An 11-year-old British Muslim has outscored Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking in an IQ test — hitting the highest possible score for a child under 18.
Yusuf Shah, from Leeds in northern England, scored 162 on the Mensa test, Metro reported. Stephen Hawking is said to have scored 160 and Albert Einstein, who although never officially took the test, is believed to have got the same.
Shah told the Metro that he decided to take the Mensa test after constantly being told how smart he was by his friends.
“I have always wanted to know if I was in the top two percent of people who take the test, “ he explained
‘It feels special to have a certificate for me and about me.’
Yusuf celebrated his special achievement with a meal at Nando’s with his parents and brothers.
The Year Six student hopes to study mathematics at Cambridge or Oxford and said he loves doing anything that stimulates his brain.
When he is not studying, the math whiz enjoys sudokus and solving Rubik’s cubes.
He started playing with the iconic cubes in January and it only took him one month before he could solve them with ease.
His delighted mum Sana said: ‘I was so proud. He is the first person to take the Mensa test in the family.’
‘I was actually a little concerned too. He has always gone into a hall full of kids to take tests…We thought he might be intimidated by the adults at the center. But he did brilliantly” she added. ‘I still tell him that, “Your dad is still smarter than you.” We take it all light-heartedly…Even if you are talented, you have to be the hardest worker.’
Yusuf’s eight-year-old brother Khalid is also hoping to take the Mensa test when he’s older.
Dr. Bilal Philips