10-Year-Old Aces Exams Meant for 16-Year-Olds in NZ

Raymond Hsu couldn't contain himself as his NCEA results loaded on screen. The 10-year-old jumped, screamed, and flapped his arms when he saw merit grades on exams typically taken by students five or six years older.

But talk to Raymond now and you'll meet a soft-spoken Year 6 student who loves Roald Dahl books and sometimes loses at Monopoly to his younger sister. Their Porirua home is scattered with train tracks, board games, and whiteboard doodles from an afternoon of play.

Raymond's academic journey started early. By age 6, he was reading teenage novels. By 7, he dove into social sciences. In Years 2 and 3, he asked mathematical questions that stumped his grade level.

Getting the education system to recognize his gifts proved harder than the actual coursework. Schools told his father Michael that Raymond was too young for advanced programs, which typically start at Year 8. Some schools never responded to their inquiries at all.

Michael found a solution through weekend maths classes and a "Link School" that manages NCEA assessments for home-schooled students. At 9, Raymond took his first official exams, giving structure to learning while keeping childhood intact.

Teachers initially hesitated to accelerate Raymond, citing his quiet demeanor in class as concern. Yet those same teachers noticed how animated he became around close friends, and Michael describes his son's cheeky, teenage-style comebacks at home that make Raymond bury his face laughing.

The school recommended Raymond stay in Year 6 this year, prioritizing his wellbeing over acceleration. Michael agreed, focusing on teaching his son to distinguish positive influences from negative ones rather than shielding him completely.

Sunny's Take

What makes Raymond's story special isn't just the test scores. It's watching him analyze Shakespeare one moment and ride his scooter with neighborhood friends the next. Michael deliberately keeps swimming lessons, karate, and playtime in the schedule because balance matters more than being the youngest to achieve something.

Raymond doesn't boast about his achievements to classmates. When asked if he'd tell his friends about the exam results, he seemed puzzled by the question. Among peers his own age, studying rarely comes up in conversation.

The family also battles stereotypes about being an "Asian maths genius." Literature is actually Raymond's favorite subject, and he found Level 2 maths genuinely challenging. Michael makes sure people understand his son's full range of interests beyond the headlines.

Raymond still wakes up grumpy on school mornings and races to class to play before the bell rings. He's proof that extraordinary academic ability and an ordinary, joyful childhood can exist in the same kid.