Milton Keynes 12-year-old who took Mensa test after being called “dumb” by fellow pupil scores in top one per cent

Zain Clark-Ali has qualified for and been invited to join the world’s leading high IQ society after scoring 159 on his Cattell III B exam, and 142 on his Culture Fair exam, which both put him in the top one per cent.

Zain previously passed the 11+ and 12+ selection tests, with scores of 141 and 140 respectively.

Zain’s mum Lucy explained: “The Mensa test came about because another child in Zain’s class had been calling him “dumb” and telling him he was stupid.

“Rather than letting that get him down, Zain decided to research IQ testing and Mensa himself because he wanted to prove that he wasn’t stupid.

“It was completely his idea, and he asked us if he could take the test.

“We were delighted when his results came back, and we’re incredibly proud of him, particularly because taking the Mensa test was something he chose to do himself.”

Lucy said Zain’s teachers had always recognised his academic ability but added: “Zain can sometimes find school frustrating because he doesn’t always feel challenged enough, so we’re now looking at educational options that might stretch him further.”

Zain has ambitions of becoming a pilot when he is older and Lucy explained: “He’s already very interested in aviation and has experienced a flight simulator, and he’s researched the Emirates pilot training programme and mapped out a potential route for his future.

“He’s only 12 so things may change as he gets older, but it’s lovely to see that he already has such a clear ambition and is researching how he could achieve it.”

Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.