British boy, 11, beats Einstein and Hawking with 162 IQ

British boy beats Einstein and Hawking with 162 IQ: Autistic 11-year-old who memorised the periodic table by the age of six is invited to join Mensa after sky-high score on intelligence test

• Kevin Sweeney, 11, achieved a 162 IQ score – higher than Einstein and Hawking 
• The boy, who has autism, did the test in Edinburgh and was the only child there
• His parents said they always knew he was a ‘genius’ after he got maximum score
• Kevin loves quizzes, including Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and The Chase 

An 11-year-old boy has been invited to join Mensa after achieving a higher IQ score than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

Kevin Sweeney, who has autism, was able to memorise the periodic table at the age of six and could read before starting primary school.

The child genius, who travelled to The Quaker Meeting House in Edinburgh to sit the test, received an IQ score of 162 – placing him in the top one per cent of people.

Kevin, who was the only child who took the July 16 test, now ranks above theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking whose IQ was 160 and Albert Einstein, who although never officially took the test, is believed to be the same.  

The quiz lover, who enjoys watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Chase and Only Connect, has now been invited to join the prestigious Mensa – the largest and oldest high-IQ society.

Proud father Eddie Sweeney, 40, told of how much the news meant to Kevin – who could not contain his excitement.

‘Kevin was running round the garden when he got the results. It meant a lot more to him than we imagined it would,’ he said.

‘We hope this is a great boost for him. Life has its challenges for Kevin, and we really want to help maximise his potential and give him every opportunity in life.’

11-year-old boy Kevin (pictured), who has autism, has been invited to join Mensa after getting the maximum score in a test – placing his IQ above Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking

Both Mr Sweeney and Kevin’s mother Laura, 39, said they have always known Kevin was a genius.

‘It’s amazing we are so proud and Kevin is over the moon,’ The father-of-four, from Lochgelly, Fife, said.

‘He got the maximum score for someone his age. There were no other children at the test it was all adults.

‘We thought he might get overwhelmed being with all adults, but he was just chatting away to everyone saying “hi, I’m Kevin”.

Mr Sweeney explained that he and Laura took the test a few years ago because of their love of quizzes but Kevin was too young to do it despite his eagerness to.

Kevin’s parents are hopeful that this can now help open doors for Kevin in the future. 

Kevin loves his quizzes and even got the £250,000 question right on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire before any options came up

‘We are so proud as parents, we have always known he was really clever. We always told people he’s a genius, and I don’t use that word lightly,’ Kevin’s father added.   

Mr Sweeney, a physical education instructor with the prison service, said it ‘blows his mind’ what Kevin is capable of. ‘At six he knew the periodic table after about a week and people would test him on it,’ he said.

‘They would ask him a number and he could tell them what is was, what the symbol was and what the element weighed.

‘We watch the Chase everyday and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire when it’s on.

‘He likes Only Connect too, I can watch a whole show and get nothing right it’s so hard, the people on it are crazy clever.

‘But Kevin will sit there and get the answers, it just blows my mind.’

Kevin’s father even told of how his son got the £250,000 question right on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire before the options even came up. 

Mr Sweeney added: ‘When another show asked about the cost of a bus fare in Harry Potter, he was adamant the answer they gave was wrong.

‘He went upstairs, found the right page in the right book within seconds, and proved he was right – the film version had used a different price.’

What is Mensa? The high-IQ society with 145,000 members worldwide 

British Mensa has more than 20,000 members from all walks of life with IQs in the top two per cent.

The average adult has an IQ of 100, while a score above 140 is considered to be that of a genius.

Mensa has 145,000 members worldwide.

The Cattell III B has 150 questions which assess comprehension through passages of texts.

The maximum possible score is 161 for adults, and 162 for under-18s.

The only way to join is to prove your IQ.

Mensa’s members use the society to share their knowledge and interests with like-minded people.

It was founded in 1946 in Oxford by Lancelot Lionel Ware, a scientist and lawyer, and Roland Berrill, an Australian barrister.

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