IQ 86: what it means, percentile and how rare it is
An IQ score of 86 is higher than about 17.5% of people, which puts it in the 18th percentile. Roughly 1 in 5.7 people score lower than 86. On the WISC-V it is classified as Low Average.
- Percentile
- 18th
- Higher than
- 17.5%
- People scoring lower
- 1 in 5.7
- WISC-V classification
- Low Average
What does an IQ of 86 mean?
- In a group of 100 people, about 18 would score lower than 86.
Scores from 80 to 89 are Low Average. About 16% of people score here, so it is a common range just below the middle of the bell curve.
Most people with low-average scores manage school, work and everyday life without any special support. They may need a bit more time or practice with abstract, unfamiliar or fast-paced material, and they often do best with clear, practical explanations.
This is not a clinical category. Measurement error, tiredness, test anxiety or unfamiliarity with the question types can easily move a score by several points, especially on an online test.
IQ 86 on other scales and tests
Different tests spread scores differently. The same rank as an IQ of 86 on an SD-15 test gives these numbers elsewhere:
| Scale | Equivalent score | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| SD 15: WISC-V, WAIS, Stanford-Binet 5 | 86 | Low Average |
| WAIS-IV (older label) | 86 | Low Average |
| Stanford-Binet 5 | 86 | Low average |
| SD 16: older Stanford-Binet, Cattell Culture Fair | 85 | – |
| SD 24: Cattell III B | 78 | – |
How precise is an IQ score of 86?
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 86 is best read as "probably somewhere between 81 and 91". 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 86
Check another IQ score
For example 98 for the top 2%.
- Percentile
- 18th
- Higher than
- 17.5%
- People scoring lower
- 1 in 5.7
- Classification (WISC-V)
- Low Average
IQ 86: frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 86 good?+
It is a little below the average of 100, but it is not low in any clinical sense. An IQ of 86 is higher than about 17.5% of people and falls in the Low Average range, where about 16% of people score.
What percentile is an IQ of 86?+
An IQ of 86 is in the 18th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. It is higher than about 17.5% of people and lower than about 82.5%.
How rare is an IQ of 86?+
Roughly 1 in 5.7 people score lower than 86. In a group of 1,000 people you would expect about 175 to score lower.
Is an IQ of 86 low?+
It is below the average of 100, but it is not considered low in a clinical sense. 86 is in the Low Average range, one step below Average, and it is higher than about 17.5% of people. Most people with this score live, study and work without any special support.