Pakistani boy of 8 clears Microsoft specialist exams

London, July 18 (IANS) An eight-year-old Pakistani boy has cleared exams undertaken for becoming a Microsoft Certified Technology specialist.

Shafay Thobani mastered complex internet protocol and domain name systems to become a certified professional. He passed the baffling tests with a huge 91 percent score, following a gruelling 13 months of learning, The Sun reported.

This child prodigy could be the world's youngest expert on Microsoft computers at such a tender age, the daily added.

His father Shau Thobani, a chief executive officer of tech firm Thobson Technologies, is full of pride over his son's achievement as he says: "Shafay is so intelligent. He does complicated maths on his hands instead of a calculator."

"I feel like the luckiest parent because at the end of each day I only ever receive very positive feedback from Shafay's teachers."

"Every year I give Shafay a new challenge to try and encourage him," he added.

Shafay first started working with computers aged four, and now combines school classes with children his own age with five hours of computer classes a day.

Microsoft spokesperson Thomas Jensen said: "Microsoft does not keep track of the ages of the people who take the certification. I'm not aware of anyone younger than Shafay - however I can't officially confirm this."

Despite Shafay's remarkable achievement, his father says the little boy will be free to choose his own career when he grows up. "I'm not forcing Shafay to do anything in his future. He will decide what he wants to do himself."