A Schoolgirl has been found to have an higher IQ than both Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
After undertaking a test with Mensa, Anwita Patil, from Manchester, scored 162 in her age category. This was more than both the esteemed physicists, who were said to have been around the 160 mark.
The results have shocked her proud parents, one an NHS consultant and the other a mathematician with a PhD in the subject, reports the Manchester Evening News. “Right from primary school onwards, Anwita would be coming up with a few ways of solving problems that my wife doesn’t know,” said father Jay, the consultant. “We thought there had to be something else going on here.”
Mum Anu added: “We used to do maths challenges together, but sometimes I didn’t get the answer and (Anwita) would. She thinks completely differently, and this is for things that aren’t taught in school.”
Anu had been following the Mensa society for years. It’s only open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ intelligence test, with an acceptance score to secure membership of 140.
Impressed by the young girl’s abilities, her parents decided to take Anwita for a test, which comes in two parts. The first tests linguistic ability and lateral thinking, which saw Anwita get 162, and the second tests visual and spatial awareness, in which she achieved 140.
“It’s a test of logical problems, there’s nothing to prepare for. It’s testing your inherent capability and can be done on all age groups including children,” explained Mr Patil.
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The Year 7 pupil at Withington Girls’ School, Fallowfield, Manchester, took the Mensa test in January. Her parents said: “We expected her to get the membership, but were absolutely astounded when we received the email confirmation of her maximum test score.
“Anwita is over the moon about this and made us extremely proud of her achievements. We are all very grateful to her teachers and all other staff members at Withington Girls’ School.”
Days after receiving the incredible results, avid Harry Potter fan Anwita enjoyed her 12th birthday and celebrated her achievement with a get-together with close family and friends. Her dad added: “Anwita is quite fascinated by the practical applications of maths in various subjects be it science, engineering or computers.
“Anwita hopes that she will help solve societal challenges using her skills and experience when she grows up.”
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