Genius
An IQ of 140 or above places you in the top 0.4% of the population — roughly 1 in every 261 people. This is the highest classification on the standard IQ scale and is often colloquially called "genius," though that term is not used in clinical psychometrics.
About the Genius range
What IQ 140+ actually means
A score of 140 or above on a standardised IQ test places you in the 99.6th percentile — only about 4 in every 1,000 people score at this level. On the Wechsler scale (the most widely used clinical IQ test), this range is classified as "Extremely High" or "Very Superior." The term "genius" is popular in common usage but is not a psychometric term.
At this level, the measurement becomes less precise. IQ tests are normed on large population samples, but the extreme tails of the bell curve contain very few people, making accurate calibration difficult. A score of 145 and a score of 160 are both extremely rare, but how meaningful the difference between them is remains contested among psychologists.
What research says about very high IQ
Longitudinal studies such as Terman's "Genetic Studies of Genius" and the SMPY (Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth) have tracked high-IQ individuals for decades. The findings are more nuanced than popular belief suggests: high-IQ individuals achieve more on average, but the relationship between IQ and creative achievement flattens above around IQ 120.
Personality traits — especially openness to experience and conscientiousness — are strong independent predictors of creative output. Many of the most influential scientists, writers, and artists in history were probably in the 120–135 range rather than 145+.
Common misconceptions
Claims that historical figures like Einstein, Newton, or da Vinci had IQs of 160–190 are retroactive fabrications. No IQ test was administered to any of them. These estimates are based on biographical details and are not methodologically valid.
Very high IQ does not protect against poor judgment, mental illness, social failure, or bad decision-making. The correlation between IQ and life outcomes weakens considerably above the 120–130 range.