent begins on the SD 15 scale. Our calculation from the normal curve places that point at 130.8.

Mensa states its requirement as the top 2 percent, with qualifying scores of 132 on Stanford-Binet and 148 on Cattell. Its Mensa requirement page gives those scale-specific figures.

Why can 130 have a different rank on another test?

The same score value can mark different positions when tests use different standard deviations. At the same relative position as 130 on SD 15, the figures are 132 on SD 16 and 148 on SD 24.

This is why a score needs its test scale for a rank comparison. A score of 130 on SD 16 is not automatically equivalent in rank to 130 on SD 15. The IQ standard deviation page explains this comparison.

Questions

Is IQ 130 considered Extremely High?

Yes. IQ 130 is the start of the Extremely High band. The band name labels a score range; it does not describe a person's strengths, needs, or performance in daily life.

Is IQ 130 in the top 2 percent?

It is just below the top 2 percent boundary on the SD 15 scale. The boundary is a normal-curve calculation, while Mensa describes its own requirement as the top 2 percent and lists qualifying scores by test scale.

Does IQClock tell me whether my IQ is 130?

No. IQClock's timed reasoning test does not print an IQ number. A score such as 130 comes from a normed test, and its rank depends on that test's scale and reference group.