Short answer: An IQ of 98 is average: higher than about 45 percent of people and lower than about 55 percent. It sits two points below the median of 100, a gap smaller than the error on any single test. The WAIS-IV and the Stanford-Binet 5 both classify it as Average. On an SD 16 scale it stays at 98; on the SD 24 Cattell scale it reads as about 97.
Shaded: the share of people who score higher on a mean-100, SD-15 scale.
At a glance
| Percentile | 44.7th (about 45% score lower) |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common: about 45% of people score lower |
| Wechsler classification | Average |
| Stanford-Binet 5 classification | Average |
| On an SD 16 scale | About 98 |
| On an SD 24 (Cattell) scale | About 97 |
| Mensa eligible? | No (cutoff 130) |
What an IQ of 98 means
An IQ of 98 sits 0.13 standard deviations below the mean. It ranks at the 44.7th percentile: out of 100 people chosen at random, about 45 would score lower and 55 higher. That is as close to the middle of the population as a score can get without being 100 itself.
Every major test calls it Average. The Wechsler and Stanford-Binet scales define the Average band as 90 to 109, a range that covers roughly half of all people. The neighboring bands, Low Average and High Average, are each described in IQ scale classification.
Why 98 and 100 are effectively the same
IQ tests are precise, but not that precise. A single full-scale score carries a 95 percent confidence interval of about five points either way, so a measured 98 is consistent with a true score anywhere from about 93 to 103. The median, 100, sits comfortably inside that range.
| IQ | Percentile | Scoring higher |
|---|---|---|
| 95 | 36.9 | 63.1% |
| 97 | 42.1 | 57.9% |
| 98 | 44.7 | 55.3% |
| 99 | 47.3 | 52.7% |
| 100 | 50.0 | 50.0% |
| 102 | 55.3 | 44.7% |
| 105 | 63.1 | 36.9% |
Near the middle of the curve each point moves a person about 2.6 percentile places, because so many people cluster there. Compare IQ 99, IQ 100 and IQ 95, or read the full IQ rarity chart.
An aging yardstick: the Flynn effect
An IQ is always relative to a norm group tested at a particular time. Through much of the 20th century, raw scores rose by about three IQ points per decade in the United States as measured on Wechsler tests, a pattern named for the political scientist James Flynn. Test publishers renorm their instruments for that reason.
The effect is not universal or permanent. Denmark, Norway and several other developed countries have recorded declines since the 1990s. The practical point for a 98: the edition and norm year of the test matter. A result scored against old norms can sit a few points higher than the same performance measured against fresh ones.
Is 98 a good IQ?
It is a normal, healthy score shared by a very large share of the population, and it closes no doors on its own. In a study of more than 70,000 English pupils, Ian Deary's team found that 58 percent of those at the average level of general intelligence earned five or more good GCSE passes, the national benchmark.
Intelligence predicts outcomes, but it shares the stage. Tarmo Strenze's 2007 meta-analysis found intelligence correlated .20 with later income and was not an overwhelmingly stronger predictor than parents' socioeconomic status or school grades. Skills, training, reliability and sustained effort explain most of the remaining difference between people. Where high scores begin, and what they add, is covered in what counts as a high IQ.
Getting a reliable score
Formal IQ testing is usually done for a reason: an educational plan, a clinical question, an assessment at work. The standard instruments are the WAIS-IV or WAIS-5 and the Stanford-Binet 5, administered in person by a licensed psychologist who records any conditions that may have affected performance on the day. Our free IQ test is a practice screener, suitable for curiosity rather than decisions; are online IQ tests accurate? explains the limits.
Scores near 98
- IQ 95: average, at the 37th percentile.
- IQ 105: the upper half of average.
- IQ 110: where High Average begins.
Frequently asked questions
Is 98 a good IQ?
An IQ of 98 is average, the most common kind of score. It is higher than about 45 percent of people and sits within the Average band of 90 to 109 that covers roughly half the population. It does not limit what a person can learn or achieve; effort, skills and circumstances weigh heavily on life outcomes.
Is an IQ of 98 below average?
Not in any meaningful sense. The mean is 100, so 98 is technically two points lower, but every test classifies it as Average. The difference is smaller than the roughly five-point error that accompanies any single IQ score.
What percentile is an IQ of 98?
On a scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, an IQ of 98 falls at the 44.7th percentile. About 45 percent of people score lower and about 55 percent score higher.
Can an IQ score change over time?
Measured scores can move. Retaking the same test soon after the first sitting often raises results through practice alone, and scores depend on the norm year of the test used. Adult IQ is fairly stable over time, which is why psychologists interpret small changes cautiously.
Sources
- IQ classification (Wikipedia) — Average band 90-109 on Wechsler and Stanford-Binet scales
- Flynn effect (Wikipedia) — About three points per decade in the US; declines in Denmark and Norway
- Deary, Strand, Smith & Fernandes (2007), Intelligence and educational achievement (ERIC record) — 58% of average pupils reached the GCSE benchmark
- Strenze (2007), Intelligence and socioeconomic success, Intelligence 35 — Correlation of .20 with income; comparison with parental SES
- Intelligence quotient (Wikipedia) — Confidence intervals; deviation scoring
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.
