AN EIGHT-year-old Chester schoolgirl has been accepted into the prestigious Mensa society after tests proved her IQ was in the top 0.1 per cent of her age group.
Raka Chattopadhyay, of Great Sutton, was judged to have a mental age of more than 18 during the tests, returning a score that ranked her in the 99.9th percentile.
She currently studies maths with girls three years her senior at The Queen’s School, Chester and enjoys puzzles, quizzes and problem-solving.
Her father Dr Kausik Chatterjee said: “We knew she was intelligent but had no idea she was quite so bright. We were guided entirely by the school and they are the ones that have identified this.
“From the beginning of this year she has really come on – her class teacher Mrs Lindop – and Miss Haynes who teaches her for maths – have stretched and challenged her understanding which she really enjoys.
“I’m pretty certain that without the school’s help she would not have achieved this. She’s enjoying her success at the moment which is lovely to see but she’s definitely not a diva!”
The acceptance into Mensa came about after the school suggested Raka may want to enter a competition to appear in a Channel 4 programme Child Genius.
She had to take several IQ tests and a screen test. Although she didn’t make it onto the programme, her marks were among the highest in the country and Mensa invited her to become a member.
Raka said: “I’ve loved the whole process and, despite not making it on the programme, I’m so happy to have been accepted by Mensa.”
