What does an IQ of 86 mean?
Below the average on the reference scale, at approximately percentile 17.53.
- IQ score
- 86
- Percentile
- 17.53
- At or above
- 82.47%
Normal reference · mean 100 · SD 15. These are calculated values, not observed starp population ranks.
Where 86 sits on the IQ scale
A score of 86 is 14 points below the mean. Dividing by the standard deviation gives (86 − 100) ÷ 15 = -0.93. The normal cumulative distribution converts that standardized position into percentile 17.53.
This lies in the lower half of the central 85–115 interval. A position below the mean is a comparison with the scale center, not a statement that every reasoning skill is below average.
How common is a score of 86?
Approximately 17.53% of this model lies at or below 86—about 1 in 6. This is a cumulative share, not the chance of scoring exactly 86. A continuous model does not assign a positive probability to one exact value.
Compared with IQ 85, the reference percentile is 1.67 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 81 and 86 or calculate 86 on another scale. A small difference between test results is not automatically a meaningful change.
How this relates to starp
starp's current 30-question scoring map produces 86 from 19 correct answers (63.33% correct). That accuracy percentage is different from the normal-model percentile above. The scoring map was calibrated with 12,700 simulated assessments; it is not population norming.
See the scoring method and how raw scores differ from IQ estimates.
Questions about IQ 86
Is 86 a good IQ score?
86 is below the reference mean of 100. It should be interpreted in the context of the test, rather than as a verdict on a person's abilities or future.
What percentile is an IQ of 86?
On a normal scale with mean 100 and standard deviation 15, 86 corresponds to approximately percentile 17.53. Around 82.47% of that model lies at or above it. Use an assessment's own norms for an actual reported rank.
Does an IQ of 86 mean 86% 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.