Qamar Muneer Akbar (born 22 October 2009) is a Pakistani child prodigy and computer science researcher who holds multiple world records in academic examinations. He achieved international recognition in 2018 after becoming the youngest person to pass an O-Level (IGCSE) Chemistry examination at the age of eight, breaking a record previously set by his sister, Sitara Brooj Akbar. He set a second major world record in 2020 at age 11 alongside his twin sister by becoming the youngest candidate to achieve top bands in the IELTS examination.
Early life Qamar Muneer Akbar was born in Rabwah, Punjab and belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. He is the youngest of five siblings; his eldest sister is Sitara Brooj Akbar, followed by MahPara Akbar, Kirn Akbar, and his twin sister Qamar un Nisa. Demonstrating accelerated early childhood development, he began reading at age two and self-taught English, Arabic, Urdu, and Punjabi.
He later moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with his family.
World records and achievements
Early O-Levels / IGCSE (2018, Age 8) In August 2018, at eight years old, Akbar registered his first world record by passing the British Cambridge O-Level (IGCSE) Chemistry examination with an A grade. He surpassed the previous record-holder, his sister Sitara Brooj Akbar,by three years. Akbar went on to complete all of his full IGCSE qualifications by age 12 and completed his A-Levels by age 15.
IELTS (2020, Age 11) In September 2020, at age 11, Akbar and his twin sister, Qamar Un Nisa Akbar, set a world record as the youngest examinees to attain top scores on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Administered by the British Council in the UAE, both twins achieved a Band 9 in Speaking, a Band 8 in Listening, and an overall band score of 7.5.
Computer Science & Research Following his early academic completions, Akbar pursued computer science education. At age 12, he completed Harvard University's CS50W course with a 100% score, along with other programming courses across six languages. He has since transitioned into artificial intelligence and deep learning research, working on topics such as Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) dynamic adversarial defenses, image classification, and retrieval-augmented computer vision models.
Media recognition Akbar's achievements have been covered across national and international media outlets, including ARY News, BBC Urdu, Geo News, Khaleej Times, The National, PTV News, Tribune Pakistan, and The Times of India. He has also engaged in community radio initiatives such as Pearl 102 in the UAE.
See also Child prodigy Sitara Brooj Akbar
References