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World's Youngest Microsoft Certificated Professional Is Five Years Old
HughPickens.com writes Gurvinder Gill writes at BBC that Ayan Qureshi is the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional after passing the tech giant's exam when he was just five years old. Qureshi's father introduced his son to computers when he was three years old. He let him play with his old computers, so he could understand hard drives and motherboards. "I found whatever I was telling him, the next day he'd remember everything I said, so I started to feed him more information," Qureshi explained. "Too much computing at this age can cause a negative effect, but in Ayan's case he has cached this opportunity." Ayan has his own computer lab at his home in Coventry, containing a computer network which he built and spends around two hours a day learning about the operating system, how to install programs, and has his own web site.
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is a certification that validates IT professional and developer technical expertise through rigorous, industry-proven, and industry-recognized exams. MCP exams cover a wide range of Microsoft products, technologies, and solutions. When the boy arrived to take the Microsoft exam, the invigilators were concerned that he was too young to be a candidate. His father reassured them that Ayan would be all right on his own. "There were multiple choice questions, drag and drop questions, hotspot questions and scenario-based questions," Ayan's father told the BBC Asian Network. "The hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five-year-old. But he seemed to pick it up and has a very good memory."
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is a certification that validates IT professional and developer technical expertise through rigorous, industry-proven, and industry-recognized exams. MCP exams cover a wide range of Microsoft products, technologies, and solutions. When the boy arrived to take the Microsoft exam, the invigilators were concerned that he was too young to be a candidate. His father reassured them that Ayan would be all right on his own. "There were multiple choice questions, drag and drop questions, hotspot questions and scenario-based questions," Ayan's father told the BBC Asian Network. "The hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five-year-old. But he seemed to pick it up and has a very good memory."
But can he write a device driver in assembly language?
It took me 3 attempts to pass that exam and now there are 5 year olds who can pass it?
Either the kid is pretty damn smart, or else the quality of the MCP exam has become so easy even children can pass it.
Ill go for a little from column A and a little from column B. Bright kid probably (and coaching from Dad helped for sure) but MCP probably isn't worth jack shit.
I remember years ago being asked by an MCSE for help... installing Windows 2000 Server. I was a Novell certified engineer and could do it in my sleep.
A MS cert does not trump a computing degree.
This perpetual motion machine Lisa made is a joke, it just keeps getting faster and faster. - Homer
The only way that we have found for being able to assess a candidate's suitability for work at our company is to write tests that suit the job, and then ask the candidates to demonstrate their skills. We've had people with all sorts of qualifications relevant to the LAMP architecture not know the basics of regex, sql, bash, etc. Let alone what ARP is.
IMO qualifications in IT aren't really very relevant, other than showing the intent/interests of the individual. Also, as IT is changing so rapidly, by the time a (non-theoretical) qualification has been published, it is pretty much out of date.
My response, as an employer, to this news could be summarised as: 'We never had much credence to the MS qualification in the first place - and now we have none.
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The problem is that you only have to remember specific information to pass a certification. /why/ it is the way it is. Only that it is.
This doesn't mean you know
This makes the difference between IT professionals who love their work, and will find new solutions, versus the sys admin who can follow the instructions laid out before him.
You might be able to say 'FTP uses TCP' 'Voice uses UDP' Oh, you passed.
This doesn't mean that they understand that TCP sends acks for each received packet to insure each one is received in order, and if it isn't, it resends the package.
That UDP sends it blindly hoping it worked.
Or why. E.G FTP uses TCP because you're transferring files, if part of the file is missing, it's toast. So you need acknowledgement for each packet sent.
UDP is used for voice. This is because with voice, if part of it is missing you get a slight drop in quality, a blip or blurp in sound, machine like sounds or depending how long, a missed word or two.
You can still understand the conversation for the most part with minor impact. If it was TCP, people would cut out a lot more vs the odd artifact in the sound.
The kid apparently has either a talent for computers or for learning.
Either way, it's a waste to train him for an MCP exam when the kid could be learning something actually valuable in the future.
I have no idea whether an MCP exam is easy or difficult, but it'll damn sure be useless by the time he is old enough to get benefits from such certification.
Having the kid get an MCP certification is about the parents' bragging rights rather than actually teaching the kid something valuable.
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add an arm wrestling component to the test.
People always say Microsoft certification doesn't mean much, but it took a bright three-year-old a full two years of study to pass!
Must be more challenging than I thought.
Seriously why fill a such important time in child's development with crap that will be irrelevant before he'll hit puberty. There's many more important lessons in life than this. The dad thinks his kids something special now, but in a few years when those valuable lesson and experiences can't be drawn upon....What then? This dad is a douche-bag.
Area51 - We are watching...
"The hardest challenge was explaining the language of the test to a five-year-old." Makes you wonder how thorough this 'explaining' was. I may be wrong, but standard applicants probably don't get much in the way of explanation, and understanding the question is a very important part of any problem solving.
The MCP cert is a way to prove you are more knowledgeable about the Windows client computer than your grandmother that calls you for help. Like the A+ exam, I found it remedial. MCPs are not MSCEs. I enjoy how the people who insult MCSEs either 1) do not have it, or 2) have a different certification (NCE). And yes, your anecdotal stories are very cute.
I think the mold on the left yogurt in my fridge is an MCSE. ... Yeah, he was bored one afternoon.
Seriously though, if my kid were a computer prodigy, the last thing I would teach it is something proprietary with such a short half-life as MCP. Basic knowledge of a programming language and TCP/IP would've been much better for this kid at that age. What a waste of talent. ... Put him on the kernel team and Linus accept a commit by him - *that* would be news. :-)
I hope this wasn't some nutty dad driving his kid to do something so he could feel great about himself as a dad.
But maybe the kid is happy and loves his dad and dad loves him back. That's the most important think at that age - MCP or not.
My 2 cents.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
Sure, the MCP test isn't that great. But a 5 year old kid passing them does show a drive for learning that most American 5-year-old kids don't have (for various reasons). Most American kids that age wouldn't even be able to read the questions, let alone answer them. Unless his dad was able to read the questions to him and then put his answers in for him, the kid has exhibited a superior reading and writing ability in comparison to most.
Hopefully he doesn't end up becoming a desk jockey troubleshooting windows PCs. If he keeps up this desire to learn he should be able to go much, much, further. I wish him well (and I wish him a better OS as well!).
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
There is a third option: The boy is a "paper" MCP. He knows the right answer to the questions, but doesn't understand the reasoning behind it.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
When I was a video game tester at Accolade/Infogrames/Atari (same company, different owners, multiple personality disorder), we kept a five-year-old in the inventory closet in case we ever needed a console button smasher. After you turn 30-years-old, you're likely to smash the console than smash the buttons.
IIRC, you are an MCP for passing ONE Microsoft test. You need to pass 4-5 (can't remember the exact number) to be an MCSE or MCSP. So the real headline is, "5 year old with photographic memory passes one test with a lot of coaching by his father."
This is 95% of all MCP holders.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
To find out who's the youngest linux kernel developer who (to have some objective criteria) had a patch accepted into the mainstream line.
Or you know, anything else besides something based on multiple choice and memorization.
I apologize for the lack of a signature.
I have always thought these tests were more a barrier to entry - you have to pay for the test to get work in the field - than anything else. Now this is proof. A test so easy a five-year old can pass it? Makes me glad I didn't get into the whole Microsoft test scam.
I used to work tier 2 tech support for RoadRunner. People, usually from Florida, would call in complain their internet wasn't working. I would always get people trying to let me know just how smart they were.
Customer: "Hi, I'm A++ and MCP certified and I have a certificate from Devry so I know my stuff but I can't get my internet working"
Me: "What makes you say it isn't working Sir, what exactly is going on?"
Customer: "I can't load any websites except ones I've seen before, I tried restarting but it's just doing the same thing"
Me: "...type ipconfig, what do you see?"
Customer: "...static IP..."
Me: "Sir, do you have a kid who uses your computer for gaming? You have a static IP, that's the issue. follow these instructions and it will work..."
Customer: "No, I certainly don't have a static IP. I looked for that. The issue must be on your end"
Me: *FACEPALM!!!!!!!
comclusion: MCP MEANS NOTHING!!!!!!
There is a third option: The boy is a "paper" MCP. He knows the right answer to the questions, but doesn't understand the reasoning behind it.
What part of Microsoft in MCP you did not understand? There is no reasoning behind it. Other than, it looked like a great way to screw some competition way back when we could do it. The only other reasoning other than that is, "the newbie code monkey hacked it this way and his/her manager was too stupid to catch it code review. Now it is carved in stone".
In other words, the reasons are either malice or incompetence.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Ugh! Windows indoctrination at such a young age!
Honestly, the certification should back up field experience, not the other way around.
Been working IT since 1996. MCITP, MCDST, MCTS, MSCE (2000).
Life is not for the lazy.
I remember back after 9/11 when everyone and his uncle got their 5 year old to memorize the FCC question pool answers and get their ham radio license...
Hey, this code.org thingy is really working!
if you ever find yourself installing an old version of Windows and are not paying attention, you can almost get excited by the list of "new features" in the old version of Windows. Their OS may be so so, but their propaganda has always been top notch.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Why, this Microsoft certification test is so simple a five year old child could pass it.
Run out and find me a five year old child. I can't make head nor tail out of it.
H/R Drone: Do you have 5 years experience in the field?
Kid: I am 5!
This is 95% of all MCP holders.
Are you sure the percentage is that low?
More than 100 comments and no snarky remark about how he would have been better off learning Linux?
what a shame.... I'm going back to usenet to talk about FreeBSD's imminently approaching death
But can he run Linux?
You don't pass them by knowing your material (unless you're an idiot savant who has memorized every meaningless facet of the product) or by taking classes. You pass by memorizing the bizarre questions they ask and the answers they expect to see. I was forced to take a few MS exams for work, and I passed them all on the first go-around, but I don't know jack about Windows.
Before accepting that a 5 year old not only passed the exam, but could read and comprehend at a fully adult level, I have another hypothesis: the dad did it... He obviously made the kid's website, so why would it surprise anyone if he "helped" the kid through the test. It's the same way that kids used to win slot-racing competitions.
While a good exam isn't supposed to test the student's ability to understand the language, it is supposed to test the student's ability to understand the underlying concepts. This means that the exam should, in part, test the student's ability to read a question, identify the key concepts, and figure out what is an appropriate answer based on those key concepts. If you receive help reading the question by converting concepts into something easier to understand, then that would seem to undermine the test result and therefore the certification achievement. Not to the point where it's completely void, but it may not be completely accurate to the kid's skill level
Now, i don't know if the parent acted as a dictionary or actually simplified the language, but the sentence in the summary does seem concerning.
Correct, and passion, tenacity, and/or experience sans degree don't trump a college degree.
I don't care how passionate you are if you can't learn anything.
I don't care how long you banged your head against that simple problem.
I know a couple of self-taught programmers who are simply incompatible with any other coder or codebase. They've got their one project at their company, and no-one else can touch it. And frankly they shouldn't touch anything else.
It's as if there is no trump, and there is no silver bullet guaranteed way to make a competent IT worker. Or a developer. Or an engineer. Because if there was a simple guaranteed path to becoming one of those, people wouldn't be bothering with anything else.
Passion is great if you capitalize on it. Tenacity is required to get anything done, but you have to know how to overcome problems. Most experience is good experience. Some experience just teaches you bad habits. Some experience is the same experience over and over again.
And a degree doesn't mean you're all that hot either. It just means you can pass a specific sort of hurdle. A big hurdle, sure, depending on the school and the degree. But there are plenty of grads who can't code.
"Why it's so simple, a five year-old child could understand it. Now go out and get me a five year old child"
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
The MailOnlne described the test as "Supporting Windows 8.1." Schoolboy becomes world's youngest qualified computer specialist after passing Microsoft Windows exam aged just FIVE
Yes, this is technician level. Doesn't claim to be anything else.
But IF the range and depth of the exam is equivalent to the MS Course of the same name, it is far from the trivial achievement that the geek with five to ten years of practical experience likes to pretend. Course 20688D: Supporting Windows 8.1
There is an entry-level technician grade exam Configuring Windows 8.1
which still implies an understanding of concepts and methods that will be quite alien to most five year olds, and every now and again trips up an adult who should know better,
If this kid has a memory like this he should be doing more important things than learning how to be a windows admin.
"If you love someone, set them free. If they come home, set them on fire." - George Carlin
I remember earlier in my career, looking for work with a tertiary qualification and 4 years experience in the IT workforce under my belt (I worked in IT before, during and after tertiary study) and being turned down by potential employers because I wasn't "Microsoft Certified"
Nevermind the fact that at least 2 of the papers I studied toward that tertiary qualification revolved around configuring and supporting Microsoft networks and I'd been working with Microsoft technologies full time for about 2-3 years prior.
I later just got the damn certification anyway, because I needed the job prospects that came with it. I learnt very little by doing it.
Corollary: Base sixteen is just like base ten...if you've got four extra fingers.
FTFM: Make that six.
Why yes, I am and have been a admin of real operating systems (posix, midrange and mainframe); Microsoft Certified "pros" have little useful skills or understanding, and I've seen more time wasted on a single Windows server than dozens of servers running a real OS.
And here I was picturing you counting with your feet and your 7 fingers per hand.
Learn to love Alaska
Yes there is 5% error :-)
Honestly some people that get suckered into the Microsoft Kool-Aid really do know their stuff. And unfortunately a lot of HR departments are far too stupid to understand that certifications mean nothing so they require a billion certs thinking they will get someone that is perfect for the job.
So I can see why youngsters (Under 30) really think they need certifications and they listen to the siren song that Microsoft Bleats as the holy grail to high paying jobs.
A friend of mine is a fantastic thinker and tech, sadly he drank so deep of the MSFT refreshment that he will not even look at a Unix of any type so he is locked into one small skillset that when he has to deal with something outside of that world, he will have no idea what to do.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
And, I can count to 21 if I take all my clothes off!
Yes, you have a belly button. Good for you.
Learn to love Alaska
Do us 50YO Americans stand a chance?