14-Year-Old Strives for Admission to Cambridge

By Kelly O'Brien 

            Think high school physics is difficult as a senior? Try passing a college physics entrance exam at age 14. That’s all that stands in the way of British teenager Arran Fernandez’s admission into the prestigious Cambridge University.

            Fernandez grew up home schooled by his parents in Surrey. At the age of five in 2001, he became the youngest person to pass the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), which is an advanced exam in England normally taken by 14-16 year olds. He received a grade of D, the highest possible grade for the foundation level of the exam. Later in 2003, he became the youngest person both pass, and receive an A* on the math GCSE.

            To prepare for these exams, Fernandez began studying three hours a day three months before the test with his father, Dr. Neil Fernandez. As a family, they played math related games at lunch and supper to make studying fun for the five year old. His parents described him as a “normal child”, who loved to fly his kite and play chess instead of constantly solving math problems as most assume.

            Now at 14, Arran is on the brink of breaking a 237 year old record: to become the youngest undergraduate at Cambridge University. This record is previously held by William Pitt (the younger). Some Cambridge alums include Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Physics theorist Steven Hawking.

            Arran has already passed the university’s entrance exam and now needs to pass his physics A-level to gain admittance. This exam is very difficult and often failed by many 17 or 18 year olds trying to get into Cambridge.

            Arran has several goals in mind for himself after college. At the young age of five, Fernandez contemplated becoming a mathematician, space explorer, or lorry driver. His main focus now, at 14, is to become a research mathematician, and even someday possibly work at Cambridge.

             One feat he especially hopes to accomplish while studying at Cambridge is to solve the Riemann hypothesis: a theory about the patterns of prime numbers that has been unsolved by even the greatest mathematicians for over 150 years. Fernandez will pursue a tripos degree, which is Cambridge’s rigorous math program, and is said to be one of the most difficult curriculum in the world.    

 Photo courtesy of Google Images.