What Is the IQ of a Chimpanzee? Chimps vs Humans

6 min read · IQ Tester

What is the IQ of a chimpanzee? There's no real answer, because IQ tests are built for and scored against humans, so any "chimp IQ" figure online is a guess. What researchers can say is that chimps are among the smartest animals alive: they use tools, remember a lot, and one chimp famously beat university students at a number memory task. On language and abstract reasoning, though, humans are way ahead.

If you've tried the chimp test and got humbled, IQ Tester shows which part of your reasoning actually needs work, from memory to patterns: Find my weak spots.

Chimpanzee IQ: short answer

Every website that gives you an "average IQ of a chimpanzee" (you'll see numbers anywhere from 20 to 90) is making it up. Here's why:

• IQ compares you to other people your age. There's no chimp version of that comparison group.
• Human IQ tests use reading, speaking and pointing at answer choices in ways chimps can't.
• A chimp can crush one task and flop on another, so one number would hide more than it shows.

So the honest answer to "what is the estimated IQ of a chimpanzee" is: nobody has a valid estimate. But we do have really cool evidence about what chimps can do.

Ayumu: the chimp that beat humans at memory

This is the story that launched a thousand TikToks.

At Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute, researchers Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa trained young chimps on a touchscreen task, published in 2007. Here's how it worked:

1. The numbers 1 to 9 flash up in random spots on a screen.
2. After a split second, they're replaced by blank white squares.
3. You have to tap the squares in order, 1 to 9, from memory.

A young chimp named Ayumu could do this when the numbers were shown for only a fraction of a second, and at the shortest display times he did better than the university students tested. That's why he's often called the smartest chimpanzee on the internet.

Why this blew people's minds

We're used to assuming humans win every brain contest. Ayumu showed that on one very specific skill, a quick visual snapshot memory, a chimp can outperform people.

What it doesn't mean

It doesn't mean chimps are smarter overall. It means chimps may be especially good at taking in a visual scene fast, possibly because spotting things quickly in the forest matters for survival. Later studies found humans can get a lot better at this task with practice, too.

What chimps can and can't do

"How smart are chimpanzees" has a better answer than any IQ number. Here's the real list.

What chimps can do

• Use and make tools. Jane Goodall famously saw chimps in Tanzania stripping twigs to fish termites out of mounds. Other groups crack nuts with stones.
• Learn symbols. Chimps like Washoe were taught many signs based on American Sign Language, and the bonobo Kanzi learned to use a keyboard of symbols called lexigrams.
• Plan a bit ahead and remember where food is.
• Read social situations within their group, like who's in charge and who's allied with whom.

What chimps can't do (as far as we know)

• Use full grammar, the way you string words into brand new sentences.
• Do abstract math or reasoning about rules, like "what comes next in 2, 6, 12, 20?"
• Pass knowledge on through writing, school or YouTube tutorials.

A well-known 2007 study in Science by Esther Herrmann and colleagues compared chimps, orangutans and 2.5-year-old children. On physical problems (like finding hidden rewards or using tools) the kids and chimps did about the same. On social learning, like copying how someone solves a problem, the kids pulled ahead. That social learning is a huge part of why humans build on each other's ideas.

Chimp vs monkey vs human

People also search "what is the iq of a monkey" and "average iq of a monkey." Same issue: no valid number. But here's a rough comparison of abilities:

Chimps are apes, not monkeys (quick way to tell: most monkeys have tails, apes don't). Apes are generally seen as the more capable problem solvers of the two groups.

Want other animals in the mix? See how the octopus compares to humans and the IQ of an elephant.

Why 'chimp IQ' is a rough analogy

When someone says "a chimp has the IQ of a 3-year-old," they usually mean chimps solve some problems at a level similar to young kids. That's a fair-ish analogy for a few tasks, but it breaks fast:

• A toddler will keep going and eventually learn to read. A chimp won't.
• A chimp can beat adults at Ayumu's task. A toddler can't.
• IQ is about comparing someone to their own age group, not across species.

Think of it like comparing a pro gamer to a pro athlete by one number. You'd lose everything interesting.

Here's the thing about memory tests like Ayumu's: you can't tell if you're actually weak at memory or just rushed, tired or distracted. IQ Tester's untimed questions and category breakdown show which reasoning skills are your strengths, and its guides point you to a short daily drill for memory, patterns or whatever needs work. Find my weak spots

Try the chimp memory test yourself

The "chimp test" you see online (on sites like Human Benchmark) is based on Ayumu's task. There's no official chimp test average score, so treat your result as a fun benchmark, not a verdict. Here's how to actually get better at it:

1. Don't read the numbers one by one. Take a snapshot of the whole screen, like taking a photo.
2. Chunk the layout. Notice shapes: "1-2-3 make a triangle top left, 4 and 5 are stacked."
3. Say the path in your head. "Top, left, down, across" is easier to hold than nine separate positions.
4. Practice short and often. Five minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
5. Test when you're fresh. After a late night of scrolling, your memory score will drop. That's not you being "dumb," that's you being tired.

Quick reality check: if a chimp beats you on this, that's normal. Ayumu trained for years on it. You're allowed to be mid at one task and elite at another.

Find where your reasoning slips

The real lesson from what is the IQ of a chimpanzee: one number hides the interesting stuff. IQ Tester gives you 20 untimed questions across number series, verbal analogy, logic and pattern; the free result shows your score band and three of your four category strengths, and its guides turn your weak spot into a short daily drill.

Find my weak spots

FAQ

What is the average IQ of a chimpanzee compared to a human?

There isn't a valid average, because IQ is scored against humans only. Chimps match young kids on some physical problem-solving tasks and even beat adults on one fast memory task, but they're far behind on language and abstract reasoning.

What is the IQ of the smartest chimpanzee?

Nobody has measured it. The chimp most often called the smartest is Ayumu, who outperformed university students on a split-second number memory task. That's one impressive skill, not an overall IQ.

What is the chimp test average score?

There's no official average for the online chimp test, and sites that show averages only compare you to their own players. Use it as a fun memory challenge and track your own progress over time instead.

What is the IQ of a monkey?

Like chimps, monkeys don't have a real IQ score. Some monkeys use simple tools and learn tasks well, but apes like chimps generally show more complex problem solving.

Are chimps smarter than humans?

On one narrow task, visual snapshot memory, a trained chimp can beat people. Overall, no: humans are far ahead on language, math, planning and learning from each other.