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What Does a 72 IQ Mean?

A 72 IQ is far below the average of 100. About 3 in 100 people score lower than 72. Clinical reports would call 72 Very Low in WISC-V wording and Borderline in the traditional WAIS-IV wording.

Percentile
3.10
How rare
1 in 32 score 72 or lower
WISC-V wording
Very Low
Traditional wording (WAIS-IV)
Borderline
Distance from 100
1.87 SD below
On an SD 16 test
about 70
On an SD 24 test
about 55
Our test's usual range here
up to 86 (90%)
Where 72 sits on the IQ curveA bell curve with a marker at 72. The shaded area to the left is the share of people who score lower; 72 is at the 3.1st percentile.7010013072

What does a 72 IQ mean?

A score of 72 is 1.87 standard deviations below the average of 100. On most IQ tests one standard deviation, the typical distance from the average, is 15 points, so 72 is 28 points away.

72 sits near the bottom of the 70 to 79 band, 8 points below the next band up. About 6 in 100 people score from 70 to 79, the band that holds 72. A 72 on its own is not a diagnosis of anything. Intellectual disability needs limits in two areas at once. One is reasoning, shown by a score around 70 or as high as 75. The other is adaptive behavior: the conceptual, social and practical skills of daily life. Both must begin before age 22.

What percentile is an IQ of 72?

A score of 72 is at the 3.1st percentile. That percentile is the share of people who score lower than 72, not the share of questions right. Five points higher, 77 is at the 6.26th percentile.

How rare is an IQ of 72?

About 1 in 32 people score 72 or lower. In a town of 100,000 people, about 3,100 would score 72 or lower.

For every 100 people who score exactly 100, about 18 score exactly 72. These figures for 72 come from the normal curve that IQ scales are built on, and the IQ calculator works out any other score.

What would 72 be on other tests?

Not every test would print 72 for this position. Older Stanford-Binet forms and many school tests use a standard deviation of 16; there, the same position as 72 is about 70. On a scale with a standard deviation of 24, used by the Cattell test, it is about 55. 72, 70 and 55 all mean the same percentile.

Is 72 a good IQ score?

The scale does not grade the person behind a 72; it places one result among other people’s results. As a position, 72 is far below the average of 100. What a 72 is useful for depends on the purpose, and a single online result is too rough for decisions about school, work or support. A 72 describes some kinds of reasoning on one test, on one day, and leaves out a great deal that matters, such as effort, knowledge and character.

What should you do with a 72 result?

First, look at where the 72 came from. An online 72 is a rough estimate, and any single score moves between sittings. If you need an assessment for school, work or support after a 72, a psychologist can give a full test and look at everyday skills too. The IQ scale guide explains scores like 72 with care.

What does an online result of 72 mean?

An online result of 72 is an estimate. When our test shows 72, the estimated range next to it usually reaches below 70, the lowest score our test reports, so it is shown as “up to 86” or close to that. That range for 72 is provisional: it comes from our scoring model and a simulation, not yet from real test takers. Our methodology shows how the range is made.

An unsupervised online 72 may also run a little high: a large review found a gap of about 3 IQ points. Taking the same kind of test again usually raises a score like 72 a little, mostly on the first retakes. Our guide are IQ tests accurate covers this in depth.

To see where your own result falls next to 72, take the free IQ test. It has 30 questions and shows an estimated range with every result.

Scores near 72

  • 70 IQ: 2 points lower, at the 2.28th percentile.
  • 71 IQ: 1 point lower, at the 2.66th percentile.
  • 73 IQ: 1 point higher, at the 3.59th percentile.
  • 74 IQ: 2 points higher, at the 4.15th percentile.

Look up any score from 70 to 160, not only those near 72, in the score explorer.

FAQ

What percentile is 72 IQ?

A score of 72 is at the 3.1st percentile. That means about 3.10 percent of people score lower.

Is 72 IQ low?

72 is below the average band. About 3.1 in 100 people score 72 or lower. A single 72 is not a diagnosis.

How many people have an IQ of 72?

On a whole-number scale, about 0.5 percent of people score exactly 72. About 1 in 32 people score 72 or lower.

Can an online test show 72?

Yes, as an estimate with a range: on our test a 72 usually comes with an estimated range shown as “up to 86” or close to that.