Albert Einstein
Leah Berenson
Leah Berenson
January 3, 2024 ·  3 min read

Iranian 11 Y.O Girl Received Highest Mensa IQ Score, Surpassing Einstein and Hawking

In the face of adversity, women are fighting worldwide for gender equity. A fantastic story from 2019 showcases just how incredible women have the potential to be. When the story took place, an 11-year-old girl took an IQ test and got the highest possible score. 

Editor’s Note: This story is originally from June 2019

Tara Sharifi Gets Parental Support

Tara Sharifi, whose ancestral roots can be traced to Iran, was attending UK’s Aylesbury High School, about 40 minutes by car from Oxford when a life-changing opportunity happened. She was given an opportunity to take an IQ test, and her parents were very supportive. “It was a joint decision between me and my parents to take the test.“, she told The Bucks Herald. So, on the test day, she took the 40-minute drive to Oxford to take the IQ aptitude test. Tara’s father told reporters, “I figured she might do well when we watched TV and she would get maths questions before the contestants. I knew she was very clever, but I did not think she would have such a high IQ.” He followed that up explaining that he’s very proud of his daughter.

Tara Sharifi
Tara Sharifi. Image Credit: Twitter

Mensa IQ Test

An IQ test measures one’s mental ability, in relation to how far above or below they are compared to the general population. Mensa is an organization for highly intelligent people whose intelligence surpasses the 98th percentile.

Shocked by the Results

Tara Sharifi said, “I was shocked when I got the result – I never expected to get such a good score,” Her score was incredibly impressive and blew the minds of educators and scientists alike. Her impressive 162 score is not only the highest score possible but is well beyond “genius level” at 140. Although, neither Albert Einstein nor Steven Hawking ever took the IQ test, scientists estimate their scores to be around 160, meaning Tara Sharifi surpassed them both in intelligence. 

In Good Company

Amazingly, Tara Sharifi is not the only child with this impressive accomplishment. In 2019, Freya Mangotra was 10 and half, making her one of the youngest people to ever sit in on the test. She, too, scored 162. When questioned about Freya’s possible future plans her father said, “It changes. She wanted to be a doctor but then went off it.”

Freya does have several hobbies including reading, playing chess, and taekwondo. More recently, an 11-year-old boy also scored the same 162. Yusuf Shah said, “Everyone at school thinks I am very smart, and I have always wanted to know if I was in the top two per cent of the people who take the test,” he continued, “It feels special to have a certificate for me and about me,” Yusuf sat in on the test while taking admissions tests to figure out where he would attend grammar school.

It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet other people within the Mensa system. I have told some of my friends at school and they were really impressed,” Tara Sharifi said. She has a desire to pursue Mathematics and is an inspiration to girls everywhere. Tara Sharifi is proof that gender equity is worth considering.

Keep Reading: Scientists To Broadcast Earth’s Location To Aliens, Ignoring Stephen Hawking’s Warning

Sources

  1. 11-year-old Iranian girl gets highest possible Mensa IQ score.” SBS. June 3, 2019.