An 11-year-old Aberdeen schoolboy who is in primary seven sat his National 4 exams – usually taken in fourth year – at the age of 10.
Emon Rizvi, who attends the city’s Albyn School, showed potential from a young age.
So much so, that he never started primary one and went straight into primary two.
“P1 was too easy for him, so we just wanted him to go into P2,” his dad Imran – a 45-year-old businessman – told The Press and Journal.
The youngster was so adamant that he was not starting primary school in the usual age group and said at the time: “I’m not wasting my time in P1 because it is so easy for me.”
His time at Albyn has been successful and according to his teachers, he has shown “exceptional aptitude” for learning since he started.
The 11-year-old has now made history and has officially been accepted into Mensa International, the world-renowned high IQ society.
The youngest an individual can do a supervised IQ test for the organisation is at the age of 10 and a half, with people who score at the 98th percentile or higher getting accepted.
Emon completed – and passed – one of Mensa’s mock test at the age of nine.
“He was so excited when he turned 10 years and six months,” Imran told The P&J.
When he was of the age allowed, 10-year-old Emon – who enjoys playing video games, Lego and tennis – took his test to see if he would be eligible to qualify for Mensa.
Taking the Stanford-Binet test – in which to qualify you need to be in the top 2% (scoring 132 or more) – the schoolboy surpassed this and scored 149.
Speaking to the P&J, Emon said: “I’m very proud of myself and both my parents and my brother are very proud.
“I feel almost astonished that I managed, because I thought It’d be really, really hard. I am also relieved that I managed.”
In achieving this, he has become the first ever pupil from Albyn’s lower school to join the elite club.
Head of Albyn’s lower school, Mr Davies said: “He has this intense focus and incredible memory.
“Emon’s talents are far beyond his years.”
‘No pressure’ on Emon
Having sat his National 4 exams last year, there are plans for him to do “two or three” Highers in second year if he does well at “mock” National 5 exams that he is taking this year.
And what are Emon’s plans for the future?
“It’s difficult because he has no pressure, his dad said, adding: “He will decide what he wants to do.
“However, it will probably be in artificial intelligence or something.”
Conversation