Is an IQ of 67 Good? What It Means & Where You Stand

What Does an IQ of 67 Mean?

An IQ of 67 is just 3 points below the borderline threshold of 70. Many people at this level live semi-independently, hold jobs, and manage daily responsibilities with minimal support. The 3-point gap from 70 is within testing error, meaning actual capabilities may match the borderline range.

An IQ of 67 places you at the 1st percentile, which means you scored higher than approximately 1% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. This score falls into the Extremely Low range on the IQ scale. With a rarity of 1 in 90, this score is less common, but IQ is just one measure of cognitive ability.

To understand how IQ scores are calculated and what they measure, see our complete guide on what IQ is and how it works. For a full breakdown of all score ranges and their meanings, visit our IQ score ranges page.

Career Context for an IQ of 67

Many practical careers are accessible: food service, retail, warehousing, landscaping. The distinction from 70 is often invisible in workplace performance.

Cognitive Profile at IQ 67

IQ 67 sits in the upper portion of the mild intellectual disability range, approaching the borderline zone. The cognitive profile shows genuine verbal reasoning capacity, emerging metacognitive awareness, and increasing academic achievement potential under good educational conditions. Verbal comprehension handles extended passages on a range of topics; inferential reasoning on familiar content is accessible. Working memory holds 5 items with active rehearsal and shows genuine capacity for mental manipulation of familiar material. Processing speed is at the 5th–6th percentile. Fluid intelligence shows reliable rule induction on concrete problems and increasing transfer to moderately novel situations. Reading with instruction may reach 5th–7th grade level. Mathematical competence includes all basic operations, simple fractions, basic percent, and simple algebraic pattern recognition. Self-directed problem-solving in familiar domains is an emerging and meaningful capacity.

What Research Says About IQ 67

Research by Greenspan & Switzky (2006, What Is Mental Retardation?) documents that individuals at IQ 65–70 are frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed as adults, having compensated sufficiently to avoid recognition, highlighting the high functional capacity at this level. This finding directly influenced DSM-5 and AAIDD revisions requiring both IQ and adaptive behavior deficits for disability diagnosis. Schmidt & Hunter (1998) show g-performance correlations are weakest for simple job categories where IQ 67 individuals are typically best matched. NLSY79 data confirm that employment and earnings profiles at IQ 67 overlap substantially with the low-average range when educational attainment is controlled.

Day-to-Day Life with an IQ of 67

A person at IQ 67 may work as a truck driver's assistant — managing delivery schedules on a tablet, confirming deliveries against a manifest, operating a hand truck, and interacting with clients professionally. They have a valid commercial license for small vehicles. At home, they live independently or with a partner, manage all daily routines, handle a monthly budget with a simple tracking app, and drive. Reading at 5th–6th grade level is functional for most daily needs. Their intellectual disability is not apparent in professional and social contexts. They self-describe as a slow learner rather than using any clinical label.

How Does an IQ of 67 Compare?

Here's how a score of 67 compares to nearby IQ scores:

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