What does an IQ of 121 mean?
Above the central range on the reference scale, at approximately percentile 91.92.
- IQ score
- 121
- Percentile
- 91.92
- At or above
- 8.08%
Normal reference · mean 100 · SD 15. These are calculated values, not observed starp population ranks.
Where 121 sits on the IQ scale
A score of 121 is 21 points above the mean. Dividing by the standard deviation gives (121 − 100) ÷ 15 = 1.4. The normal cumulative distribution converts that standardized position into percentile 91.92.
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 121?
Approximately 8.08% of this model lies at or above 121—about 1 in 12. This is a cumulative share, not the chance of scoring exactly 121. A continuous model does not assign a positive probability to one exact value.
Compared with IQ 115, the reference percentile is 7.79 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 116 and 121 or calculate 121 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 121. Its neighboring results are 120 for 26 correct answers and 126 for 27 correct answers out of 30. This guide explains the conventional scale value 121; it does not invent an intermediate starp result.
See the scoring method and how raw scores differ from IQ estimates.
Questions about IQ 121
Is 121 a good IQ score?
121 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 121?
On a normal scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 121 corresponds to approximately percentile 91.92. Around 8.08% of that model lies at or above it. Use an assessment's own norms for an actual reported rank.
Does an IQ of 121 mean 121% 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.