Likely between 35 and 40, but this is not exactly a fair question—after all, IQ tests are designed for humans! But if we had to estimate, based on brain size and cognitive abilities, a smarter chimpanzee’s IQ would likely fall in that range.

While it’s playful to assign an IQ to a chimpanzee, we can get creative with a comparison using the Encephalization Quotient (EQ), which measures brain size relative to body size. Humans have an average IQ of 100 and an EQ of about 7.6. Chimpanzees, our clever cousins, have an EQ of around 2.35. If we translate that into human-style IQ terms, it suggests an IQ of about 35. This doesn’t mean they’d actually score 35 on a human IQ test, but it gives us a fun way to think about their intelligence relative to ours. To be clear, chimpanzees don’t reason abstractly or ask simple questions like “What is that?” or “Where are we going?”

Here’s a fun tidbit: After humans, the smartest animal is likely dolphins. They have an EQ ranging from 4.0 to 5.3. If we use our EQ-to-IQ translation, that puts them in the IQ range of 53 to 69. They’re very different from us, and while we’re still figuring out how to communicate with them, dolphins have also never asked a question. So far, asking questions seems to be a human-only trait.

Want to dive deeper into how scientists measure animal intelligence? Take the 30-minute deep dive: The Real Story Behind the Evolution of the Brain.