IQ Score Guide / 99
Is 99 a Good IQ Score?
What an IQ of 99 means, where it ranks, and what it reveals about cognitive ability.
Where IQ 99 sits on the scale
An IQ of 99 is higher than 47% of people
In a room of 100 people, about 53 would score 99 or higher.
What an IQ of 99 means
An IQ of 99 is just below the average of 100, around the 47th percentile. That small gap makes very little practical difference. Most skilled jobs are well within reach, and knowledge and hard work matter far more than a few points.
IQ 99 in context
IQ 99 sits 1 point below the average of 100. Around 53 out of every 100 people score higher than this.
Frequently asked questions
Is 99 a good IQ score?
It is around average. An IQ of 99 is close to the middle of the range, and the small gap from 100 makes very little difference in everyday life. Most skilled jobs are well within reach.
What percentile is an IQ of 99?
An IQ of 99 is at about the 47th percentile. In plain terms, you score higher than around 47 out of every 100 people. The average score is 100.
What jobs suit an IQ of 99?
The large majority of skilled jobs are well within reach. Once a score is around average, things like work ethic, people skills and experience predict success far better than the number.
Can you improve an IQ of 99?
Often, yes, especially at a young age. Scores in this range tend to respond more to better sleep, nutrition, learning and support than higher scores do. Steady effort has been shown to move scores by several points.
Careers that commonly score in this range
Famous people near IQ 99
Reported or estimated figures from third-party sources, none are clinically verified.
George Washington
Estimated around 100, 1 point above 99
First US President and commanding general of the Continental Army, historians estimate Washington's IQ at approximately 95–105 based on his extensive surviving correspondence and military and administrative decisions.
Thomas Edison
Estimated around 100, 1 point above 99
Inventor of the light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera, Edison's IQ is estimated at approximately 95–110 by historians. He left school at 12 and famously said genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.
Elvis Presley
Estimated around 93, 6 points below 99
The King of Rock and Roll, reportedly scored 93 on an IQ test at Humes High School in Memphis, a figure cited in Peter Guralnick's authorised biography and corroborated by other published biographical accounts.
From the IQScore blog
Further reading selected for this score range.
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Honest breakdown of what actually moves the needle.
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