A six-year-old whiz kid has become the youngest qualified computer specialist on the planet after acing a Microsoft IT exam.
Examiners at Birmingham City University in England were so surprised when British schoolboy Ayan Qureshi, who was just five at the time, showed up to sit the exam- which is usually taken by young and aspiring information technology technicians before or after university- that they told him he wasn’t allowed to take part.
But proving good things come in small packages, the miniature mastermind sailed through the ‘Supporting Windows 8.1’ exam that tests applicant’s knowledge of hardware, software and operating systems with still plenty of time on the clock.
Pakistan-born Ayan completed the two-hour test with flying colours, beating the previous record held by six-year-old Mehroz Yawar, 6, and claiming the title of being the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the world.
The little IT genius now proudly displays his certificate on his bedroom wall.
First introduced to computers when he was just three-years-old by his dad Asim, Ayan took to it like a duck to water.
“He was very interested in computers from the age of three so I started explaining to him about hardware and software and installing programmes,” the 43-year-old said.
“I found that whatever I told him, he was able to remember it the next day, so I built a computer lab in our house for him to use, and he loves it.
“I showed him how to install Windows and then decided to enter him for this exam.
“It wasn’t easy teaching him every day but he picked it all up in the end.”
And while Ayan’s technical abilities have certainly paid off, Asim says school comes first.
Ayan, who just started primary school, is still not sure what he wants to be when he grows up though, but hopes it involves his favourite subjects: maths and computing.
