LONDON; Mahnoor Cheema, an 18-year-old British-Pakistani prodigy, has made academic history by achieving a remarkable feat in her A-Level examinations, earning four new world records and, when combined with her earlier GCSE achievements, holding a total of six global academic records — the highest ever attained by any secondary school student worldwide. Her achievements have secured her a place at the prestigious University of Oxford, where she will study Medicine this October.
Mahnoor’s most celebrated accomplishment is completing 24 A-Level subjects with top distinctions, alongside an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), all taken through a single exam board without repeating components to artificially inflate totals — a world first. This sets the record for the most individual A-Level subjects undertaken and passed with distinction by any student globally.
Her second A-Level record is for securing 19 A and A grades*, the highest number ever achieved in such a single examination series.
Mahnoor’s third record merges her A-Level and GCSE results: she now holds 11 A grades at A-Level and 34 A grades from her GCSE/O-Level exams**, making a combined total of 45 A grades*, the highest awarded to any secondary school student in the world.
Her fourth combined record is for the highest total number of individual subjects passed with distinction — 58 subjects in total, comprising her 24 A-Levels and 34 GCSEs.
Her fifth and sixth world records were set earlier, in 2023, when at the age of 16 she passed 34 GCSE subjects — including a record 17 with A* grades during Year 10 and securing 34 A* grades overall.
Speaking exclusively from her family home in Langley, West London, Mahnoor described her Oxford acceptance email as the culmination of a lifelong dream.
“I am over the moon. I’ve wanted this since childhood. It’s been a joy studying these subjects, but now I’m looking forward to pursuing the career I’ve always dreamt of. I owe everything to my parents’ sacrifices,” she said.
Mahnoor’s parents, Barrister Usman Cheema and Tayyaba Cheema, hail from Lahore, Pakistan, and moved to the UK in 2006 to pursue higher education at Lincoln’s Inn and SOAS. Mahnoor initially attended a private school in Lahore before enrolling at Langley Grammar School, later moving to the Henrietta Barnett School in central London, and finally opting for homeschooling for her final year.
Her achievements have been recognised by Pakistan’s political leadership. Following her GCSE success, she met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Stanhope House. Nawaz Sharif praised her as “the daughter of the nation” and presented her with a MacBook, which she still uses — including during her Oxford interview preparations.
Beyond academics, Mahnoor is a member of Mensa, the high IQ society, and holds an AMusTCL diploma in music — equivalent to an undergraduate degree — earned at the age of 16. She has also won gold medals in Acting and Public Speaking from LAMDA and completed her EPQ in just ten days with a perfect 100% score.
With her extraordinary blend of intellect, discipline, and creativity, Mahnoor Cheema stands as a global symbol of academic excellence and a source of pride for both Britain and Pakistan.
