Short answer: An IQ of 132 is very superior: higher than about 98.4 percent of people, roughly 1 in 61. It sits 2.13 standard deviations above the mean and qualifies for Mensa, whose line is 130 on SD 15 tests. Measurement error means the true score could sit a little under 130, but a supervised 132 counts as reported.
Shaded: the share of people who score higher on a mean-100, SD-15 scale.
At a glance
| Percentile | 98.36th |
|---|---|
| Rarity | About 1 in 60.8 (1.64 percent score 132 or higher) |
| Wechsler classification | Very Superior (WAIS-IV) / Extremely High (WAIS-5) |
| Stanford-Binet 5 classification | Gifted or very advanced |
| On an SD 16 scale | 134 |
| On an SD 24 (Cattell) scale | 151 |
| Mensa eligible? | Yes, on an approved, supervised test (line: 130 on SD 15) |
What an IQ of 132 means
A 132 lands 32 points above average, 2.13 standard deviations up the curve. About 16 people in every 1,000 score as high or higher. That places it comfortably inside the top 2 percent.
It also crosses a labeling line. Wechsler tests move from Superior to Very Superior at 130; the WAIS-5 calls the new band Extremely High. The Stanford-Binet 5 switches from superior to gifted or very advanced. For all the bands, see our IQ classification guide.
How 132 sits in the top 2 percent
| IQ | Percentile | Rarity | Mensa (SD 15) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | 97.3 | 1 in 38 | No |
| 130 | 97.7 | 1 in 44 | Yes |
| 132 | 98.4 | 1 in 61 | Yes |
| 133 | 98.6 | 1 in 72 | Yes |
| 135 | 99.0 | 1 in 102 | Yes |
Strictly, the 98th percentile falls near 131 on an SD 15 scale. Mensa's published Wechsler line is 130, a touch below that, so a 132 clears it on any reading. See the complete ladder on our IQ rarity chart.
How firm is a two-point margin?
Firmer than one point, softer than it looks. Well-built tests carry a standard error of about three points. A reported 132 most likely reflects a true score between about 127 and 137.
Adjusting for regression toward the mean, the chance that the true score sits below 130 is somewhere between one in four and one in three. That does not undo the result. Admission rules work from the reported score of a qualifying test, not from its error band.
The scale conversions tell the same story. On an SD 16 test, 132 becomes 134, above that scale's Mensa line of 132. On the Cattell scale it becomes 151, above the line of 148. Our guide to joining Mensa covers the accepted tests.
What a 132 buys: Mensa in brief
Mensa was founded in 1946 at Lincoln College, Oxford, by two barristers, Roland Berrill and Lancelot Ware. Its only admission criterion is a score at or above the 98th percentile on an approved test. It now has about 150,000 members in more than 90 countries.
Membership is a social and intellectual network. It is not a measure of accomplishment. For the stricter societies higher up the curve, see IQ 141 and IQ 147.
Is 132 a good IQ? Scores versus achievement
It is an excellent one, and it does not settle who does great work. Psychologist Dean Keith Simonton, writing in Nautilus in 2018, observed that James Watson and Richard Feynman, two Nobel laureates, had scores too low to gain membership in Mensa. A 132 would have outranked them on that single measure.
The research pattern is consistent. IQ predicts grades, years of education and job level with moderate correlations across large groups. The gap between a high score and a transformative career is filled by training, obsession, collaborators and timing.
Confirming a 132
For Mensa and for your own confidence, use a supervised, normed test: an individually administered battery such as the WAIS-IV or Stanford-Binet 5, or a proctored test on Mensa's accepted list. Our free IQ test is a practice screener that cannot qualify you; read whether online IQ tests are accurate for the reasons.
Nearby scores
- IQ 131: just over the line, about 1 in 52.
- IQ 134: about 1 in 85.
- IQ 135: the top 1 percent begins here.
For the broader picture, see what counts as a high IQ.
Frequently asked questions
Is 132 a gifted IQ?
Yes, by the Stanford-Binet 5's labels, which call 130 to 144 gifted or very advanced. Wechsler tests call it Very Superior or Extremely High. It outscores about 98.4 percent of people.
What percentile is an IQ of 132?
About the 98.36th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and SD 15. Roughly 1.64 percent of people score 132 or higher, or about 1 in 61.
Does a 132 qualify for Mensa?
Yes, if it comes from an approved test taken under supervision. Mensa's line on Wechsler-type tests is 130. On the older Stanford-Binet with SD 16 the line is 132, and a Wechsler 132 converts to about 134 there, so it qualifies on both.
Is 132 considered a genius IQ?
No. Genius is not a category in any modern test manual. A 132 is very superior, but many celebrated scientists scored lower on the tests they took, and fame in any field depends on sustained original work.
How many people have an IQ of 132 or higher?
About 16 per 1,000 on an ideal bell curve. In a city of one million, that would be roughly 16,400 people. National norms and sampling at the extremes make this an estimate.
Sources
- Mensa International — Founding, 98th percentile, cutoffs, membership
- Simonton, D. K. (2018). Your IQ Matters Less Than You Think. Nautilus — Watson and Feynman scored too low for Mensa
- Intelligence quotient — Standard error of about three points
- IQ classification — Very Superior band from 130
- Stanford-Binet 5 classification ranges — Gifted or very advanced, 130-144
- Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns (APA task force, Neisser et al.) — Moderate correlations with grades and job performance
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.
