Short answer: An IQ of 122 is superior: higher than about 93 percent of people, roughly 1 in 14. It sits just past 120, where the WAIS-IV's High Average band ends and its Superior band begins. It does not qualify for Mensa, which requires 130. On an SD 16 scale it reads as about 123; on the SD 24 Cattell scale, about 135.
Shaded: the share of people who score higher on a mean-100, SD-15 scale.
At a glance
| Percentile | 92.88th (7.12% score higher) |
|---|---|
| Rarity | About 1 in 14 |
| Wechsler classification | Superior (WAIS-IV) / Very High (WAIS-5) |
| Stanford-Binet 5 classification | Superior |
| On an SD 16 scale | About 123 |
| On an SD 24 (Cattell) scale | About 135 |
| Mensa eligible? | No (cutoff 130) |
What an IQ of 122 means
A 122 is 1.47 standard deviations above the mean of 100. It sits at the 92.88th percentile, so 7.12 percent of people score higher. In an office of 70 people, about five would reach it.
The WAIS-IV labels it Superior, the WAIS-5 Very High, and the Stanford-Binet 5 Superior. All three place it in the band from 120 to 129, one step below the Very Superior or Gifted range that opens at 130.
High average or superior? The 120 line
On the WAIS-IV, 110 to 119 is High Average and 120 to 129 is Superior. A 122 is two points past the boundary. With a 95 percent error band of roughly five points either way, the same person's true score could sit anywhere from about 117 to 127, on either side of the line.
The labels are conventions, and they have moved. Lewis Terman's 1916 Stanford-Binet called 110 to 120 superior intelligence and 120 to 140 very superior. By that older yardstick a 122 would have earned the grander title. Every modern band is set out in IQ scale classification; the boundary score itself is covered at IQ 120.
How rare is 122?
| IQ | Percentile | Score higher | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 117 | 87.1 | 12.9% | 1 in 8 |
| 120 | 90.9 | 9.1% | 1 in 11 |
| 121 | 91.9 | 8.1% | 1 in 12 |
| 122 | 92.9 | 7.1% | 1 in 14 |
| 123 | 93.7 | 6.3% | 1 in 16 |
| 125 | 95.2 | 4.8% | 1 in 21 |
Five points separate 117 from 122, and in that span rarity nearly doubles. Compare IQ 121, IQ 123 and IQ 117, or scan the full IQ rarity chart.
Is 122 a good IQ? What it predicts at work
A 122 is a clear asset. How large an asset has become a live scientific argument. In 1998 Frank Schmidt and John Hunter estimated that general mental ability predicted job performance with a corrected validity of .51, a figure cited across personnel psychology for two decades.
Paul Sackett and colleagues challenged it. In the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2022 they argued that earlier corrections for range restriction were too aggressive and put the figure at .31. A 2023 follow-up covering 153 samples and 40,740 workers from 2000 to 2021 found a corrected validity of .22. The authors concluded that cognitive ability is related to job performance, but more weakly than earlier estimates claimed. In the 2022 analysis, structured interviews ranked higher, at .42.
The practical reading: a 122 helps, while experience, conscientiousness and skill account for much of what separates one employee from another. Our guide to what counts as a high IQ covers the broader evidence.
Testing a 122 properly
A score near a band boundary deserves a precise instrument. Look for a full standardized test, such as the WAIS-IV, WAIS-5 or Stanford-Binet 5, given by a licensed psychologist, with the confidence interval on the report. Our free IQ test is a practice screener that offers a quick estimate only; are online IQ tests accurate? explains why.
Scores near 122
Frequently asked questions
Is 122 a good IQ?
Yes. An IQ of 122 is higher than about 93 percent of people and falls in the Superior band of the WAIS-IV and the Stanford-Binet 5. It predicts an easier time with complex material on average, though recent research suggests its link to job performance is more modest than once believed.
Is an IQ of 122 high average or superior?
Superior. The WAIS-IV defines High Average as 110 to 119 and Superior as 120 to 129, so 122 is two points into the higher band. Because a single score carries about five points of error, a person who scores 122 could have a true level in either band.
What percentile is an IQ of 122?
On the standard scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, an IQ of 122 falls at the 92.88th percentile. About 7.12 percent of people score higher, roughly 1 in 14.
Can an IQ of 122 get into Mensa?
No. Mensa admits people at or above the 98th percentile on an approved, supervised test, which is 130 on Wechsler-type scales. A 122 ranks at about the 93rd percentile, eight points below the cutoff.
Sources
- Sackett et al. (2023), A contemporary look at the relationship between general cognitive ability and job performance, Journal of Applied Psychology — 153 samples, 40,740 workers; corrected validity .22; Schmidt & Hunter's .51
- Is cognitive ability the best predictor of job performance? (SIOP) — Sackett et al. (2022): .31 for cognitive ability, .42 for structured interviews
- IQ classification (Wikipedia) — WAIS-IV, WISC-V, SB5 and Terman 1916 bands
- Mensa International: Getting your IQ tested FAQs — 98th percentile admission rule
- Intelligence quotient (Wikipedia) — Confidence intervals on IQ scores
Editorial standard: IQ figures for historical figures are retrospective estimates and are labeled as such; scores for living people appear only when the person disclosed them or a reputable outlet reported them. Corrections: contact the editors.