What is Akeelah and the Bee's IQ Score?

Akeelah and the Bee has an IQ Score of 137/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Stimulating tier. The score breaks down to 30/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 38/50 Educational Value, and 36/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Akeelah and the Bee educational?

Akeelah and the Bee is strong on educational value, 38/50 on TVI's rubric, which covers academic content, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, life skills, and knowledge transfer.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

Akeelah and the Bee , IQ Score 137/200

Akeelah and the Bee has an IQ Score of 137/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Stimulating tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH·Updated 2026-06-17·Methodology

dramafamilycoming-of-age

137/ 200

Stimulating

Consistently challenges the viewer and rewards attention

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

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Why you should trust this score

Scored under Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician and founding editor. Maintains the adult catalog against the published rubric and reviews the rubric application.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,338 titles, version-controlled

How we stay independent. We accept no studio money. We pay for our own streaming subscriptions. Our reviewers see no sponsor data, no affiliate revenue, and no screener access in exchange for coverage. More about how we work →

The TVI Take

Doug Atchison's 2006 spelling-bee drama, set in South Los Angeles. Keke Palmer plays an eleven-year-old protégée coached by Laurence Fishburne.

The film models linguistic precision as a class-mobility tool while staying honest about the racial dynamics of competitive academia. Atchison researched the script across eight years before shooting.

Where to Watch

Rent