What does an IQ of 118 mean?
Above the central range on the reference scale, at approximately percentile 88.49.
- IQ score
- 118
- Percentile
- 88.49
- At or above
- 11.51%
Normal reference · mean 100 · SD 15. These are calculated values, not observed starp population ranks.
Where 118 sits on the IQ scale
A score of 118 is 18 points above the mean. Dividing by the standard deviation gives (118 − 100) ÷ 15 = 1.2. The normal cumulative distribution converts that standardized position into percentile 88.49.
This is above the central 85–115 interval and below two standard deviations above the mean. It indicates a higher position on this reference scale; it is not a percentage of questions answered correctly or a prediction about a particular career.
How common is a score of 118?
Approximately 11.51% of this model lies at or above 118—about 1 in 9. This is a cumulative share, not the chance of scoring exactly 118. A continuous model does not assign a positive probability to one exact value.
Compared with IQ 115, the reference percentile is 4.36 percentage points higher. Equal IQ-point gaps do not create equal percentile gaps: the middle of the bell curve contains more area than its ends.
Compare nearby scores
Compare 113 and 118 or calculate 118 on another scale. A small difference between test results is not automatically a meaningful change.
How this relates to starp
starp's current scoring map does not produce exactly 118. Its neighboring results are 115 for 25 correct answers and 120 for 26 correct answers out of 30. This guide explains the conventional scale value 118; it does not invent an intermediate starp result.
See the scoring method and how raw scores differ from IQ estimates.
Questions about IQ 118
Is 118 a good IQ score?
118 is above the reference mean of 100. It is a higher score on that scale, but a number alone cannot establish a specific skill profile or predict success.
What percentile is an IQ of 118?
On a normal scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 118 corresponds to approximately percentile 88.49. Around 11.51% of that model lies at or above it. Use an assessment's own norms for an actual reported rank.
Does an IQ of 118 mean 118% correct?
No. IQ is a scaled score. Percentage correct depends on the questions and scoring rules; percentile describes a relative position. These three quantities are not interchangeable.
Method: NIST's normal-distribution formula. Percentiles here are calculated reference values, not observed starp population ranks. About starp scoring.