IQ 142: what it means, percentile and how rare it is
An IQ score of 142 is higher than about 99.74% of people, which puts it in the 99.74th percentile. Roughly 1 in 391 people score higher than 142. On the WISC-V it is classified as Extremely High.
- Percentile
- 99.74th
- Higher than
- 99.74%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 391
- WISC-V classification
- Extremely High
What does an IQ of 142 mean?
- 142 is above the top-2% line Mensa uses for admission (130 on the Wechsler scales), if it comes from an approved, supervised test.
130 and above is the Extremely High range on the WISC-V (Very Superior on the WAIS-IV). Only about 2% of people score 130 or higher, and the Stanford-Binet 5 calls 130 to 144 "gifted or very advanced".
Scores in this range usually mean fast learning, strong abstract reasoning and an easy grasp of complex patterns. Many school gifted programmes use 130 as their cut-off, and it is the line Mensa uses on the Wechsler scales.
A high IQ predicts academic success on average, but it does not guarantee achievement, creativity or wellbeing. Interests, effort, knowledge and opportunity explain a large part of what people actually do with their ability.
IQ 142 on other scales and tests
Different tests spread scores differently. The same rank as an IQ of 142 on an SD-15 test gives these numbers elsewhere:
| Scale | Equivalent score | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| SD 15: WISC-V, WAIS, Stanford-Binet 5 | 142 | Extremely High |
| WAIS-IV (older label) | 142 | Very Superior |
| Stanford-Binet 5 | 142 | Gifted or very advanced |
| SD 16: older Stanford-Binet, Cattell Culture Fair | 145 | – |
| SD 24: Cattell III B | 167 | – |
How precise is an IQ score of 142?
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 142 is best read as "probably somewhere between 137 and 147". 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 142
| IQ score | Percentile | Higher than | WISC-V classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 137 | 99th | 99.32% | Extremely High |
| 138 | 99th | 99.44% | Extremely High |
| 139 | 99.53th | 99.53% | Extremely High |
| 140 | 99.62th | 99.62% | Extremely High |
| 141 | 99.69th | 99.69% | Extremely High |
| 142 | 99.74th | 99.74% | Extremely High |
| 143 | 99.79th | 99.79% | Extremely High |
| 144 | 99.83th | 99.83% | Extremely High |
| 145 | 99.87th | 99.87% | Extremely High |
| 146 | 99.89th | 99.89% | Extremely High |
| 147 | 99.914th | 99.914% | Extremely High |
Check another IQ score
For example 98 for the top 2%.
- Percentile
- 99.74th
- Higher than
- 99.74%
- People scoring higher
- 1 in 391
- Classification (WISC-V)
- Extremely High
IQ 142: frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 142 good?+
Yes, very. An IQ of 142 is higher than about 99.74% of people and falls in the Extremely High range on the WISC-V, the top 2% of the population.
What percentile is an IQ of 142?+
An IQ of 142 is in the 99.74th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. It is higher than about 99.74% of people and lower than about 0.26%.
How rare is an IQ of 142?+
Roughly 1 in 391 people score higher than 142. In a group of 1,000 people you would expect about 2.6 to score higher.
Is 142 a genius IQ?+
"Genius" isn't a scientific category. 142 is classified as Extremely High on the WISC-V and is higher than about 99.74% of people, which many people would call gifted. Informal genius lines usually start at 140 or 145.