Tredegar teenager Shay Hougham joins Mensa at 15

Shay Lloyd Hougham, 15 from Tredegar, scored 148 in the supervised Mensa test last month - meaning he has a higher IQ than 98 per cent of people in the world.

The Tredegar Comprehensive student had sat and passed the online taster test run by the global organisation, so booked on to the supervised test at Clayton Hotel, Cardiff. He finished the two-and-a-half-hour test 10 minutes early and was given his result a week later.

Shay needed 132 to pass the test but scored 148 – making him one of the top two per cent of the population.

He has now joined Mensa and hopes to be able to make use of their scholarships.

On his results, Shay said: “It’s great. I didn’t think I was going to do that well, but I was fairly confident I would get in, but not pass 140. I was surprised and chuffed when I got the results.

“I’ve not been very good at sports and have always been very academic since I was in primary school. I want to go far in an academic career and wanted to be able to get a scholarship and did not know how to get one. MENSA offer chances to apply for one.”

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Shay is preparing to start year 11 and is hoping to follow a career in maths – one of his strongest subjects – or one of the sciences.

Mum Natalie said: “I’m over the Moon! Shay is quite humble and is taking it all in his stride. It’s something we’re very proud of.”

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