Teenager With Higher IQ Than Stephen Hawking Gets 23 A-Levels With Grades of A and A*

What does it take to stand out in a world where academic success is often measured by three A-levels? For most students, that already feels like climbing a mountain. But for Mahnoor Cheema, an eighteen-year-old prodigy with an IQ higher than Stephen Hawking’s, three was barely the foothill. She scaled a peak no one else has attempted earning 23 A-levels, every one graded A or A*. To put that in perspective, fewer than a third of students across the UK manage even one A or A* each year.

Mahnoor’s story is not just about numbers or records. It’s about defying expectations, pushing back against limits, and refusing to be boxed in by tradition. Her path to Oxford University, where she will study medicine, is lined with determination, curiosity, and an unshakable belief that passion fuels endurance. While most of her peers juggled three subjects, she devoured more than seven times that load, spanning everything from physics and law to film studies and Latin without ever calling it “too much.”

The Journey Behind the Achievement

Mahnoor’s path to 23 A-levels was anything but straightforward. At the outset, she set her sights even higher 31 subjects a number her school deemed excessive. Teachers at Henrietta Barnett School in north-west London worried that her ambition was unmanageable and attempted to limit her. After negotiations, a compromise was struck: she would take 23 A-levels, still more than seven times what most students attempt. That agreement became the foundation of her record-breaking pursuit.

The workload tested not just her intellect but also her resolve. School administrators even questioned her attendance at times, as she had to juggle lessons with a relentless exam schedule. Despite this, Mahnoor managed to secure four A* grades within her first two months at sixth form, a sign of the momentum she would carry through the rest of her studies. Each result reinforced her conviction that she was capable of pushing beyond conventional limits.

The breadth of her subjects speaks volumes about her approach. She didn’t confine herself to a single discipline but pursued a spectrum that stretched from sciences like biology and physics to humanities such as history, law, and classical civilisation. She also embraced creative outlets through film studies and languages including French and German. This wide-ranging curiosity, combined with her confidence in her abilities, kept her from succumbing to doubts. “There was not a world in my mind where I would not get in [to Oxford],” she explained after results day. For Mahnoor, every exam was less a hurdle and more a stepping stone to the life path she had already envisioned.

Early Life and Family Influence

Mahnoor’s extraordinary accomplishments are not just the product of raw intelligence but also of a nurturing and intellectually rich environment. Born in the UK to Pakistani parents, she spent part of her childhood in Lahore before her family returned to Britain in 2016. Her parents, barrister Usman Cheema and economist Tayyaba Cheema, both valued education deeply and created a home where curiosity was encouraged rather than constrained.

Signs of Mahnoor’s unusual abilities surfaced early. By the age of six, she had already read all seven Harry Potter books, and at eleven she had memorized the Oxford English Dictionary a feat that hinted at the kind of memory and focus she would later bring to her academic journey. Her mother described her as “quite different” from an early age, a child whose appetite for knowledge seemed limitless.

Her schooling mirrored this trajectory. After early education in Lahore and later attendance at Langley Grammar School, Mahnoor joined Henrietta Barnett School in London, one of the top-performing state schools in the country. Alongside her traditional studies, she pursued challenges on her own terms: sitting for 24 GCSEs, completing a diploma in music equivalent to a university degree at just 16, and even securing gold medals in acting and public speaking. Each step reflected both her intellectual versatility and the freedom her parents gave her to explore different passions.

Crucially, the support from her family was never about pressure but about choice. Her mother helped structure her study routines, ensuring balance with time for friends and travel, while also emphasizing that success meant doing her best in whatever she chose, not meeting external expectations. That combination of high standards and unconditional support gave Mahnoor the foundation to push herself without fear of failure.

Study Habits, Philosophy, and Mindset

Mahnoor’s academic success is as much about her philosophy toward learning as it is about raw ability. Unlike many high-achievers who rely on rigorous note-taking and long study hours, she has an unconventional approach. She describes reading as almost effortless absorbing content and analysis without extensive revision. “I just read the book and it goes into my head,” she once explained, adding that she avoids making notes because they feel like a waste of time. Her ability to retain information is striking, but it is paired with a mindset that sees exams not as the goal, but as a natural outcome of her curiosity. For her, the enjoyment lies in exploring the richness of a subject, whether in sciences or creative fields.

This mindset extends to how she views burnout. While many students struggle under the weight of just three A-levels, Mahnoor rejects the idea that her workload inevitably invites exhaustion. She insists that motivation and genuine interest protect her from stress. “Burnout is a choice it’s not burnout if you enjoy what you’re doing,” she has said. This belief guided her through the grueling schedule of 23 A-levels, reframing what others might see as pressure into a form of self-directed challenge.

Her routine reflects this balance of intensity and flexibility. She once described an unusual sleep pattern resting for a few hours after school, waking up in the evening to study, and then returning to bed late at night. It’s an unconventional schedule, but one that allowed her to stay refreshed and engaged with her studies while still carving out time for hobbies and friends. Her mother supported her by creating study timetables that made room for social life and personal interests, reinforcing the idea that academic achievement did not have to come at the cost of wellbeing.

Mahnoor also pushes back against the stereotype of being merely an “exam machine.” She emphasizes that many of her subjects required creativity and analysis, from scripting and editing in film studies to building arguments in English literature. Her philosophy is simple: if you have the capacity to learn more, why not use it? It’s an attitude that frames education not as a checklist of exams, but as an open field of exploration.

A Well-Rounded Prodigy

While Mahnoor’s 23 A-levels have captured headlines, her achievements extend far beyond the exam hall. At just 16, she earned an AMusTCL diploma in music an accomplishment usually associated with university-level study. She has also been recognized for her talents in performance, winning gold medals in acting and public speaking from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). These achievements reveal a young woman who refuses to confine herself to a single measure of success, embracing both intellectual rigor and creative expression.

Her interests reflect this same versatility. From studying advanced sciences and mathematics to exploring film studies, Latin, and politics, Mahnoor seeks knowledge wherever she can find it. She has spoken about how subjects like film demand creativity and critical thinking, dispelling the notion that her learning is purely mechanical. In her words, the joy lies not only in exams but in “the rich knowledge” that comes from immersing herself in diverse fields.

Beyond formal academics, Mahnoor envisions a future where her voice can inspire others. She has expressed dreams of giving a TED Talk, a platform she sees as an opportunity to share her ideas and outlook on learning with the wider world. Her choice to pursue medicine at Oxford also speaks to a desire to channel her intellect into a profession rooted in service and impact, rather than recognition alone.

What emerges from these pursuits is a portrait of balance. Mahnoor is not simply defined by records or IQ scores, but by the breadth of her passions and her refusal to be limited to one dimension. She has shown that brilliance need not come at the expense of creativity or humanity that the mind can be both analytical and artistic, ambitious yet grounded.

Redefining Limits in Education

Mahnoor’s extraordinary achievements raise important questions about how education systems treat gifted students and how society defines academic success. In the UK, most students are expected to follow a narrow pathway of three A-levels, a structure designed for manageability and fairness. Yet Mahnoor’s story demonstrates that this one-size-fits-all approach does not always serve those whose capabilities stretch far beyond the norm. Her determination to pursue 23 A-levels even in the face of school resistance highlights both the value of ambition and the challenges of accommodating it.

Her case also underscores a broader tension: should education prioritize standardization or individuality? For many students, the traditional route is both sufficient and demanding, but Mahnoor’s success suggests that for some, rigid limits may stifle potential rather than protect wellbeing. She reframed the concept of “burnout” and turned it into a question of motivation and passion reminding us that learning, when fueled by genuine curiosity, can be a source of energy rather than exhaustion.

Educators and policymakers might see her story as an invitation to rethink how schools support exceptional learners. Rather than restricting ambition, the challenge lies in creating systems flexible enough to stretch the gifted while still nurturing the average student. Mahnoor’s journey is not meant to be a blueprint for all, but it does show what is possible when talent, drive, and opportunity align.

Pushing the Boundaries of Possibility

Mahnoor Cheema’s journey is remarkable not only because of the numbers attached to her name 23 A-levels, an IQ higher than Stephen Hawking, six academic world records but because of what those numbers represent. They tell the story of a young woman who refused to let conventional limits dictate what she could achieve. While her path is unique, the spirit behind it is universal: curiosity, determination, and the courage to imagine more than what is expected.

Her achievements remind us that education is not just about exams or ticking boxes; it is about nurturing a love for learning and creating space for talent to thrive in its own way. Not every student will want or need to follow her example, but every student can draw inspiration from her refusal to be bored, boxed in, or deterred. In an age where burnout and pressure dominate conversations about education, Mahnoor offers a counterpoint an outlook that sees challenge as opportunity and passion as fuel.

As she prepares to study medicine at Oxford, Mahnoor’s story stands as a testament to what happens when intellect meets perseverance. It is also a call to celebrate diversity in learning paths, to value ambition as much as achievement, and to recognize that the boundaries of possibility are often much further than we imagine.

Featured Image of Manhoor Cheema with her A-level certificates from @Murtazareviews on TikTok