IQ 116: what it means, percentile and how rare it is
An IQ score of 116 is higher than about 85.7% of people, which puts it in the 86th percentile. Roughly 1 in 7 people score higher than 116. On the WISC-V it is classified as High Average.
- Percentile
- 86th
- Higher than
- 85.7%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 7
- WISC-V classification
- High Average
What does an IQ of 116 mean?
- In a group of 100 people, about 14 would score higher than 116.
Scores from 110 to 119 are High Average, the step above the middle of the scale. About 16% of people score here.
People in this range usually pick up new material without much trouble and do well with problems that require reasoning. It is above most people, but still close enough to the middle that effort, knowledge and interest matter more than the difference between, say, 112 and 118.
Because of measurement error, scores just above 110 and just below 110 are practically the same result. Read the band as a range, not a hard line.
IQ 116 on other scales and tests
Different tests spread scores differently. The same rank as an IQ of 116 on an SD-15 test gives these numbers elsewhere:
| Scale | Equivalent score | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| SD 15: WISC-V, WAIS, Stanford-Binet 5 | 116 | High Average |
| WAIS-IV (older label) | 116 | High Average |
| Stanford-Binet 5 | 116 | High average |
| SD 16: older Stanford-Binet, Cattell Culture Fair | 117 | – |
| SD 24: Cattell III B | 126 | – |
How precise is an IQ score of 116?
No test measures IQ exactly. On individually administered tests such as the WAIS, the full-scale score comes with a 95% confidence interval of roughly ±5 points, so a result of 116 is best read as "probably somewhere between 111 and 121". Scores can also shift a few points between different tests or after a few years.
Online tests, including ours, are self-assessments. They are useful for curiosity and practice, but they are not a substitute for an assessment by a psychologist.
IQ scores near 116
| IQ score | Percentile | Higher than | WISC-V classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | 77th | 76.8% | High Average |
| 112 | 79th | 78.8% | High Average |
| 113 | 81st | 80.7% | High Average |
| 114 | 82nd | 82.5% | High Average |
| 115 | 84th | 84.1% | High Average |
| 116 | 86th | 85.7% | High Average |
| 117 | 87th | 87.1% | High Average |
| 118 | 88th | 88.5% | High Average |
| 119 | 90th | 89.7% | High Average |
| 120 | 91st | 90.9% | Very High |
| 121 | 92nd | 91.9% | Very High |
Check another IQ score
For example 98 for the top 2%.
- Percentile
- 86th
- Higher than
- 85.7%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 7
- Classification (WISC-V)
- High Average
IQ 116: frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 116 good?+
Yes. An IQ of 116 is above average: higher than about 85.7% of people. Tests classify it as High Average.
What percentile is an IQ of 116?+
An IQ of 116 is in the 86th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. It is higher than about 85.7% of people and lower than about 14.3%.
How rare is an IQ of 116?+
Roughly 1 in 7 people score higher than 116. In a group of 1,000 people you would expect about 143 to score higher.
Is 116 above average?+
Yes. The average is 100 and the Average range runs from 90 to 109, so 116 is in the next range up, High Average. It is higher than about 85.7% of people.