Boy, 10, gets highest Mensa score and says: 'I could have done better'

He may seem like every other 10 year-old with his head stuck in the latest David Walliams book.

But when he's not reading about Gangsta Grannies, Aahil Jouher is pitching his wit against people years older than him.

The youngster, from Blackburn, has become one of the youngest people ever to gain the highest possible score in a Mensa test.

After sitting the test he told his parent's he didn't feel he had done very well and said "I could have done better".

Little did he know he had scored 162 - the highest possible score on a Mensa test which only one per cent of the population have achieved.

"I didn't expect to get that score," he said.

^{Aahil Kallingal with his parents Nabeela, left, and Jouher (Guzelian)}

"I just thought I'd get an average score. When I found out I just thought 'Oh my word'. I was really quite surprised. I thought I was just like every other ordinary kid."

But, unlike most children his age, Aahil, whose favourite subjects are maths and science, spends his spare time inventing things.

He added: "I want to be a scientist when I grow up.

"I like inventing things, most of the time they go wrong. I'm building a small computer at the moment, let's just say it's a work in progress."

His proud father, stroke consultant Dr Jouher Kallingal said: "We decided to send him for the test when he reach 10 and a half. When we got the results I rang Mensa to ask what it meant and they explained he had got the top score of 162.

We were obviously surprised after the test, he had told us he didn't think it had gone well.

"He wasn't interested to know the results. He told us he felt he could have done better and we told him not to worry.

"We had not wanted him to worry so we only told him about it the day before so he wasn't under any pressure. I told him where to look at some practice papers, but I doubt very much he looked at them.

"When we found out the score we just think it is absolutely wonderful."

When asked if his son would follow in his footsteps, he replied: "He's seen the life of a doctor and says he wants to be a scientist instead. He's quite inquisitive and likes to see how things work."

Aahil is the eldest of three boys and attends Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Blackburn after moving there three years ago from Buckinghamshire.