Percentile

A percentile ranks your score against a reference population — e.g., the 90th percentile means you scored higher than about 90% of the norm group.

Reviewed by: Scientific Review Team · Last reviewed: July 2026

Percentiles convert raw scores into relative standing. On a perfectly normal distribution, the 50th percentile equals the median. IQ scores map to percentiles via the test's norm tables (mean and standard deviation).

Synonyms: percentile rank

Related terms

Standard deviation
Norms

Used in

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/iq-score-chart/research/iq-scale-explained/
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Related concepts

entity · related to
Mensa International
term · related to
g factor
tool · related to
IQ Percentile Calculator

FAQ

Is the 90th percentile the same as IQ 120?

On a test with mean 100 and SD 15, roughly yes — but exact mapping depends on the publisher's norm tables.

Scientific sources

APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.