Oxford-Bound Teen Prodigy of Pakistani Heritage Sets Six Academic World Records

An 18-year-old British-Nigerian academic sensation of Pakistani descent, Mahnoor Cheema, has stunned the global education community by breaking six world records and clinching a spot at the prestigious University of Oxford to study Medicine.
Cheema, whose parents—Usman and Tayyaba Cheema—are barristers originally from Lahore, Pakistan, relocated with her family to the United Kingdom in 2006. Since then, she has carved a path of relentless academic excellence that has earned her recognition from both global institutions and national leaders.
In a feat that has never been recorded in the history of secondary education, Mahnoor Cheema successfully completed and excelled in 58 different examination subjects, earning distinctions in nearly all of them. This monumental achievement includes her breaking four brand new academic world records through her A-Level results alone. Among these are completing 24 A-Level subjects along with an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) under a single examination board, attaining 19 A or A* grades in the same sitting, scoring an extraordinary cumulative total of 45 A grades across her GCSE and A-Level exams, and maintaining consistent excellence across the highest volume of subjects ever attempted by a secondary school student.
These recent records build on her two earlier global records set in 2023, when at just 16 years of age, she achieved 34 A* grades at the GCSE level—a performance that earned her widespread media coverage and international acclaim. Her academic journey has seen her pass through top-tier UK institutions, including Langley Grammar School and the elite Henrietta Barnett School, before completing her final year of studies through homeschooling, all while maintaining her staggering academic momentum.
Cheema’s academic repertoire extends well beyond traditional subjects. She is also the recipient of a diploma equivalent to an undergraduate qualification in music (AMusTCL), awarded at age 16. Additionally, she holds gold medals in Acting and Public Speaking from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and is a proud member of Mensa, the high-IQ society. Her Extended Project Qualification, which she submitted with a perfect 100% score, was astonishingly completed in just ten days—a testament to her intellectual dexterity and discipline.
This exceptional performance did not go unnoticed by high-ranking officials. In 2023, both Pakistan’s sitting Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and former leader Nawaz Sharif, publicly celebrated her achievements. They even gifted her a MacBook, which she reportedly used in preparing for and attending her successful Oxford interview sessions.
Now set to begin her studies at Oxford University’s medical program this October, Mahnoor Cheema joins the ranks of the world’s most academically gifted minds. Her rise is not just a triumph of personal discipline and brilliance, but also a story of immigrant excellence, parental support, and the power of a strong educational foundation. From Pakistan to the UK, and now to the hallowed halls of Oxford, her journey is inspiring millions around the world—especially young women in science and medicine.
As Nigeria and the rest of Africa continue to champion educational success and global achievement, the story of Mahnoor Cheema stands as a beacon of possibility and a reminder that excellence, when pursued with passion and consistency, knows no borders.