The Microsoft Marvel: Ayan’s a computer expert aged just 5
A LITTLE boy has a message for the millions of ordinary mortals who are terrified of using computer technology – it’s so easy, even a child can do it. Ayan Qureshi has become the world’s youngest computer specialist, earning a qualification usually sought by university students hoping to work in IT.
He was five years and 11 months old when he passed the Microsoft Certified Professional exam. It requires a professional level of understanding of Microsoft systems and is seen as a helping hand into a good job for computing graduates.
At home Ayan, now six, has a computer laboratory bristling with technology, some of which he set up himself. At primary school, he’s a wizard at information technology and maths.
‘He’s very smart and he really loves technology,’ father Asim, 43, said. Mr Qureshi, himself an IT consultant, added: ‘I think he must have caught the bug by watching me work at home.’
Ayan, from Walsgrave, Coventry, was competent on a laptop before he was three. He spent two hours a day for five months preparing for the exam.
Last month he created his own computer network, connecting two PCs, two laptops and a router and programming them to exchange data. He installed and configured two versions of Windows. When Ayan sat the exam at Birmingham City University, invigilators contacted Microsoft HQ to check his eligibility.
But he finished well inside the two-hour limit and passed, setting a world record. The previous youngest holder of the title was six-and-a-half.
Stefano Capaldo of IT firm Firebrand Training, said: ‘This exam is not easy. The concept of a five-year-old understanding the language and context of some of the questions is amazing.’
Mr Qureshi said: ‘We’re very proud of Ayan. He has plans to take an advanced test in the future but, for now, he has to concentrate on school.’