What does an IQ of 143 mean?

An IQ of 143 is classified as Exceptionally gifted. It is higher than 99.8% of people — roughly 1 in 480.

Higher than 99.8%
How rare 1 in 480
From the average +2.87
Classification Exceptionally gifted

IQ scores follow a bell curve centred on 100, with a standard deviation of 15. About 68% of people score between 85 and 115, and about 95% between 70 and 130.

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What it means in practice

Mensa admits the top 2% — about IQ 130 on a test with a standard deviation of 15. A score of 143 clears that line, so it would qualify on most tests Mensa accepts.

Mensa practice test →

No test measures IQ exactly. A typical standard error is about 5 points, so a result of 143 really means "somewhere between 138 and 148" — and a second test on another day can land anywhere in that range.

For a child the number compares them with others of the same age, not with adults. IQ scores are age-normed, so a 10-year-old and a 40-year-old with the same score are each equally far ahead of their own age group.

Nearby scores

140 141 142 144 145

IQ chart: the IQ scale from 70 to 145 →

Frequently asked questions

Is an IQ of 143 good?

An IQ of 143 falls in the "Exceptionally gifted" range and is higher than 99.8% of people. Any single test is an estimate, so treat it as a range rather than an exact figure.

What percentile is an IQ of 143?

An IQ of 143 sits at about the 99.8 percentile, which means roughly 1 in 480 people score at least this high.

Learn about IQ

What Is the Average IQ? The Number 100 Explained Why the average IQ is always 100, what the normal range looks like, and what average really means. What Is a Good IQ Score? IQ Percentiles & the Bell Curve Explained How to read IQ scores: the bell curve, the average of 100, and what percentiles actually tell you. What IQ Do You Need for Mensa? The 98th-Percentile Threshold The exact threshold for Mensa — the 98th percentile — and what IQ number that works out to on each scale.

Curious where you would land? Take the free 60-question test and find out.