IQ Score Guide / 74

Is 74 a Good IQ Score?

What an IQ of 74 means, where it ranks, and what it tells you about cognitive ability.

74
IQ Score
4.2th
Percentile
Below Average
Classification

What an IQ of 74 means

This score indicates significant cognitive challenges that may benefit from professional assessment and support. IQ is not fixed — early intervention and structured learning can produce real gains.

Careers that commonly score in this range

LabourerManual, physically-intensive work without significant cognitive demand

Notable people reportedly in this range

All figures are estimates or reported by third-party sources — none are clinically verified.

Muhammad Ali

Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion — reportedly scored 78 on his US Army induction test in 1964, a score Ali discussed publicly, noting it reflected poor schooling rather than lack of ability. He went on to become one of the most strategically intelligent fighters in history.

Andy Warhol

Pioneering pop artist and filmmaker — school records cited in multiple biographies suggest a score in the upper-70s range. Warhol described difficulty in conventional academic settings and later credited his success to visual and associative thinking rather than verbal or abstract reasoning.

Recommended reading for this score range

The Brain That Changes Itself

The Brain That Changes Itself

Norman Doidge

The science of neuroplasticity — how the brain rewires itself through targeted mental activity.

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Limitless

Limitless

Jim Kwik

Practical techniques to upgrade memory, speed-read, and absorb information faster.

View on Amazon →

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Nearby scores

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