S'pore boy, 8, takes O-Level equivalent biology exam with 39.4°C fever, gets an 'A'

A Singaporean boy named Theodore Kwan has picked up two more As in the International General Certificate of Education Extended Level (IGCSE) exams for physics and biology.

The eight-year-old boy previously scored an A and A* for the IGCSE chemistry and pure mathematics papers respectively, setting national records for being the youngest candidate to sit for both.

He was only 6 years 10 months old when he took the chemistry exam in 2025.

The IGCSE is an O-level equivalent exam, typically taken by students aged 14 to 16.

A stressful morning

Despite his impressive results, Kwan felt quite disappointed about his biology grade, his mother Crystal Tang told Mothership.

He had developed a 39.4°C fever just hours before the exam in April.

Recalling the morning of the biology exam, Tang described it as a stressful one for the family.

When his parents found out Kwan had a high fever, the exam became "the least of [their] concerns".

"We were worried about how he was feeling and whether he was well enough to sit for such a long written paper," she said. "We were very prepared for him not to take the exam at all."

But Kwan insisted he still wanted to try.

The parents did what they could to bring his temperature down, and when it did go down further, they did as he wished and brought him to the exam venue.

Right after it was over, Kwan shared his disappointment with his family.

"He told us that he had been slower than usual and had left some questions unanswered because he simply couldn't finish everything in time," Tang said.

His parents were genuinely surprised later when they found out he scored an A.

Tang, who has homeschooled her son since he was young, felt very proud of his result.

But she believes it is not healthy for children to push through illness for an exam.

"If we had felt that he wasn't well enough to continue, his health would absolutely have come first," she said.

"What stayed with us was how determined he was to finish something he had chosen to work towards, even though the circumstances that day were far from ideal."

New national records

Kwan, who reportedly has an IQ of 154, currently holds eight national records.

For his As in the physics and biology papers, Kwan has again set records for being the youngest to sit for both, according to Zaobao.

The Singapore Book of Records will reportedly be registering the records and presenting him with the certificates on Aug. 21.

Interest in the sciences

Tang, who is a PhD student in Nanyang Technological University (NTU)'s medical school, told Mothership that it was Kwan's wish and decision to take the IGCSE exams in mathematics and the three sciences.

He has always been interested in learning across the sciences, especially chemistry and biology, she explained.

"Biology connects naturally with his interest in medicine and the human body, while chemistry fascinates him at the molecular level understanding substances, reactions and how medicines work.

Physics appeals to another side of his curiosity, particularly because he has a strong interest in astronomy and space science."

While encouraging his interests, Kwan's parents also made sure he had breaks in between the papers.

"As parents, our role was actually to slow the process down and make it more manageable for his age," she said.

Now that he has completed the three sciences and Mathematics at the IGCSE level, his parents are looking at overseas institutions "where he can progress according to his academic readiness".

Tang also pointed out to Zaobao that her son is still very young, so there is no need to define his future so early.

He might focus on the sciences in the future, or he might take a completely different path.

"At this current stage, we as parents just want to provide him with many options in breadth and depth so that he can explore them on his own," she said.