IQ 118: what it means, percentile and how rare it is
An IQ score of 118 is higher than about 88.5% of people, which puts it in the 88th percentile. Roughly 1 in 8.7 people score higher than 118. On the WISC-V it is classified as High Average.
- Percentile
- 88th
- Higher than
- 88.5%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 8.7
- WISC-V classification
- High Average
What does an IQ of 118 mean?
- In a group of 100 people, about 12 would score higher than 118.
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 118 on other scales and tests
Different tests spread scores differently. The same rank as an IQ of 118 on an SD-15 test gives these numbers elsewhere:
| Scale | Equivalent score | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| SD 15: WISC-V, WAIS, Stanford-Binet 5 | 118 | High Average |
| WAIS-IV (older label) | 118 | High Average |
| Stanford-Binet 5 | 118 | High average |
| SD 16: older Stanford-Binet, Cattell Culture Fair | 119 | – |
| SD 24: Cattell III B | 129 | – |
How precise is an IQ score of 118?
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 118 is best read as "probably somewhere between 113 and 123". 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 118
| IQ score | Percentile | Higher than | WISC-V classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 122 | 93rd | 92.9% | Very High |
| 123 | 94th | 93.7% | Very High |
Check another IQ score
For example 98 for the top 2%.
- Percentile
- 88th
- Higher than
- 88.5%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 8.7
- Classification (WISC-V)
- High Average
IQ 118: frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 118 good?+
Yes. An IQ of 118 is above average: higher than about 88.5% of people. Tests classify it as High Average.
What percentile is an IQ of 118?+
An IQ of 118 is in the 88th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. It is higher than about 88.5% of people and lower than about 11.5%.
How rare is an IQ of 118?+
Roughly 1 in 8.7 people score higher than 118. In a group of 1,000 people you would expect about 115 to score higher.
Is 118 above average?+
Yes. The average is 100 and the Average range runs from 90 to 109, so 118 is in the next range up, High Average. It is higher than about 88.5% of people.